Amigos/Kings Classic
Amigos/Kings Classic is a small Nebraska-based fast-food chain that serves Mexican and American foods. The restaurant was founded as Amigo's in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1980. The chain was solely a Mexican fast-food restaurant until around 2000, when many locations were co-branded with A&W Restaurants. After A&W was bought by Yum! Brands, Inc. in 2002, a defunct regional burger chain, King's Classic, was revived and replaced A&W in 2003. Several locations are also open for breakfast and offer a third brand, Winchell's Donuts. For a short time, a few of the chains also held Rezato's Fast Italian, these only lasted about a year between 2004 and 2005.
Amigos/Kings Classic has over 25 locations in Nebraska, most in the eastern part of the state and/or along Interstate 80. For more information, visit *www.amigoskings.com.
King's Food Host
Before there was King's Classic there was King's Food Host, an eat-in/drive-in restaurant that opened its first location in 1955 at 66th and Cotner Boulevard in the Bethany neighborhood of Lincoln. They were founded by Jim King and Larry Price, and advertised that they had the "World's Best Hamburger". The chain expanded to 500 stores nationwide, and were traded over the counter before declaring bankruptcy and liquidating. A specialty of the restaurant was the Cheese Frenchee, a deep-fried cheese sandwich. They were also known for their onion rings and triple-thick shakes. Another innovation that they made was that prior to their demise they offered a soy-BLEND burger that was healthy. They also offered a very large hamburger they called the Whopper long before Burger King.
King's Food Host in Bethany was also known by local teenagers as the place to be during the 60s. Hundreds of cars packed with high school aged kids would drive around and around through the drive-in showing off their cars. After high school football games, King's was where everyone went after the game.
King's Food Host opened a location on Pembina Highway in Winnipeg, Manitoba in the late 1960's. There, you placed your order by telephone from your booth. That restaurant closed around 1973. It was bulldozed to make way for a Ponderosa Steakhouse, which opened around 1975.