Illinois – Home of The Original Burger King

By Adrian Naves

Original Burger King sign in Matton, Illinois. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.

When driving around central Illinois, taking the scenic route from Decatur to Mattoon, you will encounter the familiar aromas of fresh patties sizzling on the grill. As you let your nose guide you through Mattoon, you will encounter a familiar burger joint simply known to the locals as Burger King. If you’re wondering why this Burger King seems a bit-off, that’s because it’s the original one. Mattoon is home to Burger King, which is the home of the Hooter Burger. To clear up any confusion, this Burger King isn’t home to the famous Whopper…that’s because the Burger King Corporation (BKC) is the original home of the Whopper.

The Original Burger King in Mattoon was founded by Mattoon residents Gene and Betty Hoots, who owned the restaurant before selling it to current owner Ernie Drummond in 2017. The Hoots started Burger King as a companion restaurant to their ice cream stand, which is aptly named Frigid Queen, which they purchased in 1952 – two years later, Burger King made its debut.

The Original Burger King restaurant in Matton, Illinois. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.

Around the same time, the fast-food chain opened its doors to the first Burger King in Florida, a rebrand after dropping the “Insta” from Insta-Burger King. At the same time the original Burger King began, Gene Hoots went on to register the trademark “Burger King” in the state of Illinois. In 1959, the fast-food chain Burger King began franchising. In 1968, Hoots brought forth a lawsuit to the fast-food chain restaurant to prevent them from opening up anymore restaurants in the state of Illinois – but BKC opened its first Burger King in Illinois in 1961 with more than 50 restaurants in operation around the state.

The courts ruled in favor to the trademark being valid, preventing the fast-food chain Burger King to be constructed within a 20-mile radius of 1508 Charleston Avenue in Mattoon. Since the Hoots had no intention to open up more Burger Kings in Illinois, the court ruled that the fast-food chain could continue operations in the already established restaurant locations in the state of Illinois. The ruling still holds strong in the present day, with the nearest fast-food Burger King being nearly 25 miles north, in Tuscola, Illinois, to the original Mattoon Burger King.

The famous Hooter Burger with fries. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.

Burger King menu. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.

Frigid Queen menu. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.

While both restaurants share the same name, the original Burger King has their own unique menu items and how they cook and prep their food. The original Burger King’s menu simply started with a smash burger and fries – eventually went on to expand the menu with dishes like hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwich, BLT, and a pork tenderloin. The Frigid Queen menu consists of ice cream, shakes, cones, and sundaes. Burger King uses smash burgers to make theirs – the Hooter burger, which is their own spin on the Whopper, takes center stage. The Frigid Queen menu has the Glacier ice cream treat, which is their own spin on Dairy Queen’s Blizzard ice cream treat.

^{Glacier ice cream with Butterfinger from the Frigid Queen menu. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.}

Ice cream with eyes from the Frigid Queen menu. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.

Burger King counter. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.

Frigid Queen counter. Photo taken by Adrian Naves.

Visiting the original Burger King certainly satisfied any curiosity, sense of exploration, and hunger of course. The local Mattoon residents, with a population of about 18,000, love the attention the restaurant receives, always revisiting and supporting the restaurant. Making fond memories and traditions at the eatery in hopes to continue with Burger King sticking around long after, truly charming in every way. If you’re ever visiting in central Illinois and you happen to be in the neighborhood of Mattoon, it is highly recommend that you visit the original Burger King at 1508 Charleston Ave, Mattoon.