Swensons
{{Short description|American drive-in restaurant chain}}
{{confused|Swensen's}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Swensons Drive-In Restaurants
| logo = Swensons-logo.png
| type = Private
| industry = Fast food
| founded = {{start date and age|1934}}
| founder = Wesley T. "Pop" Swenson
| hq_location_city = Akron, Ohio
| hq_location_country = United States
| num_locations = 20
| num_locations_year = 2023
| areas_served = Greater Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Youngstown, Ohio, as well as Greater Indianapolis, Indiana
| products = Burgers
| num_employees = 800
| website = {{URL|swensonsdriveins.com}}
}}
Swensons Drive-In is an Ohio and Indiana drive-in restaurant chain with locations in the Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Youngstown areas, along with the Indianapolis area. Swensons' signature hamburger is the Galley Boy, a double cheeseburger prepared using two sauces,{{cite web |title=Swensons to Columbus? There is a site near Dublin - Columbus |website=Columbus Business First |date=December 4, 2017 |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/12/04/beloved-ohioburger-joint-lines-up-a-dublin-area.html | access-date=December 27, 2017 |first=Dan |last=Eaton}}{{cite book |last=Stern |first=Jand |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FTK0AAAAQBAJ&pg=PT512 |title=Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 900 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More, now in its 9th edition |last2=Stern |first2=Michael |publisher=Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony |year=2014 |isbn=978-0-7704-3453-3 |page=pt512 |access-date=December 27, 2017}} and the restaurant also purveys 18 different milkshakes.
History
Wesley T. "Pop" Swenson started selling hamburgers at Buchtel High School out of a station wagon in 1933. In 1934, he opened a restaurant on South Hawkins Avenue in Akron, near West Market Street. Swenson sold the restaurant in 1949 to Robert Phillips, who began expansion in 1952 with a second location in North Akron on East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue.{{cite web |last=Thompson |first=Lynne |url=http://www.sbnonline.com/article/a-day-at-the-drive-in-attention-to-detail-has-turned-swenson-s-into-a-local-institution/ |title=A day at the drive-in |work=Smart Business |publisher=Smart Business Network, Incorporated |location=Cleveland, Ohio |date=2001-10-23}} Other locations include Stow (1987), Montrose (1995), Jackson Township (1996), Seven Hills (2001), North Canton (2003), University Heights (2017), North Olmsted (2018), Avon (2018) Willoughby (July 2021{{cite web |url=https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/swensons-drive-in-brings-its-signature-galley-boy-and-milkshakes-to-willoughby |title=Swensons Drive-in brings its signature galley boy and milkshakes to Willoughby |first=Kaylyn |last=Hlavaty |date=July 19, 2021 |location=Cleveland, Ohio |work=News 5 (WEWS-TV) |publisher=Scripps Media}}), and Boardman (2022).{{Cite news |url=http://swensonsdriveins.com/est-1934/ |title=Story {{!}} Ohio Drive-In Established in 1934 {{!}} Swenatics |work=Swensons Drive-In |access-date=2018-10-05 |language=en-US}}{{cite web |title=Akron's Popular Drive-In Swensons Eyes Columbus for New Location |website=Columbus Underground |date=December 6, 2017 |url=http://www.columbusunderground.com/akrons-popular-drive-in-swensons-eyes-columbus-for-new-location-ls1 |access-date=December 27, 2017 |first=Lauren |last=Sega}} Expansion of the chain into the Columbus area is complete with locations in Dublin, New Albany, Columbus, and Hilliard.{{cite news |url=http://www.dispatch.com/business/20180716/swensons-plans-second-central-ohio-drive-in-near-ikea-at-polaris |title=Swensons plans second central Ohio drive-in near Ikea at Polaris |last=Malone |first=J. D. |newspaper=The Columbus Dispatch |date=July 16, 2018 |accessdate=July 16, 2018 |archive-date=July 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716181635/http://www.dispatch.com/business/20180716/swensons-plans-second-central-ohio-drive-in-near-ikea-at-polaris |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.thisweeknews.com/news/20180605/developers-hope-to-open-swensons-near-jw-reason-in-hilliard |title=Developers hope to open Swensons near J.W. Reason in Hilliard |last=Corvo |first=Kevin |newspaper=ThisWeek |date=June 5, 2018 |accessdate=September 17, 2018}} Swensons expanded to Indiana, opening in Avon in February 2023.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
Reception
- Forbes noted Swenson's as "America's Best Burger" in 1999.{{cite web |url=http://www.swensonsdriveins.com/ourstory.asp |title=Swensons Cheeseburger | Galley Boy | Akron, Ohio Drive In Restaurant |publisher=Swensons Drive In Restaurants |date= |accessdate=2011-07-20 |archive-date=2011-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716172016/http://www.swensonsdriveins.com/ourstory.asp |url-status=dead }}
In popular culture
On an episode of The Food Network's series Food Feuds entitled Beef Feuds, Swensons was pitted against the Skyway drive-in in the Akron suburb of Fairlawn for best double cheeseburger in the Akron area.{{cite episode |url=http://www.foodnetwork.com/food-feuds/index.html |title=Beef Feuds |series=Food Feuds |first=Michael |last=Symon |network=Food Network |season=1 |number=8 |airdate=2010-12-02 |accessdate=2017-12-27}} Celebrity fans include Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney, actor Matt Lanter, and basketball player LeBron James.{{cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/11/30/fans-of-a-northeast-ohio-drive-in-chain-getting.html |title=Fans of a northeast Ohio drive-in chain getting some good news |work=Columbus Business First |date=November 30, 2016 |first=Dan |last=Eaton}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.swensonsdriveins.com/}}
{{Fast-food chains of the United States}}
{{Restaurants in Ohio}}
Category:Companies based in Akron, Ohio
Category:Economy of the Midwestern United States
Category:Regional restaurant chains in the United States
Category:Family-owned companies of the United States
Category:Fast-food chains of the United States
Category:Restaurants established in 1934