Dee's Drive-In
Encyclopedia
Dee's Drive-In was a fast food
hamburger
drive-in restaurant chain based in Utah
. The chain was founded by Dee Frederick Anderson, who got his start selling hamburgers operating the Ute Hamburger Shop near the University of Utah
in the 1920s. Anderson opened the first Dee's Restaurant in 1932. Dee's would evolve into two separate but related restaurant chains: Dee's Family Restaurant and Dee's Drive-In.
Noted for its family-friendly advertising and the colorful "Dee's Clowns" that adorned its restaurants, the franchise became a Utah cultural landmark in the 1960s
. At its height, the family operated 53 restaurants with an annual revenue of $20 million per year. In the late 1970s
, an altered business strategy led the Anderson family to sell all of its Dee's Drive-Ins to Hardee's
; a dozen Dee's Family Restaurants remained in business. Half of them continue to operate across the Wasatch Front
region of Utah.
from Ephraim, Utah
, opened his first Dee's Restaurant in 1932. He was inspired to create Dee's Drive-Ins after seeing drive-in restaurants during a 1953 visit to Long Beach, California
. Established a year later, his first Dee's Drive-In was a $125,000 building at 753 E. 2100 South Street in Salt Lake City. On average, the shop served 2,500 customers daily, selling burgers, hot dogs and apple turnovers for 19 cents and French fries and soft drinks for ten cents. Within two years, Anderson had opened his two more drive-ins and Dee's Drive-In had 100 employees. One of Anderson's friends opened a franchise in Johannesburg
in 1972, which was the first American fast food outlet in South Africa. Dee's Drive-In went on to have 53 restaurants earning over $20 million annually.
In the late 1970s, the Anderson family chose to focus on other business ventures, particularly on their property management operations. All remaining Dee's Drive-Ins were sold to Hardee's
; Hardee's withdrew from Utah just months before its purchase by CKE Restaurants
, which subsequently expanded its Carl's Jr.
brand there without any previous connection to Hardee's.
Twelve Dee's Family Restaurants remained in operation in the Wasatch Front
area of Utah until March 2004, when five Salt Lake outlets were sold to real estate developers. The restaurants were transformed into Walgreen
s, in a deal which marked "the point of entry" into the Utah market for developer Phillips Edison. In August 2005, the restaurant chain settled an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
on behalf of three employees who alleged they had been sexually harassed by a co-worker at a Dee's location in Midvale
. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to revamp its sexual harassment policy and employee training procedures.
and manufactured using Plexiglas, acrylic plastics and flashing lights.
The Dee's restaurant chain was noted for its "Let's go to Dee's" jingle and for its "Disco Down to Dee's" commercials. The Utah Department of Transportation
filmed an advertisement in 1997 that combined new footage with footage from historical Dee's Drive-In commercials, provided by Anderson's family. The advertising agency that created the ad said, "We started talking about a setting [for the commercial]. What defined Utah in 1962? It was Dee's. Dee's was really an icon in Wasatch Front history." The Salt Lake Tribune
described the advertisement as "a wonderful source of memories for many Utahns".
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
drive-in restaurant chain based in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. The chain was founded by Dee Frederick Anderson, who got his start selling hamburgers operating the Ute Hamburger Shop near the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
in the 1920s. Anderson opened the first Dee's Restaurant in 1932. Dee's would evolve into two separate but related restaurant chains: Dee's Family Restaurant and Dee's Drive-In.
Noted for its family-friendly advertising and the colorful "Dee's Clowns" that adorned its restaurants, the franchise became a Utah cultural landmark in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
. At its height, the family operated 53 restaurants with an annual revenue of $20 million per year. In the late 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
, an altered business strategy led the Anderson family to sell all of its Dee's Drive-Ins to Hardee's
Hardee's
Hardee's is a restaurant chain, located mostly in the Southeast and Midwestern regions of the United States. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960. It is currently owned and operated by CKE Restaurants. Along with its sibling restaurant chain, Carl's...
; a dozen Dee's Family Restaurants remained in business. Half of them continue to operate across the Wasatch Front
Wasatch Front
The Wasatch Front is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from approximately Santaquin in the south to Brigham City in the north...
region of Utah.
History
Dee Frederick Anderson, a fast-food entrepreneurEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
from Ephraim, Utah
Ephraim, Utah
Ephraim is a city in Sanpete County, Utah, United States. The population was 6,135 at the 2010 census, making it the largest city in Sanpete County. It is the location of Snow College and is located along U.S. Route 89.-History:Ephraim was founded in 1854...
, opened his first Dee's Restaurant in 1932. He was inspired to create Dee's Drive-Ins after seeing drive-in restaurants during a 1953 visit to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. Established a year later, his first Dee's Drive-In was a $125,000 building at 753 E. 2100 South Street in Salt Lake City. On average, the shop served 2,500 customers daily, selling burgers, hot dogs and apple turnovers for 19 cents and French fries and soft drinks for ten cents. Within two years, Anderson had opened his two more drive-ins and Dee's Drive-In had 100 employees. One of Anderson's friends opened a franchise in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
in 1972, which was the first American fast food outlet in South Africa. Dee's Drive-In went on to have 53 restaurants earning over $20 million annually.
In the late 1970s, the Anderson family chose to focus on other business ventures, particularly on their property management operations. All remaining Dee's Drive-Ins were sold to Hardee's
Hardee's
Hardee's is a restaurant chain, located mostly in the Southeast and Midwestern regions of the United States. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960. It is currently owned and operated by CKE Restaurants. Along with its sibling restaurant chain, Carl's...
; Hardee's withdrew from Utah just months before its purchase by CKE Restaurants
CKE Restaurants
CKE Restaurants, Inc. is the parent company of the Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito restaurant chains. Its headquarters are in Carpinteria, California. It was incorporated in 1964 by Carl's Jr. founder Carl Karcher as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc.- History :In 2007, it sold...
, which subsequently expanded its Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr. is an American fast-food restaurant chain located mostly in the Western and Southwestern United States. The first store has opened in Canada in Kelowna, BC. They are in the process of expanding to Mexico, Malaysia, Denmark, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Russia, Vietnam,...
brand there without any previous connection to Hardee's.
Twelve Dee's Family Restaurants remained in operation in the Wasatch Front
Wasatch Front
The Wasatch Front is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Utah. It consists of a chain of cities and towns stretched along the Wasatch Range from approximately Santaquin in the south to Brigham City in the north...
area of Utah until March 2004, when five Salt Lake outlets were sold to real estate developers. The restaurants were transformed into Walgreen
Walgreen
Walgreen is the anglicised form of Wahlgren, and may refer to:* Charles Rudolph Walgreen* Charles Rudolph Walgreen, Jr.* The Walgreens, aka The Walgreen Company ** Walgreens Health Services , a business unit of Walgreens...
s, in a deal which marked "the point of entry" into the Utah market for developer Phillips Edison. In August 2005, the restaurant chain settled an employment discrimination lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is an independent federal law enforcement agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, perceived intelligence,...
on behalf of three employees who alleged they had been sexually harassed by a co-worker at a Dee's location in Midvale
Midvale, Utah
Midvale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 27,029 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Midvale is located at ....
. As part of the settlement, the company agreed to revamp its sexual harassment policy and employee training procedures.
Marketing
Dee's Drive-In was famous for the large clown marquee outside each drive-in with the title Dee's Hamburgers. The clown was brightly colored and had a large round belly, and would hold four large balloons, each one spelling out a fast food item for sale inside the restaurant. As an added attention-getting device, the clown marquee rocked back and forth. The marquee was designed in 1968 by the Young Electric Sign CompanyYoung Electric Sign Company
Young Electric Sign Company is a privately owned manufacturer of electric signs based in Salt Lake City. The company was founded by Thomas Young in 1920 and today has divisions and branches in 10 western states, as well as in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas...
and manufactured using Plexiglas, acrylic plastics and flashing lights.
The Dee's restaurant chain was noted for its "Let's go to Dee's" jingle and for its "Disco Down to Dee's" commercials. The Utah Department of Transportation
Utah Department of Transportation
The Utah Department of Transportation is an agency of the state government for the U.S. state of Utah. The agency is usually referred to by its initials UDOT . UDOT is charged with maintaining the network of state highways in Utah. The agency is headquartered in the Calvin L. Rampton state office...
filmed an advertisement in 1997 that combined new footage with footage from historical Dee's Drive-In commercials, provided by Anderson's family. The advertising agency that created the ad said, "We started talking about a setting [for the commercial]. What defined Utah in 1962? It was Dee's. Dee's was really an icon in Wasatch Front history." The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune
The Salt Lake Tribune is the largest-circulated daily newspaper in the U.S. city of Salt Lake City. It is distributed by Newspaper Agency Corporation, which also distributes the Deseret News. The Tribune — or "Trib," as it is locally known — is currently owned by the Denver-based MediaNews Group....
described the advertisement as "a wonderful source of memories for many Utahns".