One of Minot’s first fast food franchises was King Leo’s Hamburgers. Hamburgers were a mere 13 cents. The citizens of Minot loved it!

There were a few other fast food operations that opened up in Minot in the early to mid-60s as well. Henry’s Hamburgers sold 15-cent burgers from a North Hill location. AutoDine opened a similar business on North Broadway. The fast food, or burger wars, was under way in the city.

McDonald’s opened up in Minot in 1970, not far from where the South Broadway McDonald’s is located today. On March 22, 1976, Burger King opened for business on South Broadway in the same location they are today. Burger King brought a new and popular twist to the fast food business – a drive-up window. It proved to be a big hit with the hungry crowd in Minot.

When McDonald’s first opened in Minot it had no drive-through and no seating, simply an inside counter where food was ordered, bagged and handed to the customer. But my oh my it was busy!

Kim Fundingsland/MDN The first McDonald’s opened in Minot in 1970, not far from the location where this McDonald’s is located on South Broadway today. The first McDonald’s had no drive-through or inside seating.

“It was one of the busiest McDonald’s in the entire region, which included places like Minneapolis and Des Moines,” said Mort Bank, Bismarck, who opened the franchise in Minot. “Minot did more in sales than most other locations in the region. It was always in the top five and sometimes number one.”

Don Hummel of Minot got his introduction to the fast food business by working at King Leo’s in 1969. In the fall of 1970, despite a reduction in pay from $1.25 an hour to $1.20, he switched to McDonald’s.

“That was where Dakota Bank is now,” said Hummel. “Within two years McDonald’s required them to put in seating but there was still no drive-through.”

In 1976 Hummel became a partner for a new fast food franchise – Burger King.

“That’s when the first hamburger drive-through came to Minot,” said Hummel. “McDowell’s Big Boy was sort of the forerunner of drive-throughs.”

Kim Fundingsland/MDN This building on North Broadway was once the home of AutoDine, one of the early fast food businesses in Minot. It has housed numerous businesses throughout the years, including Dave’s Barber Shop and Pac N’ Ship.

McDowell’s was located where Kentucky Fried Chicken is located on South Broadway today. Other early fast food spots in Minot during that era were the popular Daddy-O on West Fourth Avenue, later Glady’s Place; and The Keg located on what is part of the parking lot for Corbett Field across from Roosevelt Park, and A&W on South Broadway.

A few years after Burger King became well established more fast food franchises targeted Minot. In 1979 both Wendy’s Hamburgers and Hardee’s opened for business. Wendy’s remains at their initial location. Hardee’s first Minot store was located on North Hill. Later a second location was added at the southwest corner of the Kmart parking lot.

“That was a little bit nerve wracking for me,” recalled Hummel. “It was some added competition all at once. Fast food was in the glory years and really growing.”

Prices were incredibly low by today’s standards. In 1976 Burger King’s signature sandwich, the Whopper, was just 59 cents. Regular hamburgers were 15 cents. Cheeseburgers a nickel more. Of course, French fries were on all fast food menus.

“We also had onion rings, still do,” said Hummel. “That’s one of the things that we were known for.”

South Broadway was fast becoming a magnet for those seeking fast food. King Leo’s eventually gave way to Rax Roast Beef. Arby’s is at that location today. Broadway was known only as Highway 83 in the 1960s. Later improvements to the roadway enhanced Minot’s “burger row.”

“A big factor in the fast food business was the Minot Air Force Base,” said Bank. “We could tell when it was base payday. They came to town to shop and eat at McDonald’s.”

Mike Kelly, Minot, worked for Burger King in Florida before coming to Minot in 1976 with the new Hardees.

“Burgers were 39 cents and a deluxe was $1.09,” said Kelly.

Hardee’s occupied the location where Henry’s Hamburgers had flourished for several years. Later it became the Green Lantern restaurant. Today Tim Horton’s and Qdoba occupy the same spot.

“The big changes have been in technology. That’s been the key to quicker service and better controls,” said Kelly. “Everyone has a mobile app to order food and pick it up. That’s the biggest thing I see. Everybody has a debit card or credit card. It’s swipe and go.”

Kelly says the success of fast food is tied to corporate names that have become familiar with customers no matter where they are. Customers know what to expect from well known franchises anywhere.

“The corporate name, the advertising, people not familiar with an area knew what they were going to get,” said Kelly. “The food tastes the same today as it did in 1976.”

The advancements in fast food in Minot were not only popular with customers but also had a much greater reach. Hummel recalls a working visit from Herman Cain, the same Herman Cain who would later become a presidential candidate.

“He spent three days working at the Burger King here in Minot,” said Hummel. “He was being fast-tracked to become a CEO and was in Minot so he could understand the business. That was in the late ’80s. He became the president of Godfather’s Pizza.”

Most fast food restaurants have been able to avoid the expected ups and downs in the business world. In fact, many are more popular than ever as they have changed with the times and discovered more and more ways to meet the wants and needs of customers.

“There hasn’t been a lot of casualties as far as going out of business,” said Bank. “People are in a hurry and don’t always have the time to sit down and have someone wait on them. The drive-through revolutionized the fast food industry.”

Drive-throughs initially accounted for about 20 percent of the fast food restaurant business. Today drive-throughs account for 60 to 70 percent. Breakfast menus provided another huge boost for fast food.

“That was a really smart move. It allows us to use our facility for longer periods,” said Hummel. “McDonald’s was the leader and we were second.”

The “double drive-though” can be found at most fast food restaurants today, another indicator of changes designed to meet the demand of customers. As the popularity of drive-through windows increases there has been a corresponding downsizing of seating areas.

“Dining rooms are now a third of the size they used to be,” said Bank. “That’s because of the popularity of drive-throughs and that the food is good. The menu has changed as people have become more health conscious. There’s salads now.”

What the next evolution of fast food will be is hard to predict, but one thing already being experimented with is kiosks where customers choose what items they want, insert a debit or credit card and pick up their order at the counter.

“What’s happening is an effort to reduce labor and keep costs down,” said Kelly. “You can’t control increases in product costs at the other end.”

Another aspect to the prepared food industry is the introduction of the concept of “fast casual” restaurants. An example of fast casual is Five Guys Burgers and Fries. They have no drive-through, no national advertising and make food when ordered from fresh ingredients as opposed to frozen hamburger patties and fries used by most fast food operations. It is another option for consumers to consider when hunger pangs occur.

Minot’s fast food expansion through the years has included hamburgers, chicken, tacos, submarine sandwiches and other notable changes such as Dairy Queen’s “Chill and Grill.” All have evolved to meet the demand of hungry consumers in an increasingly busy world. It is a certainty that there will be more changes to fast food in the years ahead and that Minot’s fast food businesses will meet the challenge.

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