Burger King Origins

Keith Kramer and his wife's uncle Matthew Burns lived in Jacksonville, Florida in 1953, and were looking for a restaurant idea. They built a stove called the Insta-Broiler, and they called their stores "Insta-Burger King." The idea was picked up by a pair of Cornell University classmates, James McLamore and David Edgerton. McLamore had visited the hamburger stand that was operated by the McDonald brothers that launched the McDonald's empire, and he and Edgerton bought an Insta-Burger King franchise in Miami in 1954.

The growth of the Miami metropolitan area made it an excellent location for starting a new chain, but an adjustment had to be made to the Insta-Broiler idea. McLamore and Edgerton came up with a gas grill that they called a "flame broiler," and it eliminated the problems of the Insta-broiler. In 1959, their operation had grown, and the Kramer-Burns operation had run into such trouble, that McLamore and Edgerton could buy Kramer and Burns out. By 1961, the rechristened Burger King and its signature burger the Whopper had begun to spread across the United States.

Almost 60 years later and you can still enjoy that wonderful "flame broiled" taste.  The new structure of the Burger King will not only be easy on the eyes but will provide better access to Halsted as well as have a double drive-thru for quicker service.