The First Fast Food Restaurant To Add Bacon Cheeseburgers To Its Menu

It's hard to imagine a world without the option to add a smoky, rich slice (or two) of bacon to your cheeseburger Regardless of the type of bacon or the level of crispiness you enjoy — check out our tips for the best way to cook bacon and how to get bacon slices to fit your sandwich – bacon undoubtedly elevates a classic American cheeseburger. But before 1963, no one had thought to top the already mouthwatering concoction with this delicious cured meat. Well, at the very least there were no restaurants boasting bacon cheeseburgers on their menus.

It's not that bacon wasn't popular. It was already a household staple by that time — the sliced and packaged bacon people know and love today was first put on the market in 1924 by Oscar Mayer. But it would take some time for the cheeseburger to make its way across America, ultimately becoming a fast food staple with the rise of McDonald's in the late 1950s. An even older fast food franchise lays claim to the fact that it was the very first to slap bacon on a cheeseburger, and no, it is not the infamous Wendy's with its Baconator. Former A&W Restaurants chairman Dale Mulder takes credit for inventing the life-changing combination in 1963.

A&W Restaurants is one of the oldest fast food chains in America. What began as a humble root beer stand in 1919 in California has grown into a major restaurant franchise with about 850 locations. Famous not only for its root beer and floats, it also became known for its on-the-go comfort food with an all-American flair, such as hot dogs, burgers, and chicken. The growing popularity of A&W is why, in 1961, Dale Mulder decided to open a franchise of his own in Lansing, Michigan. He noticed customers requesting bacon on their cheeseburgers often enough that he finally added a bacon cheeseburger to his A&W menu in 1963. Some are skeptical that Mulder is truly the inventor of something as simple as a bacon burger, but A&W touts the connection, even featuring Mulder in a 2014 ad campaign. So far, no one else has come forward to contest the bold claim.

The demand for bacon on burgers has only grown throughout the years. A&W may have been the first franchise to coin the bacon cheeseburger, but it's more unusual these days to find burger joints that don't offer bacon. And it's not just on burgers either. Burger King, Carl's Jr., and McDonald's have all added new bacon-based menu items within the last year. Most restaurants let you top nearly every item with a slice of bacon (there's even a scientific reason for bacon's versatility in pairing with other foods). What was once a bit of a luxury at an otherwise unpretentious food experience has transformed into an everyday staple across the country — and now you know exactly who to thank.