If You Miss Eating At Minute Man, The Arkansas Restaurant Is Opening A New Location

The original Minute Man opened in Little Rock on May 26, 1948. The first store began as a 24-hour service coffee shop but was converted to a quick-serve eatery in 1956. Minute Man didn't stay a Little Rock secret for long though! There were a couple of reasons why the restaurant concept was so successful.

The entrepreneur was the first to use microwaves in store which were used for his fruit pie desserts. He also invented "Magic Meals" for kids - before McDonald's rolled our their Happy Meals! He later sold this concept to Burger King. In addition to the BK connection, Hall also coined the term "Old-fashioned hamburgers," which he sold to Wendy's. If this wasn't enough, Hall partnered with Coca-Cola to create a one-of-a-kind glass that was given away with a drink purchase.

Although it's subjective to say what the very first fast food restaurant in the nation was, Minute Man has a fair claim to the title. Many of the concepts we take for granted today were instilled by Hall and his Minute Man restaurants.

No one could resist the charcoal-grilled burgers and fast service. Between 1948-1974 Minute Man exploded in Arkansas and surrounding six states with 57 locations at its peak.

The last one left is Minute Man #14 in El Dorado. It's been ran by Ms. Linda McGoogan for over 40 years!

Perry J. Smith, the founder of Matchbox Food Group, has partnered with Ms. McGoogan to relaunch the Minute Man franchise. The first new location (with hopefully more to follow) will be in Jacksonville, AR. The eatery should be opened by July.

For more information on all things Minute Man, head to their website.