Exploring Kewpee Hamburgers: A Taste of History in Lima, OH

At its peak, just before World War II, there were over 400 of these restaurants in operation! And yes, there is a connection with Toledo, OH!

The Kewpee restaurant exterior featuring a large, vintage-style statue of a cartoon baby on the building facade.

The kiddos and I have a running bucket list of places we’d like to visit. We try to knock out at least a few each summer, and this summer the timing was perfect for us to take a short road trip to Lima, Ohio. My oldest is a collector of Sonny Angels; they are tiny, cute collectible figurines introduced in Japan in 2005 by Dreams. They have a resemblance to Kewpie dolls created by Rose O’Neill around 1909. Everyone knows the Kewpie doll, the chubby baby with the round face, top curl in their hair, and often naked. So, when my daughter found out there was a Kewpee fast-food restaurant, she added it to our list. And lo and behold, two out of three of my kids were available (my son had work, working at another popular, longtime fast-food restaurant, Rudy’s Hot Dog). I was available, the stars aligned, and we headed for Lima to check it out!!!

A group of six Kewpie doll figurines in various colors stands next to a Kewpee soft drink cup on a table.

Downtown Location

Kewpee Hamburgers

Address: 111 N Elizabeth St, Lima, OH 45801

Phone: (419) 228-1778

Website: https://kewpeehamburgers.com/

Brief History and Fun Facts

Kewpee Hamburgers is the second-oldest chain of hamburger fast-food restaurants, founded in 1923 in Flint, Michigan, under the name “Kewpee Hotel Hamburgs”.

Exterior view of a building with the sign 'KEWPEE' and a large doll figure on the roof.

Curious to know the first? A&W in 1919! That’s right, A&W had more locations than McDonald’s! But I digress. The founder, Samuel V. Blair, sold the rights to the Kewpee trademark to Ed Adams.

A vintage sign for a hamburger restaurant featuring a cartoon chef holding a burger, with the name 'Kewpee Hamburgers' prominently displayed.

A gray pickup truck parked in front of a small diner that has a white exterior with red trim, against the backdrop of a tall, weathered building.

Interior view of a retro-style diner featuring red chairs and tables, with a glass entrance door visible. The decor includes two decorative figures on the walls and the flooring is carpeted.

In 1928, the Lima, Ohio, location opened under the ownership of Hoyt “Stub” Wilson. In 1929, 200 locations existed, and by 1936, at its peak just before WWII, 400 Kewpee fast-food restaurants existed.

Fun Fact: After prohibition, some Kewpee restaurants added real beer to their staple of root beer.

Interior view of a diner featuring red booth seating, white tables, and a tiled floor, with a trash can in the corner.

Interior view of a diner featuring red booths, tables, and a counter area with kitchen equipment in the background.

Interior view of a diner showing two doors labeled 'LADIES' and 'EMPLOYEES'. A clock is visible above, and a sign reads 'SELF SERVICE Please'.

A porcelain-like figure of a boy with a short haircut, standing on a pedestal in a corner of a retro-styled room with metallic accents.

When Ed Adams demanded a full franchising arrangement and a percentage of the profits, the number of Kewpee locations dropped considerably. Most locations objected and either closed or changed their name. The original Fint location changed its name to Bill Thomas’ Halo Burger and is still in operation today. The original location was torn down.

A vintage, naked figurine of a child with blue eyes and brown hair, standing on a circular base against a light-colored wall.

There were once multiple Kewpee restaurants in Toledo up through the 1980s. Kewpee once operated several locations in Toledo, including prominent ones at 2248 Monroe Street and 314 N. Erie Street.

Edwin Adams died in 1974; his widow, Hortense M. Adams, took over as president of Kewpee Hotel System, Inc. in March 1975. Upon the closing of Kewpee’s operations in Toledo, the owner of Kewpee in Lima, Ohio, acquired the Kewpee trademarks in 1985.

Fun Fact: Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, said that as a child, he loved eating at Kewpee restaurant, which stood at Burdick and South in Kalamazoo, MI, and that’s what inspired him to go into business serving the square burger patties and malt shakes which eventually would be on his menu when he found Wendy’s in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969.

A glass sundae dish filled with soft serve ice cream, topped with a swirl, and sitting on a table.

So, here’s the question everyone is dying to ask: how does it taste?

OMG! It’s delicious! I ordered everything but jalapeno and banana pepper on my burger. I didn’t realize sliced green olives would be included. At first, I thought it was odd, but the taste did not disappoint! So why the green olives?

A red tray with three boxes of french fries, a wrapped burger, and packets of ketchup, set on a table.

A close-up of a freshly made hamburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and melted cheese, served on a soft bun, on a blue and white patterned paper.

A close-up of a hand holding a cross-sectioned burger, showcasing layers of lettuce, tomato, bacon, a beef patty, and mustard, with a backdrop of a fast-food setting.

A display case filled with various pies in aluminum pans, with a partially opened paper bag in the foreground.

Receipt from Kewpee Hamburgers showing a purchase including cheeseburgers, fries, drinks, and a total amount of $28.53.

In the Midwest in the 1920s and 1930s, chopped or sliced green olives were a popular topping. This was before lettuce and tomato became the default. Kewpee’s menu has remained relatively unchanged for decades, and the inclusion of olives reflects a commitment to its vintage flavor profile. And I’ll be honest, the sliced green olives, relish, pickles, cheese, tomato, lettuce, ketchup, mustard, mayo, onions, and bacon tasted amazing!!! And I couldn’t get over how fresh the tomato and lettuce tasted. The tomato even tasted like an actual tomato. Sorry, Dave, sometimes your tomatoes are lacking! And as a Toledoian, we know our tomatoes, am I right, Dei Fartelli?

The cheeseburger was so good, I’m already looking forward to our next visit!

Second Lima location…

Kewpee Restaurant

Address: 1350 Bellefontaine Ave, Lima, OH 45804

Phone: (419) 229-1385

Sign for Kewpee Hamburgers on the side of a building, featuring a cartoon chef character.

An interior view of a busy restaurant featuring red and white seating, with diners seated at tables and others in line at the counter. Kitchen staff in white uniforms are visible preparing food in the background.

Interior of a diner featuring a large vintage sign for Kewpee Hotels, a cartoonish figure of a child on a pedestal, and red chairs around a white table.

Interior of a fast-food restaurant featuring red chairs and white tables, with customers seated and a view of the parking lot through large windows.

A historical display board featuring various old photographs and descriptions related to Kewpee Hotel, showcasing its evolution over the years with captions such as 'YOUR GRANDPAPPY ATE HERE' and images of the building from different decades.

A large, vintage Kewpie doll statue in front of a colorful Kewpee Hotels sign, featuring the slogan 'We cater to all the folks.'

Third Lima Location….

Address: 2111 Allentown Rd.

Phone: 419-227-9791

The girls and I decided to make this a semi-annual event. We will get our Kewpee cheeseburgers, malts, and fries, and then go thrifting!!! Let’s just say Lima’s Goodwill did not disappoint!