The Hooter
A big local favorite with classic burger-shop flavor.
More Than a Meal
The Burger King before Burger King
The story begins in 1952, when Gene and Betty Hoots purchased the Frigid Queen ice cream shop in Mattoon, Illinois.
Hamburgers, french fries and other hot food were added soon after, transforming the small ice cream shop into a hometown restaurant.
When it came time to name the burger business, Betty Hoots had a simple idea: if there was a queen, there ought to be a king. Burger King was born.
The Hootses registered the Burger King name as an Illinois trademark in 1959. When the much larger Florida-based Burger King restaurant chain later expanded into Illinois, the dispute eventually reached federal court.
In 1968, a federal court decision protected the Mattoon restaurant's prior right to the name within roughly a 20-mile radius of Mattoon.
The case became a notable piece of American trademark history and helped turn this small hometown restaurant into one of Central Illinois' most unusual landmarks.
Gene Hoots • 1952
A tradition that continues
1952
Gene and Betty Hoots purchase
the Frigid Queen ice cream shop.
1954
Hamburgers, french fries and
other hot food are added.
1959
The Hootses register the
Burger King name as an
Illinois trademark.
1968
A federal court decision protects
the Mattoon restaurant's local
right to the name.
