Griff's Hamburgers, or Griff's Burger Bar, is a regional

fast food Fast food is a type of Mass production, mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. ''Fast food'' is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheat ...

chain founded in 1960 by Griff's of America, Inc. of

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

, United States. At one time, they had locations nationwide with the majority in the South near highway exits. Griff's was named for the founder, HJ Griffith. The restaurant buildings were of a patented A-frame design, produced by

Valentine Diner A Valentine Diner was a prefabrication, prefabricated mail order small diner produced in Wichita, Kansas after the Great Depression. The concept was created by Arthur Valentine in the 1930s, who had experience operating lunch rooms. Originally ...

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

. Later restaurants sported more conventiona
architecture
A bright yellow sign read HAMBURGERS in big block capitals. The restaurants offered both drive-thrus and patio dining. Most of the stores were located in high traffic locations, such as near a highway off-ramp, or along Route 66. There was one on the corner of Caruthers and Independence in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in the 1960s, catty corner from old Central High School. Cory Griffin, the Great-Grandson of founder Harold J. Griffith Relocated the Corporate headquarters for Griff's to

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

. Stores remain open in

Bossier City Bossier City ( ) is a city in Bossier Parish in the northwestern region of the state of Louisiana in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in the Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan statistical area. In 2020, it had a total ...

, Ruston and

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

;

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

; and

Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

Fort Worth Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

, Haltom City,

Garland A garland is a decorative braid, knot or wreath of flowers, leaves, or other material. Garlands can be worn on the head or around the neck, hung on an inanimate object, or laid in a place of cultural or religious importance. In contemporary times ...

, Irving,

Mesquite Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...

, and

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. A location in

Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 ...

closed in late 2011, and locations in Colorado closed in 2015.
Albuquerque location closed in 2023 due to safety concerns. Google street view shows the building is demolished and the site fenced off as of 2024. The restaurant chain was featured in multiple installments of the

Zippy the Pinhead Zippy the Pinhead is a fictional character who is the protagonist of ''Zippy'', an American comic strip created by Bill Griffith. Zippy's most famous quotation, "Are we having fun yet?", appears in ''Bartlett's Familiar Quotations'' and became a ...

comic strip; on November 15, 2004, February 10, 2005 December 19, 2006, September 2, 2007, and February 3, 2025 "Zippy the Pinhead". zippythepinhead.com access-date 3 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025

References

External links

* {{Coord, 35, 4, 25.2, N, 106, 33, 6.7, W, type:landmark_scale:10000, display=title Fast-food hamburger restaurants Restaurants in Missouri Economy of Garland, Texas History of Kansas City, Missouri

See also

References

External links