Hamburger Hamlet

Last updated
Hamburger Hamlet, Sunset Bl., West Hollywood, c.2011 Hamburger Hamlet, Sunset Bl., West Hollywood, c.2011.jpg
Hamburger Hamlet, Sunset Bl., West Hollywood, c.2011

Hamburger Hamlet or "The Hamlet", was a chain of restaurants based in Los Angeles, a point of reference for Angelenos and for the creative industries that were located in the city. Opened in 1950 by film actor Harry Lewis with his future wife Marilyn (m.1952), [1] [2] it grew to a chain of 24 locations, including Chicago and the Washington, D.C. metro areas. [3] before they were all either sold or closed down. Lewis named the restaurant "Hamlet" in honor of the famous character in Shakespeare's eponymous play. [4]

Contents

Patronage of celebrities

In Hollywood biographies of both Peggy Lee and Alfred Hitchcock, [5] Hamburger Hamlet is mentioned as a favorite haunt. In the novel American Dream Machine, author Matthew Specktor mourns the closing of the Sunset Boulevard Hamlet as the passing of a bygone era of Old Hollywood glamour. [6] In 2014, Los Angeles Magazine published the article Vintage Los Angeles: The Tragedy of Hamburger Hamlet, where author Alison Martino wrote: [7]

It was where you bumped into celebrities and industry moguls in a casual environment, dining in darkly lit giant red leather chairs. But there was nothing casual about the clientele. Where else could you see Dean Martin sipping a martini at the bar, Lucille Ball hair spraying her red locks in the ladies room, Bette Davis chain smoking in the Tap Room, or Frank Sinatra taking a meeting with his publicist? I witnessed all of this first hand. Even the restaurant’s hostess, actress and singer Frances Davis, who was once married to Miles Davis, would occasionally burst into song and dance while taking you to your table. I remember Francis and Diahann Carroll discussing chord progressions in the lobby.

Robert B. Parker in his 1981 detective novel A Savage Place, mentions the Hamlet on Sunset as a place Spenser the detective mentions he would like to return to while in Los Angeles, saying that it is because he is a "fancy", but "plain", and "big" eater. [8]

Food

The restaurants served hamburgers topped with what were considered exotic combinations of toppings, such as a bacon cheeseburger with Russian dressing. A famed side dish were the "little fried onions". Tomato relish was provided at each table. They also served omelettes and Mexican dishes. [9] In 1987 the Lewises opened upscale restaurant Kate Mantilini. [10] In 1997 Koo Koo Roo bought 14 Hamlet locations for $33 million. [10] [11]

MeTV wrote: [3]

In an era when putting bacon and cheese on a burger was considered luxuriantly deluxe, Hamburger Hamlet topped its burger with guacamole, baked beans and marinara sauce. They served a burger with jalapeños on garlic toast. The "Emperor Henry IV" burger came with ham, bacon and Russian dressing. As far back as 1977, the restaurant was even serving a bunless burger for the carb conscious. (It was based in L.A., after all.)

Some of the items available listed on a 1981 menu include:

Locations

Downtown L.A./Hollywood Westside San Fernando Valley
Elsewhere in California Washington, D.C. metropolitan area Elsewhere in the U.S.
Hamburger Hamlet
Map of Hamburger Hamlet locations in Central and Western Los Angeles
Hamburger Hamlet
Map of Hamburger Hamlet locations in Southern California
Hamburger Hamlet
Map of approximate Hamburger Hamlet locations in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area

Financials and ownership

In 1986 the revenue was just under $40 million and the net income just about $1.5 million. [8] [26] in 1987 the revenue increased to $44.8 million but net income dropped to only $508,700. In that year a New York investment firm, Weatherly Private Capital, Inc., bought the restaurant chain for $33.1 million in a leveraged buyout. The Hamlets had 1,800 employees at that time, with 24 locations. . [27]

Marilyn Lewis

Marilyn was admired as a businesswoman but also, from 1965-1975, [28] for her couture designs under her own label Cardinali, which had a staff of 50 in 1968. Nevertheless in a 1968 interview she said she was always home at 4 P.M. to "be a Mom" to her two boys, then 13 and 16. She moved to Greater Los Angeles from Cleveland, Ohio in the late 1940s. [4] The Los Angeles Times called her the "matriarch" of the Hamlets in the early 1980s. At that time, aged 52, she moved out to Washington, D.C. to oversee the opening and management of the Hamlet's 3 restaurants in the area, splitting her time between quarters behind the Georgetown location and a home in adjacent Bethesda, Maryland. [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburger</span> Food consisting of a beef patty between rounded buns

A hamburger, or better known as a burger, is a food consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis; condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, or a "special sauce", often a variation of Thousand Island dressing; and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger patty topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheeseburger</span> Hamburger topped with cheese

A cheeseburger is a hamburger with a slice of melted cheese on top of the meat patty, added near the end of the cooking time. Cheeseburgers can include variations in structure, ingredients and composition. As with other hamburgers, a cheeseburger may include various condiments and other toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, avocado, mushrooms, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whataburger</span> American fast food restaurant chain

Whataburger is an American regional fast food restaurant chain, headquartered and based in San Antonio, Texas, that specializes in hamburgers. Founded by Harmon Dobson and Paul Burton, it opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950. Family-owned by the Dobsons until 2019, the chain is now managed by a private equity firm; the Dobson family still holds a small stake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Mac</span> Hamburger sold by McDonalds

The Big Mac is a hamburger sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. It was introduced in the Greater Pittsburgh area in 1967 and across the United States in 1968. It is one of the company's flagship products and signature dishes. The Big Mac contains two beef patties, cheese, shredded lettuce, pickles, minced onions, and a Thousand Island-type dressing advertised as "special sauce", on a three-slice sesame-seed bun.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In-N-Out Burger</span> American fast food chain

In-N-Out Burger is an American regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations primarily in California and to a lesser extent the Southwest from Oregon to Texas. It was founded in Baldwin Park, California, in 1948 by Harry (1913–1976) and Esther Snyder (1920–2006). The chain is headquartered in Irvine, California and has expanded outside Southern California into the rest of California, as well as into Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Idaho, and is planning expansions into New Mexico and Tennessee. The current owner is Lynsi Snyder, the Snyders' only grandchild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatburger</span> American restaurant chain

Fatburger North America Inc. is an American fast casual restaurant chain. Its tagline is The Last Great Hamburger Stand. While it is a fast food restaurant, the food is cooked and made to order. Some Fatburger restaurants have liquor licenses as well as "fat bars." Its franchise headquarters are in Beverly Hills, California. In addition to the United States, the chain operates in 19 other countries. The Fatburger menu is centered primarily on hamburgers, offering various sizes and numbers of patties, along with add-ons such as cheese, bacon and eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Boy Restaurants</span> American restaurant chain

Big Boy Restaurant Group, LLC is an American restaurant chain headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. The Big Boy name, design aesthetic, and menu were previously licensed to a number of regional franchisees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Robin</span> American casual dining restaurant chain

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc., more commonly known as Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews or simply Red Robin, is an American chain of casual dining restaurants founded in September 1969 in Seattle, Washington. In 1979, the first franchised Red Robin restaurant was opened in Yakima, Washington. Red Robin's headquarters are in Greenwood Village, Colorado. As of August 2020, the company had over 570 restaurants in operation with 90 being operated as a franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Five Guys</span> American fast food chain

Five Guys Enterprises, LLC, is an American fast food chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries. It is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Lewis (actor)</span> American actor (1920–2013)

Harry L. Lewis was a supporting actor in films and was the founder, along with his wife Marilyn, of the Hamburger Hamlet and Kate Mantilini restaurant chains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A&W (Canada)</span> Canadian fast food restaurant chain

A&W is a fast-food restaurant chain in Canada, franchised by A&W Food Services of Canada, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BK Stacker</span> Sandwich line sold by Burger King

The BK Stacker sandwiches are a family of cheeseburgers sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburger Stand</span> American fast food chain

Hamburger Stand, is a regional fast food chain in the western United States. Besides its low-cost burgers, the restaurant's menu features items from its sister companies Wienerschnitzel and Tastee-Freez at some of its locations. It has locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Wyoming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IHOP</span> American restaurant chain

IHOP Restaurants LLC is an American multinational pancake house restaurant chain that specializes in American breakfast foods. It is owned by Dine Brands—a company formed after IHOP's purchase of Applebee's, with 99% of the restaurants run by independent franchisees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy's</span> American international fast food chain

Wendy's is an American international fast food restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio. Its headquarters moved to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of December 31, 2018, Wendy's was the world's third-largest hamburger fast-food chain with 6,711 locations, following Burger King and McDonald's. On September 29, 2008, the company merged with Triarc Companies Inc., the publicly traded parent company of Arby's; Wendy's headquarters remained in Dublin. Triarc then became known as Wendy's/Arby's Group, and later as the Wendy's Company following the sale of Arby's to Roark Capital Group.

A hamburger is a specific type of burger. It is a sandwich that consists of a cooked ground beef meat patty, placed between halves of a sliced bun. Hamburgers are often served with various condiments, such as dill relish (condiment), mayonnaise, and other options including lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big N' Tasty</span> Hamburger sold by McDonalds

The Big N’ Tasty is a hamburger sold by the international fast food chain McDonald's. It is designed to compete with the Whopper sandwich. A similar variation called the Big Tasty, without the center "N'", which was first released in Saudi Arabia, is sold outside the United States in parts of Europe, South America, South Africa, The Middle East, and Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl's Jr.</span> Fast food restaurant chain

Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., with franchisees in North and South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umami Burger</span> American restaurant chain

Umami Burger is a hamburger chain based in Los Angeles, California. The name refers to the umami (savory) flavor. The restaurant was founded by Adam Fleischman, and it is part of the Umami Restaurant Group. Umami Burger offers waiter service, and most locations have a full bar. Its first restaurant opened in Los Angeles in 2009. As of 2017, Umami Burger had over 25 locations across California, Florida, Illinois, Japan, Nevada, and New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Mantilini</span> Restaurant in Beverly Hills, California

Kate Mantilini was a restaurant in Beverly Hills, California, at 9101 Wilshire Boulevard at the corner of Doheny Drive, two blocks from the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Harry and Marilyn Lewis opened the restaurant in March 1987 after selling the Hamburger Hamlet restaurant chain for $33 million. (Harry was an ex-actor who had appeared in the film Key Largo. It was described as a "late night hot spot" and as the "most consistently cool restaurant in Beverly Hills". Starting in 2010, sons David and Adam Lewis took over the management, with Adam serving as executive chef.

References

  1. ↑ "West Los Angeles Independent", November 2, 1950, p. 8, archived at newspaperarchive.com. Retrieved August 21, 2021
  2. ↑ Harry Lewis biographical notes, Internet Movie Database. Retrieved August 21, 2021
  3. 1 2 "Remembering Hamburger Hamlet, the fast-food chain that popularized the gourmet burger". Me-TV Network.
  4. 1 2 Sweeney, Joan (13 November 1968). "Couture and Food Make a Full Life for Marilyn Lewis". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 31. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  5. ↑ Chandler, Charlotte (1 March 2006). It's Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock, A Personal Biography. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN   9781476849409 – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ Specktor, Matthew (26 March 2013). American Dream Machine. Tin House Books. ISBN   9781935639442 – via Google Books.
  7. ↑ Martino, Alison (January 2, 2014). "Vintage Los Angeles: The Tragedy of Hamburger Hamlet" . Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  8. 1 2 Stavro, Barry (28 April 1987). "Hamlets' Stock Lacks Founders' Luster (p2/2)". The Los Angeles Times. p. 33. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  9. 1 2 Communications, Emmis (1 May 1985). "Orange Coast Magazine". Emmis Communications – via Google Books.
  10. 1 2 3 Geary, George (19 September 2016). L.A.'s Legendary Restaurants: Celebrating the Famous Places Where Hollywood Ate, Drank, and Played. Santa Monica Press. ISBN   9781595808011 – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ "California Law Business". Daily Journal Corporation. 1 January 1997 – via Google Books.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Callender, Ealena; Folmar, Kate (25 November 1995). "Hamburger Hamlet Shuts 12 of 31 Locations, to File for Bankruptcy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  13. ↑ "Image 251 of California - White Pages - Los Angeles Central Area - June 1975 A through KITE". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "r/VintageLA: Post from BBq Bibi: Hamburger Hamlet menu circa 1981". Reddit. 16 January 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  15. 1 2 Elliott, Farley (4 June 2018). "LA's last remaining Hamburger Hamlet location closes, for now". Eater LA.
  16. ↑ "On View: "The scene was quite different at Hamburger Hamlet's latest bistro…"". The Los Angeles Times. 15 January 1973. p. 48. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "Southern California Builders". www.socalbuilders.com. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  18. ↑ "101 N Palm Canyon Dr, Palm Springs, CA 92262". Google Maps. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  19. ↑ "New restaurant in the works for old Hamburger Hamlet space". WTOP News. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  20. ↑ "Du-par's Bringing Famous West Coast Brand East | BethesdaNow". Bethesda Now. 27 March 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  21. ↑ "Du-par's Hamburger Hamlet Closed | BethesdaNow". Bethesda Now. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  22. ↑ Kraut, Aaron (8 July 2014). "UPDATED: Not Your Average Joe's Likely For Old Hamburger Hamlet Space". MoCo360. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  23. ↑ "Hamburger Hamlet Now Closed in Crystal City | ARLnow.com". ARLnow.com | Arlington, Va. local news. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  24. ↑ Lardner, James (17 August 1978). "Plan for New Georgetown Restaurant Stirs Civic Dispute". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  25. ↑ Knight, Jerry (23 December 2023). "The Empty Shops of Georgetown". Washington Post. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  26. ↑ Stavro, Barry (28 April 1987). "Hamlets' Stock Lacks Founders' Luster (p.1/1)". The Los Angeles Times. p. 31. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  27. ↑ Sánchez, Jesús (23 December 1987). "Hamlets: Founders to Buy Back Kate Mantilini in 5 Years". The Los Angeles Times. p. 46. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  28. 1 2 Cuniberti, Betty (15 July 1982). "Meet Marilyn Lewis, the matriarch of Hamburger Hamlet". Los Angeles Times. Tampa Bay Times. p. 61. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.