Wagon Ho!: Difference between revisions

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'''Wagon Ho!''' was a fast-food restaurant at [[Eastwood Mall]], the first location in a national chain founded in [[1967]]-[[1968]] by [[Birmingham]] entrepreneur [[Temple Barnard]], who moved the company headquarters to St Petersburg, Florida that same year. He planned to expand across the country with 51 locations in the first year and another 200 by the end of [[1970]], but only nine or ten ever opened, a few of which were built by a franchise owner in Vancouver, British Columbia. The chain folded in 1970.
'''Wagon Ho!''' was a fast-food restaurant at [[Eastwood Mall]], the first location in a national chain founded in [[1967]]-[[1968]] by [[Birmingham]] entrepreneur [[Temple Barnard]]. He sold the concept to an investment group headed by Florida shopping center developer Mel Sembler. They established the company headquarters in St Petersburg, Florida in [[1969]] and announced plans to expand with 50 franchised Florida locations in the first year, and another 200 across the country in the following year.


The roof of the restaurant, designed by Don Williams, was inflated  into the shape of a huge Conestoga wagon with an International Fiberglass-made statue of a 15-foot-tall teamster sitting on the front. The restaurant, which had a drive-thru and covered picnic tables, featured hamburgers, sandwiches and soft-serve ice cream.
The partnership split up, however, and franchisees opened only about nine or ten locations scattered around the country. Several were built in the Vancouver, British Columbia area before the chain folded in [[1970]].


The defunct restaurant was purchased by the [[Kelly's Hamburgers]] chain, and later became [[Dilly's Deli]]. The wagon-shaped sign survived past the demolition of the restaurant itself and was removed with the development of [[Eastwood Village]] in [[2006]]. The pioneer man statue is currently at the entrance to [[Cherry Construction]] in [[Moody]].
The roof of the restaurant, designed by Don Williams, was inflated  into the shape of a huge Conestoga wagon with an International Fiberglass-made statue of a 15-foot-tall teamster sitting on the front. The restaurant, which had a drive-thru and covered picnic tables, featured hamburgers, sandwiches and soft-serve ice cream. One of the chain's innovations was a fast oven which cooked hamburgers in under 60 seconds, making it possible to serve drive-thru customers with meals cooked to order.
 
The defunct restaurant was purchased by the [[Kelly's Hamburgers]] chain, and later became [[Dilly's Deli]]. The wagon-shaped sign survived the demolition of the restaurant itself and was removed with the development of [[Eastwood Village]] in [[2006]]. The pioneer man statue is currently at the entrance to [[Cherry Construction]] in [[Moody]].


==References==
==References==
* {{Hollis-2007}}
* "[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PEtSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wXsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5284%2C7996389 Wagon Ho Will Hitch in South Pasadena]" (December 9, 1968) ''St Petersburg Times''
* "[http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5n1QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VlcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7023%2C6970382 First Wagon Ho! Opens in Pasadena]" (March 29, 1969) ''St Petersburg Independent''
* {{Hollis-2008}}
* Baker, Joel (December 10, 2013) "[http://usagiants.com/tag/wagon-ho/ Pioneer Man]" American Giants - Muffler Men.
* Baker, Joel (December 10, 2013) "[http://usagiants.com/tag/wagon-ho/ Pioneer Man]" American Giants - Muffler Men.


Revision as of 12:03, 22 February 2015

Wagon Ho! was a fast-food restaurant at Eastwood Mall, the first location in a national chain founded in 1967-1968 by Birmingham entrepreneur Temple Barnard. He sold the concept to an investment group headed by Florida shopping center developer Mel Sembler. They established the company headquarters in St Petersburg, Florida in 1969 and announced plans to expand with 50 franchised Florida locations in the first year, and another 200 across the country in the following year.

The partnership split up, however, and franchisees opened only about nine or ten locations scattered around the country. Several were built in the Vancouver, British Columbia area before the chain folded in 1970.

The roof of the restaurant, designed by Don Williams, was inflated into the shape of a huge Conestoga wagon with an International Fiberglass-made statue of a 15-foot-tall teamster sitting on the front. The restaurant, which had a drive-thru and covered picnic tables, featured hamburgers, sandwiches and soft-serve ice cream. One of the chain's innovations was a fast oven which cooked hamburgers in under 60 seconds, making it possible to serve drive-thru customers with meals cooked to order.

The defunct restaurant was purchased by the Kelly's Hamburgers chain, and later became Dilly's Deli. The wagon-shaped sign survived the demolition of the restaurant itself and was removed with the development of Eastwood Village in 2006. The pioneer man statue is currently at the entrance to Cherry Construction in Moody.

References

  • Baker, Joel (December 10, 2013) "Pioneer Man" American Giants - Muffler Men.
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