Griff's Burger Bar is a regional fast food chain founded in the early 1960s by Griff's of America, Inc. of Kansas City, Missouri, United States. At one time they had locations nationwide with the majority in the South near highway exits.[1]
Griff's was named for the founding Griffith family, rather than having any connection with the pejorative racial slang.
The restaurant buildings were of a patented[2] A-frame design,[1] produced by Valentine Diners[3] of Wichita, Kansas. Later restaurants sported more conventional architecture. A bright yellow sign read HAMBURGERS in big block capitals.[4] The restaurants offered both drive-thrus and patio dining.[4]
Most of the stores were located in high traffic locations, such as near a highway off-ramp, or along Route 66.[4]
Corporate headquarters for Griff's of America is now in Dallas, Texas, and stores remain open in Arvada, Colorado, Denver, Colorado; Bossier City, Louisiana; Shreveport, Louisiana; Sedalia, Missouri; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Dallas, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; Haltom City, Texas; Garland, Texas; Irving, Texas; Mesquite, Texas; and San Antonio, Texas.[1] There is also one in Ruston, Louisiana.[5]
The restaurant chain was featured in three installments of the Zippy the Pinhead comic strip, on November 15, 2004[6] February 10, 2005[7], December 19, 2006[8], and September 2, 2007. Note: the description under the logo on the right of this page ("Griffy" exhorted patrons to stock up on fifteen-cent cheeseburgers) is an error - the Hamburgers were 15 cents, the Cheeseburgers were 19 cents.
