This Old-School Restaurant Chain Made Fast Food History Back In The '70s

McDonald's drive thru is the scene of happy childhood memories for many. The only thing better than a burger was reaching into a colorful cardboard box to find a milkshake, fries, a plastic Snoopy doll or mini Rubix cube, and a burger. But you'll be surprised to know that the Happy Meal wasn't invented by the fast food giant, but by a chain you've probably never even heard of — Burger Chef. 

Founded in 1958 by an Indianapolis trio, the restaurant gained a fanbase for flipping flame-broiled burgers with self-serve toppings bars chased by soft serve ice cream. "Burger Chef goes all out to please your family" was its motto (via The Owosso Argus-Press), and families were pleased indeed: In 1971, the business hit 1,200 locations. "Imagine a fast food restaurant with the appeal of a bowling alley without lanes and the taste of high school cafeteria," one Reddit user reminisces. But Burger Chef's most memorable and historic creation was, of course, the Fun Meal. 

Launched in 1973, the kid's meal included fries, a burger, dessert, a drink, and a toy, coming fresh off the heels of its successful predecessor, the Funburger. Plastic vinyl records were a common prize, and in 1978, the company even partnered with Star Wars to conjure up seven cosmic variations of the hit. Its packaging was equally iconic, depicting the adventures of Burger Chef & Jess with friends like vampire Count Fangburger and Cackleburger the witch. Sounds familiar? Well, Burger Chef actually sued McDonald's in 1979, the same year McDonald's launched the Happy Meal, a fact you may not have known about the nostalgic menu item, but lost the lawsuit, despite being the first to introduce a children's meal with a packaged toy.

So, what happened to the now-defunct burger chain that created modern fast food kid's meals? In 1982, Hardee's purchased the Burger Chef chain, which had shut down almost half of its locations since 1971. The acquired restaurants were eventually renamed or closed, marking Burger Chef's gradual disappearance from American streets. The deal marked a huge shift of power in the fast food sector, and the last Burger Chef franchise in Cookeville, Tennessee, closed its doors in 1996. 

Some blame mismanagement for the fall of the chain. In 1968, co-founders Donald and Frank Thomas, along with Robert Wildman, sold the business to General Foods, a company known for its packaged breakfast cereals. However, while the Fun Meal was iconic, the new owners reportedly missed the mark in other areas, rolling out a cringe-worthy logo redesign and returning to long-abandoned ideas that should have stayed buried.

But Burger Chef's public reputation was also tarnished by tragedy. On the night of November 17, 1978, four employees were kidnapped from the Speedway Burger Chef in Indiana. Two days later, their bodies were found in Johnson County. Burger Chef offered a reward of $25,000 to anyone who could capture the killers or give information about their whereabouts, but despite this, as of today, the murders remain unsolved.