Kings Food Host

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NovakOmaha
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Kings Food Host

Post by NovakOmaha »

This topic may be somewhere around here. I found it while looking for something else. It's a pretty good history of King's

May 4, 2011 · 12:42 pm
Frenchies, oui, oui

It’s remarkable how people still pine for Frenchies of days gone by. Recipes for the most cherished of these, the Cheese Frenchie, a battered, deep fried cheese sandwich with a crunchy cornflake exterior, are all over the internet. It may have been modeled on the somewhat similar Croque Monsieur sandwich of France, explaining the name Frenchie.

Frenchies, sometimes spelled Frenchees, were the creation of King’s Food Host, a fast food chain catering to families and college students in the 1960s and 1970s. Most of the chain’s units were located in the middle of the country, with headquarters in Lincoln, Nebraska, where there were once nine units. The first – King’s Drive-In – was started by James King and Larry Price in 1955, on North Cotner in Lincoln. I wonder if the first one had telephones at each table that patrons used to send their orders to the kitchen?

King soon dropped out of the partnership but Price stayed with it until 1972 when he gave up control of the company for around $3 million. It had reached its peak size then, with about 100 company-owned stores and 35 franchised units. Reportedly it had units in Winnipeg, Canada, and 20 states, but I’ve only been able to identify 18: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

kingsfoodhostbrookingsSD1972785In King’s younger days around 1966 when it had only 35 locations in 10 states, it focused on building near universities. King’s were handy for students at state universities in Nebraska (Lincoln), Iowa (Ames), Wisconsin (Madison), and Colorado (Boulder), with new units under construction in Norman, Oklahoma, and Lawrence, Kansas. [pictured: King's near South Dakota State University]

Larry Price, who graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University, had been a football assistant there and served on the university’s board of trustees. His first food service foray was as a teenager in 1934 when he ran a hamburger stand at the 1934 Nebraska State Fair. He was very likely the motive force behind the chain’s advertised principles. The company would not sell cigarettes nor allow patrons to tip lest servers “compete with each other for the tip to the extent that they appear greedy.” Price was disgusted when King’s new corporate managers installed cigarette machines because he believed it would encourage minors to smoke.

The Frenchies may have disappeared from the chain at some point or maybe simply dropped out of favor. They were heavily promoted as part of a nostalgia campaign shortly after King’s went into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1974. Apart from Cheese Frenchies, King’s offered Tuna Frenchies [pictured], Hot Dog Frenchies, and Pizza Frenchies. Never having seen an actual Frenchie myself, I can’t picture what the last two varieties looked like. Apparently the Pizza Frenchie, which “joined the Frenchie family” in the dark days of 1974, was not a big hit. Nor were the 30% soymeal burgers which Larry Price, coming out of retirement to offer advice, persuaded the new owners to scuttle shortly after they were introduced to manage high beef costs.

None of these moves, nor others — the adoption of chicken in a box, frequent discounts, or red, white & blue decorating schemes — could save the company. The chain’s troubles started just after it went public in 1969 and began a rapid expansion drive. In debt for millions, it could not work out a satisfactory deal with creditors and never emerged from bankruptcy. Stock shares which sold for $14 each in 1969 dropped to a low of 50 cents after bankruptcy was declared. In 1978 a couple of business men from Minnesota and Wisconsin bought the remaining King’s outlets, which by then numbered only 17.

© Jan Whitaker, 2011
ricko
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Re: Kings Food Host

Post by ricko »

There was a rather large King's across the street from the Orpheum Theater; and yes, you ordered by phone from your table and they delivered your order. King's was considered very modern and "cool" for its time, as was the menu. The Frenchee sandwiches, as I vaguely recall, were pretty good by late 1960's standards. We used to go there after the movies.
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Omababe
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Re: Kings Food Host

Post by Omababe »

I remember King's very well, and I was really surprised when they went down the tubes. It was, in my not so humble opinion, well above most chains.

I was most familiar with the one in Council Bluffs, on North Broadway outside what was then the JCP. I lived over there at the time.

I do remember the phones for ordering, but I don't remember the no tipping policy. (I'm sure the staff hated that!) Back in those days and those ways I was usually not the one paying. :)

I also don't remember no cigarette machines, but I've never been a regular smoker so I never paid attention.
NovakOmaha
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Re: Kings Food Host

Post by NovakOmaha »

I have lots of memories of Kings, mainly the ones on 72nd north of Dodge and 40 something and Leavenworth. In high school it was quite a hang out. They made a huge deal about the no tipping policy. A friend worked there and he told of older people arguing about tipping. He said they tried to slip him a buck or two and he had to keep saying he could be fired for taking it.

As to when they failed it happened when the original owner sold out. The new management tried some ideas that were weird. By the time he came back and tried to bring it back it was too late. Also the economy was going down and competition was growing. Timing wasn't good to them.
GRANDPASMUCKER
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Re: Kings Food Host

Post by GRANDPASMUCKER »

Kings died because their food was priced too high and the service was often slow. Burger King arrived on the scene and Mcdonalds began to multiply. By the mid 70's you could go into any Kings and the place would be deserted. Back then McDonalds and Burger King tasted a lot better then they do now. People decided they would rather go get a 99 cent Whopper in 5 minutes then go sit in Kings and wait 20 minutes for a 3 dollar burger. Then you had the factor of Burger King and McDonalds were blitzing the TV with advertising and Kings advertised rarely if ever. The Kings on 60th and Ames is now Tommy's Tires. I must have ate at that Kings alone over 200 times!
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Coyote
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Re: Kings Food Host

Post by Coyote »

Speaking of Frenchees...

I was just reading an article about the best 50 cheese recipes by each state and the Frenchee was chosen as Nebraska's representative.
Nebraska: Cheese Frenchees

Sorry Nebraska, your secret is out. Cheese Frenchees, basically deep fried cheese sandwiches, are a restaurant classic in Nebraska. Jenn's Food Journey shows you how to make them at home!
Besides B&G Tasty, and Don & Millie's, who else makes Cheese Frenchees these days?
EastCB
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Re: Kings Food Host

Post by EastCB »

Coyote wrote:Speaking of Frenchees...

I was just reading an article about the best 50 cheese recipes by each state and the Frenchee was chosen as Nebraska's representative.
Nebraska: Cheese Frenchees

Sorry Nebraska, your secret is out. Cheese Frenchees, basically deep fried cheese sandwiches, are a restaurant classic in Nebraska. Jenn's Food Journey shows you how to make them at home!
Besides B&G Tasty, and Don & Millie's, who else makes Cheese Frenchees these days?
I've had them at Dairy Queen in CB.
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