H.A. Winston & Co.
H.A. Winston & Co., a.k.a. Winstons was a chain of restaurants centered in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area in the 1970s and 1980s. The chain shut its last restaurant on July 14, 1992.
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Industry | Restaurant |
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Founded | 1972 |
Founder | Allen, Herb and Joseph Spivak |
Defunct | 1992 |
Area served | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
History
The first H.A. Winston & Co. restaurant opened in 1972 at Front and Chestnut Streets in Philadelphia. Initially, the restaurant was considered a singles bar that incidentally purveyed hamburgers and onion soup,[1] but the chain soon grew popular as a casual dining establishment[2] with restaurants in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia.
Company
The chain was owned by the Spivak brothers. The "H" in "H.A. Winston & Co." represents co-owner Herb Spivak, and the "A" for Allen Spivak; the story behind the name missing the third brother and co-owner Joseph “Jerry” Spivak is not documented. The brothers were also founders and principals[3] of the Philadelphia-based concert promoter and power-house firm Electric Factory Concerts.
Products and services
![](../I/Gourmet_Burger_Poster.jpg.webp)
Gourmet Burgers
Quickly, H.A. Winston & Co. became famous for its 7- and 10-ounce hamburgers, collectively referred to as "GourmetBerger" whose numerous options for topping were referred to and ordered by either its topping number or name.
Toppings:
- Winston- sauteed onions, peppers & mushrooms
- American-American cheese, bacon, lettuce & tomato
- Italian-mozzarella & marinara sauce
- Society Hill- blue cheese & chives
- Mexican-chili & chopped onions
- Russian-sour cream & caviar
See also
References
- Taste the past: The recipe for H.A. Winston's onion soup; February 6, 2014; http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/the-insider/Taste-the-past-HA-Winstons-onion-soup-recipe.html
- H.A. Winston Closes Last Of 22 Restaurants It Was A Favorite Of Singles In The '70s. The Founder Said, "I Really Don't Know Why, But It Worked."; http://articles.philly.com/1992-07-15/business/26028118_1_restaurants-eclectic-decor-hamburgers
- Former Tower Theater owner Herb Spivak to mark his 50th anniversary as a concert promoter; http://www.delconewsnetwork.com/articles/2014/08/23/life/doc53f282f245ce6977420207.txt