Druther's is a restaurant, formerly a chain of fast food restaurants that began as Burger Queen restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky from 1963 until 1981. The name was a play on the word druthers, and the mascot was a giant female bee named Queenie Bee. In 1981, Burger Queen changed to Druther's restaurants, although the changes were mostly cosmetic. One reason given for the name change was to eliminate the perception that they served "just burgers," when they also had fried chicken and a serve-yourself salad bar. Druther's featured a character named "Andy Dandytale" on its kids meal items (and a live-action version in early TV advertising). The chain's slogan was "I'd Ruther Go to Druther's Restaurant."
Video Druther's
History
The first Burger Queen was built in Middletown, Kentucky, in 1963, and the original building still stands across from Dairy Queen at 11806 Shelbyville Road. Burger Queen's second location in Middletown is now a Dairy Queen. The chain's mascot was Queenie Bee.
The company originally started in Middletown in 1963 as a franchise of a Florida-based company by Louisville partners James Gannon and brothers George and John Clark. The Louisville company eventually bought the Florida-based company. George Clark eventually became CEO while his other partners left the company.
The company opened its 50th location in December 1973 in Danville and had locations in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee at the time of the opening.
In June 1981, Burger Queen Enterprises Inc. announce that it was changing its name to Druther's International Inc. and changing the names of it restaurants from Burger Queen to Druther's Restaurant. Despite the change in names, management and the menu remained the same. At the time of the announcement, the company operated 171 company-owned and franchised locations in seven states within the United States and also had international franchised in England, Canada, the Republic of China, and the United Arab Emirates.
In September 1990, privately-owned Druther's International Inc. became a Dairy Queen franchise and was able converted most of its restaurants to the Dairy Queen brand by the end of first quarter of 1991. The Druther's brand was retired as the result of the conversion. At the time of the conversion, Druther's had operated 145 restaurants in Kentucky and surrounding states. Druther's International later rename itself Druther's Systems Inc. to better fit its new roll as a Dairy Queen franchise operator.
In 1996, International Dairy Queen Inc. bought 31 Dairy Queen/Brazier outlets in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana from Druther's Systems Inc. for an undisclosed price.
Former Druther's locations in Louisville, Kentucky currently house other businesses such as a Burger King and a local liquor store called Our Place Liquors. The last operating Druther's, a former franchise, is in Campbellsville, Kentucky.
Maps Druther's
See also
- List of defunct fast-food restaurant chains
- List of hamburger restaurants
References
Further reading
- Druther's may bail out ailing chain
- Do you remember (Burger Queen)
External links
- Druther's radio commercial with vintage pictures
- Druther's TV commercial beginning at 1:10
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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