The Krusty Krab | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Series | SpongeBob SquarePants |
First appearance | "Help Wanted" (1999) |
Created by | Stephen Hillenburg |
In-universe information | |
Type | Fast food restaurant |
Location | Bikini Bottom |
Owner | Eugene Krabs |
Employees | |
Products | Krabby Patties |
Slogan | "Come Spend Your Money Here!" [1] |
The Krusty Krab is a fictional fast food restaurant in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants . In the television show the restaurant is famous for its signature burger, the Krabby Patty, the formula to which is a closely guarded trade secret.
The restaurant was founded by Eugene H. Krabs (often referred to as Mr. Krabs), who is also the owner and manager. According to The SpongeBob Musical , Mr. Krabs' daughter Pearl will inherit the Krusty Krab when she grows older. [2] SpongeBob SquarePants (who works as the fry cook) and Squidward Tentacles (the cashier) are the only full-time employees. The Krusty Krab is open from 9 am to 6 pm every day, except on Sundays, when the restaurant is closed. The restaurant is deemed "the finest eating establishment ever established for eating" in Bikini Bottom, and it is constantly challenged by its primary competitor, the Chum Bucket, which is operated by Plankton, a plankton and Karen, a waterproof supercomputer and Plankton's wife.
One of the main settings of the series, the Krusty Krab was introduced in the pilot episode, "Help Wanted", where SpongeBob applies for the fry cook job at the restaurant. The Krusty Krab has also been featured in other media, including a theatrical film series, a Broadway musical, video games, and toys. The restaurant has been referenced or parodied throughout popular culture. It has also inspired real-life establishments.
The Krusty Krab is a prominent fast-food restaurant in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. It is owned and operated by Eugene H. Krabs (Mr. Krabs), who invented its famous Krabby Patty sandwich [3] and plans to transfer ownership of the restaurant to his daughter, Pearl, when she is older. [2] Squidward Tentacles and SpongeBob SquarePants work at the Krusty Krab as the cashier and fry cook, respectively. The other main characters of the series have also held temporary, single-episode positions at the Krusty Krab.
Located across the street from the Krusty Krab is the unsuccessful Chum Bucket, owned and operated by Plankton and Karen. [3] Plankton, Mr. Krabs' former best friend, [3] later became his arch-competitor; [4] Plankton's futile attempts at stealing the secret Krabby Patty recipe to replicate the burgers and put the Krusty Krab out of business is a major plot point throughout the series. Mr. Krabs frequently exploits his restaurant's popularity, such as engaging in price gouging [5] and charging his own employees for use of the building's services. [6]
In the season 3 episode "Krusty Krab Training Video", the Krusty Krab building is shown to have originally been a run-down retirement home called the Rusty Krab, which Mr. Krabs acquired and converted into a restaurant, adding a "K" to the word "Rusty". [7] In another episode, the Krusty Krab was the name of a pirate ship owned by Mr. Krabs before he started the business, which he named after the ship. [8] The restaurant has seen a lot of temporary changes throughout the show, such as switching to a 24/7 schedule and being transformed into a hotel. Other episodes have depicted the Krusty Krab being damaged or destroyed, although due to the show having loose continuity the restaurant inexplicably always appears rebuilt and in good shape the following episode.
The Krusty Krab's menu, the Galley Grub, consists mostly of ordinary fast-food items, such as fries and sodas. Its signature sandwich, the Krabby Patty, is comically beloved by the citizens of Bikini Bottom. In The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water , Mr. Krabs states: "The Krabby Patty is what ties us all together! Without it, there will be a complete breakdown of social order!" [9] The sandwich comprises two buns, with the patty, lettuce, cheese, onions, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, and pickles between them (in that order). [10] The recipe of the patty is a closely guarded trade secret, which have led viewers to speculate about its contents. [11] [12] Several fan theories have been formed to guess the secret ingredient. [13] [14]
According to animator Vincent Waller, "there is absolutely no meat in the Krabby Patty. There's no animal product in there", something which was always planned by series creator Stephen Hillenburg. [15] Mr. Lawrence, a show writer and Plankton's voice actor, explained that the show's writers are not allowed to depict fish as food; he stated that there is no meat served in Bikini Bottom except at the Chum Bucket. [16] Tom Kenny, the voice actor for SpongeBob, joked: "Krabby Patties are hummus!" [16] Some commentators suggest that there is actually no secret ingredient. A writer for Hollywood.com believes that it is "all a ruse that crafty Mr. Krabs came up with in order to stop Plankton from focusing on the Chum Bucket. It's legitimately brilliant marketing!" [17] On the possibility that the secret Krabby Patty formula will be revealed in future episodes, Waller said in 2017 that he "would not count on it". [18] In 2019, Waller stated that Hillenburg, who died in 2018, is the only person to have seen it. [19]
Along with SpongeBob's pineapple house, the Krusty Krab was originally intended to be where "the show would return to again and again, and in which most of the action would take place". [20] It debuted in "Help Wanted", the series premiere, and has since appeared in more than 80% of episodes as of 2018 [update] . [21]
The Krusty Krab was inspired by series creator Stephen Hillenburg's time as a fry cook and lobster boiler [22] at a fast-food seafood restaurant [23] during several summers after finishing high school. [23] SpongeBob's job was directly based on this experience, [22] while Mr. Krabs was inspired by Hillenburg's manager at the restaurant. [24] [25] However, the restaurant owner was not greedy; Hillenburg added this detail to "give him more personality". [24]
When Hillenburg first created Mr. Krabs, his surname was spelled Crabs, and the name of the restaurant was the Crusty Crab. Hillenburg changed the spelling shortly before production began on the show's pilot episode, deciding that K's were funnier and more memorable. [26] He based the building's design on a lobster trap. [27]
The restaurant was featured in the 2004 theatrical film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and its 2015 follow-up (where the secret Krabby Patty formula was a major plot device). The Krusty Krab and the Krabby Patty have been referenced or parodied throughout popular culture. In "Major League of Extraordinary Gentlemen", an episode of the sketch comedy Robot Chicken , a segment features Mr. Krabs using crab legs as the secret ingredient for Krabby Patties. [28] Online, the Krusty Krab–Chum Bucket rivalry has been turned into memes. [29] [30]
The Krusty Krab has been included in many SpongeBob SquarePants toys, publications, and other merchandise. The Lego Group has released two Lego construction sets modeled after the Krusty Krab building. [31] [32] The Krusty Krab has also appeared in SpongeBob-related video games, such as SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab , the title of which alludes to the restaurant. Viacom, which owns Nickelodeon, has earned millions of dollars on licensed products bearing the Krusty Krab name, mainly aquarium figurines and children's play sets. [21]
The Krusty Krab has been recognized by numerous publications—including BuzzFeed, [33] the New York Daily News, [34] Screen Rant , [35] and food website The Daily Meal [36] —as a restaurant they wished were real. Similarly, as stated in Boston.com, "Sure, we can get crab cakes, but we wish we could try the Krusty Krab's signature sandwich, the Krabby Patties. If only we could get a suit like Sandy's and journey to Bikini Bottom". [37] In another list published by The Daily Meal, the Krusty Krab was voted number one of "all the fictional spots currently on TV that our readers wished they could dine at". [38] In 2016, Time magazine listed the Krusty Krab as one of the 18 most influential fictional companies. [39]
External images | |
---|---|
![]() | |
![]() |
The Krusty Krab has inspired several real-life establishments unaffiliated with Nickelodeon or its parent company, Viacom. In Santa Elena, Costa Rica, a restaurant called the Krusty Krab opened in 2012 but closed a year later. [40] In Ramallah, West Bank, a company called Salta Burgers constructed a real-life Krusty Krab, [41] [42] which received online attention. [43] It opened on July 24, 2014, [44] serving seafood and its own version of the Krabby Patty; [40] [42] [45] The restaurant was in operation as of 2017 [update] , [46] but was shut down by 2019. [47] Some commentators, like in the Houston Press noted of these foreign imitations that "The long arm of U.S. trademark law doesn't reach across international waters. Every country has its own filing process that must be followed". [48] In Moscow, a Krusty Krab-themed restaurant called The Krusty Krab Cafe opened in 2016 and also makes unofficial Krabby Patties. [49] In Davao City, Philippines, a coffee shop opened in 2017 and sells Krabby Patty-inspired sandwiches; it was named KrustyKrub Cafe because the son of its husband-and-wife owners is a fan of the show. [50]
In January 2016, Viacom sued IJR Capital Investments after learning that it had applied to trademark the Krusty Krab name at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in December 2014. [51] The latter was planning to open two restaurants adopting the moniker in Houston and Los Angeles. [21] In the lawsuit, Viacom claimed that the proposed restaurants would be an infringement, even though Viacom had not filed a formal trademark for the Krusty Krab name. [52] IJR owner, Javier Ramos Jr. claimed he thought of the name, referring to "the crust that sticks to the top of crabs when they are put in a seafood boil". [21] He claimed not to have heard of the Krusty Krab in SpongeBob SquarePants, and that he chose it after checking Google and finding no restaurants using that name. [53] While the USPTO approved IJR's trademark application, [51] [21] a Texas federal judge ruled in January 2017 that IJR violated Viacom's rights to the SpongeBob property, [51] [54] [55] citing "ownership of a trademark is established by use, not by registration". [51] The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit decided in May 2018 that Viacom deserves trademark protection for the Krusty Krab, and that IJR cannot use it. [21] [53]
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of SpongeBob, Nickelodeon recreated the Krusty Krab building at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con. [56] [57] Inside, attendees could play an interactive game in which they must complete food orders before running out of time. [58] [59] It was part of Nickelodeon's 1,800-square-foot (170 m2) booth [58] at the event, which was dedicated to the show. [56] It featured real-life replicas of Mrs. Puff's Boating School and the Chum Bucket, which stood 22 feet (6.7 m) tall and allowed attendees to buy collectibles and have autographs from the show's cast members. [58] [59] The Los Angeles Times reported that the Bikini Bottom setup "drew hundreds of nostalgic fans" on the first day of the convention. [60] Adweek named it among its ten "Favorite TV-Themed Activations at Comic-Con 2019". [61]
Eugene Harold Krabs, better known as simply Mr. Krabs, is a fictional character in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by actor Clancy Brown and first appeared in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. The character was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg.
Pearl Krabs is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. She is voiced by actress Lori Alan and first appeared in the season one episode "Squeaky Boots" on September 17, 1999. She was created by the late marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, who was inspired to design a whale character while supervising whale watches at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie is a 2004 American adventure comedy film based on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was co-written, co-produced, and directed by series creator Stephen Hillenburg and features the series' regular voice cast consisting of Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, Carolyn Lawrence, and Mary Jo Catlett. Guest stars Alec Baldwin, Scarlett Johansson, and Jeffrey Tambor voice new characters, and David Hasselhoff appears in live-action as himself. In the film, Plankton enacts a plan to discredit his business nemesis Mr. Krabs, steal the Krabby Patty secret formula and take over the world by stealing King Neptune's crown and framing Mr. Krabs for the crime. SpongeBob and Patrick team up to retrieve the crown from Shell City to save Mr. Krabs from Neptune's wrath and their world from Plankton's rule.
"Krusty Krab Training Video" is the second segment of the tenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the second part of the 50th episode overall, as well as the show's 100th segment. The episode was written by Aaron Springer, C. H. Greenblatt, and Kent Osborne, and the animation was directed by Frank Weiss. Springer and Greenblatt also served as storyboard directors, and Caleb Meurer served as storyboard artist. The segment originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on May 10, 2002.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Creature from the Krusty Krab is an action-adventure platform game released for Microsoft Windows, Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Wii by THQ. An Xbox version may have been planned at some point, but was cancelled for unknown reasons. The PS2, GameCube, and Wii versions are all ports of the same game developed by Blitz Games, while the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PC versions were separate games developed by WayForward Technologies and AWE Games respectively. It is based on the Nickelodeon animated sitcom SpongeBob SquarePants, and stars the title character, his best friend Patrick Star and their enemy Plankton as they journey to nine different worlds, supposedly inside the dreams of the characters. The Wii version was a North American launch title. It is also the first SpongeBob game released in Japan, but was released under the title SpongeBob, to mark it as the first video game in the SpongeBob series to have a Japanese release. The PC version of the game is titled SpongeBob SquarePants: Nighty Nightmare.
SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D was a 2003 cel-shaded 4-D film simulator ride based upon the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It could be found at many aquariums and theme parks across the world. The ride consisted of a pre-show which then leads into a stadium seated auditorium. The ride is in 4-D, meaning it is a motion simulator with a 3D movie. The effects on the ride vary at different parks. Water spray, bubbles, wind, leg ticklers, smoke, and smells are usually found.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Operation Krabby Patty is a 2001 video game published by THQ on Microsoft Windows PC, and is based on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants television series. The gameplay consists of playing five simplistic mini-games.
"Friend or Foe" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the 81st episode overall. It was written by Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Mike Mitchell, Steven Banks, and Tim Hill, and the animation was directed by supervising director Alan Smart and Tom Yasumi; Alexander, Cervas and Mitchell also functioned as storyboard directors. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 13, 2007.
SpongeBob's Truth or Square is a 2009 video game based on the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants episode with the same title. It was released on October 26, 2009, for the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable. Altron developed a Nintendo DS version of the game.
SpongeBob's Truth or Square is a 2009 made-for-television comedy television film and an hour-long episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants that was produced as the 123rd and 124th episodes of the series. The special originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 6, 2009, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the television series. This is the second SpongeBob SquarePants television film, following SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis. Its animation was directed by supervising director Alan Smart, Andrew Overtoom and Tom Yasumi.
"Help Wanted" is the premiere and pilot episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on May 1, 1999, following the television broadcast of the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards. The episode follows the series' eponymous protagonist SpongeBob, a yellow anthropomorphic sea sponge, attempting to get a job at a local fast food restaurant called the Krusty Krab.
"SpongeBob's Last Stand" is the eighth episode of the seventh season and the 134th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was originally released on DVD on March 16, 2010, and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 22, 2010, in celebration of Earth Day.
"The Great Patty Caper", also known as "Mystery with a Twistery" and "Krabby Patty No More", is the 17th episode of the seventh season and the 143rd overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 11, 2010. The series follows the adventures of the title character in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. In the episode, the key to the vault holding the Krabby Patty recipe gets lost and SpongeBob must locate it before the recipe is lost forever.
Sheldon J. Plankton and Karen Plankton are a pair of fictional characters and the main antagonists of SpongeBob SquarePants, the Nickelodeon animated television series. They are respectively voiced by Mr. Lawrence and Jill Talley. Their first appearance was in the episode "Plankton!" that premiered on July 31, 1999. They were created and designed by the marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the series. Hillenburg named Karen after his wife, Karen Hillenburg.
"SpongeBob, You're Fired" is a television special of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, serving as the eleventh episode of the ninth season and the 189th overall episode. It was written by Marc Ceccarelli, Luke Brookshier, and Mr. Lawrence, with supervising director Alan Smart and Tom Yasumi serving as animation directors. Originally premiering in Greece on July 3, 2013, it premiered on Nickelodeon in the United States that same year on November 11. In this episode, SpongeBob is dismissed from his job at the Krusty Krab after his boss, Mr. Krabs, discovers that he can save a nickel by letting him go. Subsequently, SpongeBob's attempts to apply at other restaurants end in humiliating failure.
"Goodbye, Krabby Patty?", also known as "Factory Fresh", is the 22nd episode of season 9 and the 200th overall episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon and Nicktoons in the United States as a simulcast on February 20, 2017.
"The Legend of Boo-Kini Bottom" is the fifth episode of the eleventh season, and the 220th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on October 13, 2017. In this episode, the Flying Dutchman wants to make sure SpongeBob and his friends are scared on Halloween. It is one of two SpongeBob episodes animated through stop-motion instead of the usual 2D format, the other being, "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!".
SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout is a 2019 made-for-television live-action/animated comedy special based on the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was written by Kaz and Mr. Lawrence, and was directed by Jonas Morganstein. The special, produced as part of the show's twelfth season, originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 12, 2019, celebrating the series' twentieth anniversary. The cut version of this episode was released on October 5, 2019. The bonus edition of this episode was released on July 17, 2020.
The Krabby Patty is a hamburger sold by the fictional restaurant the Krusty Krab in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. Created by the restaurant's founder Eugene Krabs and his archenemy Plankton, it is what the main character SpongeBob cooks throughout his job as a fry cook, as well as the restaurant's trademark food and most famous burger in Bikini Bottom. A prominent storyline throughout the series is Krabs' nemesis Plankton trying to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula. This running gag was given a backstory in the special "Friend or Foe", where it is revealed that Krabs and Plankton created the Krabby Patty to compete with the health-violating restaurant Stinky Burgers.
Mr. Krabs: Pearl ... one day, all this will be yours. Soon as you graduate high school, I'll start you as manager.