Red's Giant Hamburg was a restaurant on U.S. Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri, which is believed to have been the world's first drive-through restaurant. It was reopened in 2019 in a different location.[1]

Red's Giant Hamburg
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Restaurant information
Established1947 (1947)
Closed1997 (1997)
Street address2237 West Sunshine Street
CitySpringfield
StateMissouri
CountryU.S.
Coordinates37°10′59.56″N 93°19′29.59″W / 37.1832111°N 93.3248861°W / 37.1832111; -93.3248861
Websitehttps://redsgianthamburgspringfield.com/

Overview

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The 2013 reproduction of Red's legendary sign

Sheldon "Red" Chaney (May 20, 1916 – June 2, 1997) arrived in Springfield after World War II with a bride and a business degree. He purchased a small Sinclair gas station with several wooden motor court cabins tucked among trees on the back of the property. Eventually, a café was added in 1947. Growing weary of pumping gas and operating the motor court, the couple decided a better money-maker would be a restaurant. Since they owned a small herd of beef cattle (and would continue to raise their own beef until the close of the business), they decided to concentrate on hamburgers. The restaurant became a staple of Route 66 and the Springfield area until its closure in 1984. Red died in 1997 a few days after the restaurant was demolished, and Julia died in the early 2000s

Sign recreation

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In 2013, a fundraising campaign was established to recreate the Red's Giant Hamburg sign.[2] The sign was installed in 2015.

Reopening

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In early 2019, the Springfield Business Journal announced that Red's Giant Hamburg would be making a comeback 35 years after the original restaurant's closure.[3] The new restaurant, located on Route 413, will be a recreation of the original Route 66 location.[4] The project is being led by David Campbell, the owner of local BBQ chain Buckingham's, and insurance agent Greg Lott. The restaurant opened in August 2019.

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In 1982, Springfield rock and roll band The Morells filmed their tribute song "Red's" at the location of the restaurant.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2008-03-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ http://ozarksfirst.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=803722 downloaded 2013-05-08
  3. ^ "Red's Giant Hamburg making a comeback".
  4. ^ "Answer Man: What's being built on West Sunshine next to the FFO Home store?".
  5. ^ "The Morells: Shake and Push (1982) LP". Goodshitreviews.wordpress.com. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
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