This Old-School 1950s Burger Joint Still Operates In Just One State

If the phrases "10 burgers for a buck" or "aren't you hungry for a Henry's?" ring a bell of nostalgia, you've probably heard of — or even enjoyed items from — Henry's Hamburgers. The 1950s burger franchise was known for its hometown hangout vibe, where locals would go to get great burgers, fries, and shakes at great prices. In the early '60s, Henry's had 200 franchises across the U.S., but now you'll find only one remaining, a lone burger joint in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Here, you can still get the beloved fast food favorites for which Henry's was known — hot dogs, chili dogs, fish sandwiches, and of course the old Henry's faves. Shakes (and malts) were actually the reason that Henry's Hamburgers was created.

In 1927, Henry Bresler and his brother opened up an ice cream company in Chicago, called Bresler's Ice Cream, which became known for its ice creams and malts. According to the Henry's Hamburgers website, the Bresler brothers eventually wanted to get their piece of the pie of the drive-in business and expand sales of their shakes and malts — but without affecting the original ice cream stores. So, Henry's Hamburgers was born in 1954. With great food at great prices, the franchise's growth catapulted, and in two years they already had 35 locations just in Chicago. This continued, and by the early 1960s Henry's was feeding Americans across multiple states from 200 stores. But this is when things started to go wrong.

While it's never been clearly established exactly why Henry's burger spots started dropping off the map, there are rumors and speculation behind this failed fast food franchise that we actually miss. Some say that competition from big players like McDonald's and Burger King (it's debatable which one came first) set Henry's on a downward spiral. While national competitors had impressive advertising budgets, Henry's did not. Mickey D's and Burger King splurged on ad campaigns that set them as top-of-mind go-to spots for fast food like burgers, fries, and sodas. Others say that Henry's was too stuck on its existing menu, failing to bring new and interesting items to customers and instead sticking to the same offerings without deviation.

One of the more widespread beliefs is that Henry's didn't really roll with the times. While its peers jumped on the drive-in and drive-thru bandwagon, Henry's remained a pop-in and carry-out spot for longer than it should have, all while customers shifted their patronage to the more modernized takeout joints. But the most grizzly rumor is that Henry's started incorporating horse meat (which, strangely, does taste like beef) into its burger patties. A number of Henry's franchises had already closed by the 1970s, and in that time, horse meat was FDA-approved. But this was never confirmed. Even so, the chain couldn't survive the rumors, and all but the Benton Harbor location closed.