Omaha Exploration

Former employees of Grandmother’s restaurant launched a new concept called Don & Millie’s in 1989. The new restaurant was intended to be a modern spin on the beloved King’s Food Host. They drew inspiration not only from its recipes and menus but also its interior.

Don & Millie’s was aimed at customers who wanted better than fast food quality at fast food prices. They were ahead of their time, as the fast casual concept hadn’t yet taken off. Despite the addition of a drive-through, the food was cooked to order, resulting in slightly longer wait times than a more traditional fast food establishment.

The use of fresh ground beef that was hand-packed and loosely grilled, grain-battered onion rings, and frenchees were all taken from King’s. In fact, it’s been said that the burger at Don & Millie’s is the closest you’ll find to what King’s used to serve. The original menu also included a King’s top seller, cheese frenchees, in addition to sloppy joes and footlongs. Don & Millie’s even offered beer, wine, and 99-cent margaritas.

While there was a cafe in Lincoln named Don & Millie’s in the 1960s, the name of the King-inspired restaurant chain was chosen because it sounded “cute and fun” rather than actually being inspired by the husband and wife that operated the 24-hour cafe until the 1970s.

When the first location opened at 72nd and Jones in a former Bojangles, it proved extremely popular. So much so that they quickly added additional locations in Omaha and Lincoln. The burger is still considered to be among the best fast food options in town. To many, it holds its own when compared to some of the more popular sit-down restaurants. The cheese frenchee, meanwhile, has been named one of the top ten grilled cheese sandwiches in the country. It doesn’t hurt that you can still get a dirt-cheap margarita, though it’s now $1.39 rather than 99 cents.

While Grandmother’s closed more than a decade ago, its offspring remain as popular as ever. It was recently named one of the best burger joints and drive-ins by The Reader and best fast casual restaurant by Omaha Magazine.

Today, Don & Millie’s eight locations are in the process of becoming employee-owned as its remaining founders eye retirement. Perhaps one of Omaha’s favorite locally born fast-food restaurants will expand even further.

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Sources

• Omaha World-Herald archives