Our tale begins in a town called Normal.

Normal Illinois, where in 1934 a retired marine named Gus Belt transformed his combination

restaurant and gas station known as Shell's chicken into a hamburger joint.

Belt one over local skeptical of a still unfamiliar product known as Ground Beef by parading

fresh steaks into the dining area and grinding them in full view of his customers, and so

the restaurant signature steak burger was born.

After Belt's death in 1954, a series of owners expanded the chain across the Midwest,

making the burger and milkshake outlet a staple of the heartland, until a downturn due

to the financial crisis of 2008.

Enter Sardar Biglary, a San Antonio-based Iranian-American investor and accolade of Warren Buffett,

who, at just 34 years old, seized his opportunity and wrangled a hostile takeover to become chairman.

Biglary Holdings is a Pontamus investment company, which also owns Maxim magazine and a substantial

portion of Cracker Barrel has put his stamp on the burger chain.

Literally, as many new locations are now branded as Buy Biglary, a partly egotistical,

partly capitalist measure that ensures he'll collect substantial licensing fees should

he ever be forced out.

Now with 500 locations, this Midwest institution is attempting to conquer the globe, including

by opening its first California locations just this past year, making this very episode

possible.

This week on Doe Boys, steak and shake.

What can Doe Boys, the podcast about chain restaurants?

I'm Nick Wigher sitting alongside, as always, Mike Mitchell, the spoon man.

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