Halo Burger
Encyclopedia
Halo Burger, sometimes known by its full name Bill Thomas' Halo Burger, is a fast-food restaurant chain based in Flint, Michigan
, USA. Begun in 1923 as the original Kewpee
location and separating from the Kewpee chain in 1967 with two locations, the chain has since grown to ten locations in the region. All but one of these are located in Genesee County
.
restaurant in downtown Flint
and expanded to approximately 200 locations by 1939 through licensing
the name
. In 1933, William "Bill" V. Thomas came to Flint and started working at Kewpee in 1938. Thomas began leasing the Harrison Street, Flint location from Blair upon his retirement on April 1, 1944. Blair died in 1945 and Thomas continued to lease the location and pay royalties for use of the Kewpee name from the estate until the Kewpee trademark and Blair estate owned locations went up for sale in 1958. Thomas was able to purchase the Flint location but the Kewpee trademark
was sold to Ed Adams of Toledo, Ohio
. Thomas's Flint Kewpee Hamburgs expanded to a second location with the purchase of Vernor’s Ginger Ale building in 1951.
parking. The staff of the former Harrison Street location were transferred to a newly opened Halo Burger serving Flint's east side. In 1985, a Birch Run location was opened on property leased at Conlee Oil Company's station.
On September 5, 2002, Halo Burger takes over the former Campus Cafe at University of Michigan-Flint
University Center. In November, the company recalled flashlights that were given out with kid's meals.
Due to the new student housing and 24-hour food service, Sodexo, that goes along the housing, the University of Michigan-Flint
University Center location closed April 21, 2008.
restaurants in Michigan with the chain transfer to Dortch on December 29, 2010. Dortch in early 2011 revealed they will be adding 2 new locations with one in Grand Blanc
and another in Genesee County or Lapeer County. A make over of the restaurants towards a "fast-casual feel" with earth tones and "upscale decor". A Davison location was select to open in 2012 along with the Grand Blanc location in October and August respectively. In 2011, the company announced they are adding locations in the Oakland County
/Detroit metro area in late 2012 and that they would be adding 2 to 3 locations per year. While Dortch feels that Halo Burger locations would do well in East Lansing
with Michigan State University
and Ann Arbor
with University of Michigan
having Flint area university students, plans for opening in those cities have been put on hold. On August 2011, Halo Burger introduced its Facebook
page as well as a new logo.
, Fenton
and Grand Blanc Township
also have one each.
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
, USA. Begun in 1923 as the original Kewpee
Kewpee
Kewpee Hamburgers is the second known chain of hamburger fast-food restaurants, and was founded in 1923 in Flint, Michigan under the name "Kewpee Hotel Hamburgs". Kewpee's current headquarters is located in Lima, Ohio. The chain is named after the Kewpie doll...
location and separating from the Kewpee chain in 1967 with two locations, the chain has since grown to ten locations in the region. All but one of these are located in Genesee County
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
.
History
Samuel V. Blair opened Kewpee HotelKewpee
Kewpee Hamburgers is the second known chain of hamburger fast-food restaurants, and was founded in 1923 in Flint, Michigan under the name "Kewpee Hotel Hamburgs". Kewpee's current headquarters is located in Lima, Ohio. The chain is named after the Kewpie doll...
restaurant in downtown Flint
Flint, Michigan
Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...
and expanded to approximately 200 locations by 1939 through licensing
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
the name
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
. In 1933, William "Bill" V. Thomas came to Flint and started working at Kewpee in 1938. Thomas began leasing the Harrison Street, Flint location from Blair upon his retirement on April 1, 1944. Blair died in 1945 and Thomas continued to lease the location and pay royalties for use of the Kewpee name from the estate until the Kewpee trademark and Blair estate owned locations went up for sale in 1958. Thomas was able to purchase the Flint location but the Kewpee trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
was sold to Ed Adams of Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
. Thomas's Flint Kewpee Hamburgs expanded to a second location with the purchase of Vernor’s Ginger Ale building in 1951.
Halo Burger
Adams switched from a trademark license of Kewpee to a full franchising arrangement in 1967. Thomas rejected this new arrangement and changed the name of his restaurants to Bill Thomas' Halo Burger. In 1979, the Harrison location was vacated to make way for University of Michigan-FlintUniversity of Michigan-Flint
The University of Michigan–Flint is a public university located in Flint, Michigan in the United States...
parking. The staff of the former Harrison Street location were transferred to a newly opened Halo Burger serving Flint's east side. In 1985, a Birch Run location was opened on property leased at Conlee Oil Company's station.
On September 5, 2002, Halo Burger takes over the former Campus Cafe at University of Michigan-Flint
University of Michigan-Flint
The University of Michigan–Flint is a public university located in Flint, Michigan in the United States...
University Center. In November, the company recalled flashlights that were given out with kid's meals.
Due to the new student housing and 24-hour food service, Sodexo, that goes along the housing, the University of Michigan-Flint
University of Michigan-Flint
The University of Michigan–Flint is a public university located in Flint, Michigan in the United States...
University Center location closed April 21, 2008.
Dortch Enterprises
In 2010, the Thomas family sold the Halo Burger chain to Dortch Enterprises which operates several SubwaySubway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
restaurants in Michigan with the chain transfer to Dortch on December 29, 2010. Dortch in early 2011 revealed they will be adding 2 new locations with one in Grand Blanc
Grand Blanc, Michigan
Grand Blanc is a city in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb of Flint. The population was 8,242 at the 2000 census. The city is situated within Grand Blanc Charter Township, but is politically independent...
and another in Genesee County or Lapeer County. A make over of the restaurants towards a "fast-casual feel" with earth tones and "upscale decor". A Davison location was select to open in 2012 along with the Grand Blanc location in October and August respectively. In 2011, the company announced they are adding locations in the Oakland County
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
/Detroit metro area in late 2012 and that they would be adding 2 to 3 locations per year. While Dortch feels that Halo Burger locations would do well in East Lansing
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
with Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
with University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
having Flint area university students, plans for opening in those cities have been put on hold. On August 2011, Halo Burger introduced its Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page as well as a new logo.
Menu
- Q.P.: Original called the Kewpee, its name is a phonetic of that name and has been served since 1923 and of its size, a quarter pound hamburger. The burger consisted of flat bottom bun with deluxe toppings (mayo, lettuce, tomato) originally, and now it includes ketchup, mustard, pickle, onion, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise unless you request it otherwise. This still today remains one of the Halo Burger's most popular sandwiches, especially with olives.
- Supreme: A 1/2 pound Hamburger served on a Sesame seed top bun, a favorite for hungry travelers.
- Junior : A 1/8 pound burger, is also the kid size burger in the kids meal.
- Beefy Double Cheese: 3 Junior hamburgers layered on a double cut sesame seed bun, with 2 pieces of cheese. It is approximately 1/3 of a pound.
- Chicken Sandwich: Fried, Grilled, or Spicy Kickin Chicken. Comes Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayonnaise unless requested otherwise.
- Added Toppings: Cheese, Olives, Bacon, Mild Peppers, and Mushrooms.
- Kids Meals: One Junior Hamburger with a side of fries and a drink, or a Kid Drum-a-chick meal, nuggets with fries and a drink.
- Side Dishes: Small and Large Fries, Chili Cheese Fries, Cheese Stix, Drum A Chicks (Chicken nuggets in 6,9, and 12 piece), Assortment of deep fried and chilled pies, Small Side Salads and A Ranch Chicken Club Salad.
- Fish: Includes a Fish Sandwich (mayo or tartar sauce, lettuce and tomato), and you can get a 2 or 3 piece Fish and Chips combo (not sandwiches, fish and French fri es).
Locations
Halo Burger operates nine restaurants. Four are located in Flint proper, and three more have Flint addresses. Birch RunBirch Run, Michigan
Birch Run is a village in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,653 at the 2000 census. The 2009 Census Bureau estimate places the population at 1,642. The village is located within Birch Run Township....
, Fenton
Fenton, Michigan
Fenton is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan that lies mostly in Genesee County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,756. The city was incorporated from Fenton Township in Genesee County, and the city and township are administratively autonomous.-History:In the 1970s, the city...
and Grand Blanc Township
Grand Blanc Township, Michigan
Grand Blanc Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 35,705 at the 2010 census. The city of Grand Blanc is situated within the township, but is administratively autonomous...
also have one each.
Awards
- 1983 Voted Flint's #1 hamburger by a Flint Journal Newspaper survey
- 2000 Voted Michigan's #1 hamburger by a Detroit News Reader Survey
External links
- Halo Burger's official web site
- Halo Burger's Facebook page
- Dortch Enterprises - Parent company's official site
- A Tasty Part of Flint History--The former Vernor's outlet in Flint, MI, now Halo Burger
- Explain history at Kewpee's site