Last updated on June 1st, 2024 at 12:11 pm
Kewpee is the second-oldest fast food restaurant in the USA, best known for its historical values. Stay tuned and learn all about the Kewpee menu and prices.
At its peak, Kewpee had over 400 locations throughout the Midwest. But now it has shrunken down to just 5.
So what actually happened? Is it on the brink of death? Well, only our history segment can solve that, which is coming soon enough.
Check below for the Kewpee menu with prices. Learn what kind of food Kewpee has in store for us and how much it really costs.
Kewpee Menu With Prices
Sandwiches Menu
| Hamburger | $3.20 |
| Cheeseburger | $3.45 |
| Double | $6.40 |
| Special | $3.40 |
| Fish Sandwich | $3.90 |
| Cheese Sandwich | $2.60 |
| Vegetable Sandwich | $2.20 |
| Toppings (No Charge) | Mustard, Ketchup, Pickle, Onion, Relish, Lettuce, Tartar or Cocktail Sauce |
| Extras | Miracle Whip – $0.10 Tomato – $0.10 Cheese – $0.25 Banana Peppers – $0.35 Olives – $0.35 Bacon – $1.00 |
Sides Menu
| French Fries | $2.20 |
| Chili | $2.30 |
| Extras | Sour Cream – $0.35 Jalapenos – $0.35 Shredded Cheese – $0.75 Fritos – $0.50 |
| Fresh Baked Pies | Cherry, Very Berry, Strawberry-Rhubarb, Peach, Apple Brown Betty, Pecan, Sugar Cream, Lemon Krunch |
| Frosted Malts | Small – $1.90 Medium – $2.85 Large – $3.80 |
| Soft Frozen Yogurt | Small – $2.00 Medium – $3.00 Large – $4.00 |
Drinks Menu
| Soft Drinks | Double Large Only $1.30 Small – $1.00 Medium – $1.10 Large – $1.20 |
| Iced Tea | Double Large Only – $1.30 Medium – $1.10 Large – $1.20 |
| Frozen Cappuccino | Medium – $2.45 Large – $2.70 |
| Lemonade Slush | Medium – $1.95 Large – $2.20 |
| Coffee, Cappuccino, Hot Chocolate | Small – $0.80 Medium – $1.05 Large – $1.30 |
| Hot Tea | $0.80/bag |
| Milk 2% White or 1% Chocolate | $1.10 |
| Bottled Water | $1.50 |
Breakfast Menu
| Omelet | $1.80 |
| Hash Brown | $1.00 |
| Donut | $1.20 |
| Sweet Roll | $1.30 |
| Orange Juice | $1.80 |
| Grapefruit Juice | $1.80 |
| Extras | Cheese – $0.25 Ham – $1.00 Sausage – $1.00 Bacon – $1.00 |
Kewpee History
Kewpee is the second-oldest chain of restaurants that is still standing in 2024. Samuel V. Blair founded it in 1923 in Flint, Michigan.
He officially named it “Kewpee Hotel,” and Kewpie dolls inspired it. These dolls are adaptations of a comic strip drawn by the cartoonist Rose O’Neill.
It featured a cupid, an angelic being associated with romance. Anyway, the founder was probably fond of this character, so he used it in its name.
Anyway, the trademark rights to this stand were sold off to Ed Adams, a Kewpee Hotel operator. As for the original location, it has been run by Weston Couples since 1923.
The same family operated about two locations at a time in the Lansing area. The early plans of Kewpee included not expanding to the major cities.
Slowly, cold hard beers and their already existing root beer were introduced to the menu.
By 1929, it had 200 locations under its wings. Before World War 2, this number doubled before the war drafting began.
Blair retired from service on April 1, 1944, and started renting the old Kewpee locations. He died a year after that.
Kewpee locations owned by Blair’s went up for sale in 1958. At this point, Ed F. Adams had the remaining rights to its trademark.
So the new restaurant owners paid him the royalty fees. Some transformed to entirely different settings, Mr. Fables, for example.
In 1965, the trademark was transferred to Kewpee Hotel Systems, Inc., and Adam made a big, greedy mistake just a year later.
The new trademark demanded a full franchising arrangement and a portion of the profit made by franchisors.
Most locations were closed permanently or changed to a different name. The original location was renamed Bill Thomas’ Halo Burger.
Kewpee Review
There should be no doubts regarding the Kewpee menu and prices. There is nothing unique about their items.
We aren’t saying it in a bad way; their burgers are good, but they definitely lack any redeeming qualities, at least on paper.
Anyway, our review crew went on the spot, in search of truth as always. The main highlight was the hamburger with their signature beef patty.
These beef are home-raised in the Lima Kewpee locations and delivered daily. Apart from that, you can also get bacon, cheese, tomatoes, and so on.
It’s surprising to see tomato as an additional option when it should already be included in the topping part.
Anyway, mustard, ketchup, onion, pickle, relish, lettuce, tartar, and cocktail sauce were there as toppings.
The pickle was especially good; maybe it also cost a bit more than tomato by default, but still, the tangy flavor it gave was truly amazing.
Apart from that, it tasted just like a usual hamburger. Nothing is too extraordinary. For sides, we had regular French fries.
At last, the time came for their freshly baked pies. Apple Brown Betty was my preferred choice; go for whichever you like.
And I can say for certain that these fresh pies had more redeeming qualities than the burgers. It was well made, with no hidden additives, and the sweetness was mostly from the fruit itself.
Overall, most of what we got was average. Nothing too shabby; the soft drink was okay; nothing too overwhelming.
Go for sandwiches instead of hamburgers, which have more variety and probably a lot of ingredients at a low cost.
Also, make sure to add tomatoes either way; it just takes the flavor to the next level. Without it, the taste won’t come out as intended.
Final Thoughts
Kewpee is one of the oldest restaurants, and it deserves all that a historical monument does. But without this big information, Kewpee is just another regular burger-selling stand.
We couldn’t find any impactful signs that would define its popularity in the past. Maybe the entire concept of hamburgers was new to people.
And probably that’s why the number grew as big as 400, but now there are only 8 locations that are still standing.
Kewpee saw the flow of time from curbside service to drive-in and eventually ended up with modern concepts like drive-thru.
Well, let’s say you somehow end up in Genesee County, Michigan, then we’ll probably recommend going for Bill Thomas’ Halo Burger instead of Kewpee.
To know more about Kewpee, visit their official website.
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