Runza Fast-Food Chain, Runzas and More

Hey, I was one of the kids who were among the early customers at the first Runza Drive Inn in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our father took us there, too rarely for my tastes:

"It all started in 1949 with the Original Runza® Sandwich. Homemade dough made from scratch everyday — stuffed full of ground beef, onions, cabbage, and secret spices—and then baked fresh and served hot."

Let me tell you, now that was a delicious food! We were kids, we knew. There was no advertising in those days. You had to eat a Runza to know how good it was.

They have done well in the intervening years, creating a chain of food stores, and expanding beyond Lincoln, now to over 80 locations. What a story to all of us who knew the first building.

Really, one should look into the prospect of franchising them in Europe.

See:

Epilogue: Three hours south of Lincoln, an edible bastion of Huskerdom