Post by thetornado on May 30, 2007 18:12:41 GMT -5
From Amarillo.com
It's back.
Beef Burger Barrel, the historic Amarillo drive-up eatery at 3102 Plains Blvd., will reopen June 11 with fresh paint, new equipment and a different manager.
The longtime burger joint closed Feb. 4 when owners Bill and Vicki Fischer decided the restaurant in the distinctive barrel-shaped building wasn't profitable enough.
"What was killing me was payroll," said Bill Fischer, who also owns Bill's Go Burger at 4500 S. Washington St. "With me stuck over here, I was paying double."
And there were other problems. The barrel's utility bills were sky high, and the fryolaters and freezers had seen better days.
But the Fischers hated to shut the window of the historic restaurant.
Vicki Fischer's father, F.E. Waller, bought the barrel in 1947 at its original location on Amarillo Boulevard and Hayes Street, moving it to the present location in October 1952.
After Waller died in February 2006, the family tried to keep it going.
"I searched high and low to find someone I felt comfortable with to spruce up the place," Fischer said.
David White, who has worked at Jeff's Grand Burger for three decades, was that person.
He's painting and installing a new fridge and beverage fountain.
"We're remodeling and patching holes," he said. "And getting all the grease out."
He'll keep the original menu, he said, adding a few new items.
When it's ready, his wife, Cherry, will manage the restaurant with help from Jeff Braddock, owner of Jeff's Grand Burger for 40 years and Vicki Fischer's cousin.
White will take over Jeff's Grand Burger.
"It's a weird situation," Braddock said. "David has worked for me for a long, long time. I'm retiring, and he's taking over Jeff's, and I'll help run the Beef Burger Barrel, working shorter hours."
The Fischers hope the burger joint with its trademark cow sign will return to its former glory days.
The barrel captured national attention in 1998 when Kikkoman Teriyaki launched an advertising campaign featuring the Amarillo landmark.
The ad ran in magazines ranging from Better Homes & Gardens to People.
Even architectural historians have given the Barrel the nod.
"An excellent example of an early type of roadside architecture, which relied on humorous or fantastic shapes and images to attract attention," the Amarillo Historic Building Survey said.
It's back.
Beef Burger Barrel, the historic Amarillo drive-up eatery at 3102 Plains Blvd., will reopen June 11 with fresh paint, new equipment and a different manager.
The longtime burger joint closed Feb. 4 when owners Bill and Vicki Fischer decided the restaurant in the distinctive barrel-shaped building wasn't profitable enough.
"What was killing me was payroll," said Bill Fischer, who also owns Bill's Go Burger at 4500 S. Washington St. "With me stuck over here, I was paying double."
And there were other problems. The barrel's utility bills were sky high, and the fryolaters and freezers had seen better days.
But the Fischers hated to shut the window of the historic restaurant.
Vicki Fischer's father, F.E. Waller, bought the barrel in 1947 at its original location on Amarillo Boulevard and Hayes Street, moving it to the present location in October 1952.
After Waller died in February 2006, the family tried to keep it going.
"I searched high and low to find someone I felt comfortable with to spruce up the place," Fischer said.
David White, who has worked at Jeff's Grand Burger for three decades, was that person.
He's painting and installing a new fridge and beverage fountain.
"We're remodeling and patching holes," he said. "And getting all the grease out."
He'll keep the original menu, he said, adding a few new items.
When it's ready, his wife, Cherry, will manage the restaurant with help from Jeff Braddock, owner of Jeff's Grand Burger for 40 years and Vicki Fischer's cousin.
White will take over Jeff's Grand Burger.
"It's a weird situation," Braddock said. "David has worked for me for a long, long time. I'm retiring, and he's taking over Jeff's, and I'll help run the Beef Burger Barrel, working shorter hours."
The Fischers hope the burger joint with its trademark cow sign will return to its former glory days.
The barrel captured national attention in 1998 when Kikkoman Teriyaki launched an advertising campaign featuring the Amarillo landmark.
The ad ran in magazines ranging from Better Homes & Gardens to People.
Even architectural historians have given the Barrel the nod.
"An excellent example of an early type of roadside architecture, which relied on humorous or fantastic shapes and images to attract attention," the Amarillo Historic Building Survey said.
