Red’s Giant Hamburg

Red’s Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Missouri first opened its doors on Route 66 in 1947. The tiny restaurant was run by Sheldon “Red” Chaney (May 20, 1916 – June 2, 1997) and was located in a former Sinclair gas station. It had one unique feature never seen before: a drive-though window. The restaurant was allegedly the world’s first drive-through restaurant, establishing a precedent that transformed the way we eat food on the go.

Why is the restaurant called “Hamburg” and not “Hamburger?” You might be thinking the unusual name has some connection to the town in Germany, but, in reality, it was all based on a simple mistake. When ordering the sign, owner Chaney, misjudged the height and didn’t have room for those last two letters without hitting power lines, so he cut it down to size, and “hamburger” became “hamburg.”

For decades Red’s Giant Hamburg served burgers, fries, and root beer to locals and Route 66 travelers. But, in December 1984, three years shy of its 50th anniversary, Red’s closed its doors for good.

The property sat empty for years until in was demolished in 1997. But the legacy of Red’s never wavered, so much so that, in 2015, a replica of the famous sign was created and installed in the Birthplace of Route 66 Roadside Park. But the legacy doesn’t stop there.

In 2019 a new and improved Red’s Giant Hamburg restaurant opened in Springfield, Missouri. Co-owners David Campbell and Greg Lott rebuilt the restaurant to be bigger and accommodate more diners, making it is eight times the size of the original location. The diner menu featured familiar items like hamburgers, fries, and local root beer along with hot dogs, chili dogs, chili fries, chili cheese fries, pork sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, and more. There was even vegan burger and gluten free bun options.

Outside you’d find another replica of the Red’s Giant Hamburg sign and a polished red ’55 Buick Special, an homage to the car owned by Chaney, who used to park near his sign to prevent customers from backing their cars into it.

And, of course, there was a drive-thru window to take your meal on the road.