The Forgotten History Of The Burger Queen Fast Food Chain

While the name Burger Queen may lead you to believe that someone has just confused the very similarly named Burger King fast food franchise with its lesser-known monarch partner, the two aren't related at all. The once-popular American restaurant Druther's was actually opened as the very first Burger Queen in 1956 in Winter Haven, Florida.

There are a plethora of reasons that Burger Queen was eventually renamed –- the common confusion with the Burger King trademark being one of them -– but the initial issues arose when the first Burger Queen restaurant was to be opened in North London in 1979. Burger Queen restaurants were called Huckleberry's in the United Kingdom in consideration of the royal family. On top of this dilemma, obtaining a trademark for Burger Queen was nearly impossible outside of the United States because of the brand name's similarity to Burger King. The restaurant was rebranded as Druther's in 1980.

Druther's trademark issues did not end with Burger King. Dairy Queen (known for its iconic soft serve) sued the fast food restaurant for including the word "queen" in its name in 1970, and the lawsuit was swiftly resolved. This created a relationship between the two chains, which made the 1990 transition -– where Dairy Queen purchased the chain and turned almost every Druther's restaurant into a Dairy Queen -– much easier.

However, the chance to try an iconic Druther's burger and wash it down with a creamy milkshake is far from gone. The last Druther's location in the world is currently operating in Campbellsville, Kentucky. The extensive menu serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a dish that every patron can enjoy. And while the menu items are not the original chain's exact menu items, according to diners on Reddit, they still have a hometown charm that is worth the drive down if you want a similar experience to the original Burger Queen restaurant.