Huey's

Huey's is a chain of restaurants and bars located in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1970 by Alan Gary, it has been voted "Best Burger" by Memphis Magazine every year since 1984. Huey's has also been voted "Best Pub Grub" and "Best Beer Selection" in Memphis Magazine's Readers Restaurant Poll. Famous for its "Huey Burger," the chain operates 7 locations spread across the city. After being founded by Alan Gary in 1970 as an attempt to "create a bar that was fun and unique," Huey's was purchased by Thomas Boggs in 1976.[2] The company now operates under the corporate body Uncle Donald's Restaurant LLC, which is still run by the Boggs family.[3]

Huey's
Restaurant information
Established1970
Food typeAmerican-style burgers, soups, and salads
Employees450[1]
Websitehueyburger.com

History

Huey's was founded by Alan Gary on April 26, 1970, based on the nickname Gary had when he was younger. In 1976, Thomas Boggs took over as CEO of the restaurant.[1] Boggs' wife, Wight Boggs, served as a co-owner of the restaurant and continues to do so.[4] Other co-owners include his children.[1] They include:

  • Ashley Boggs Robilio, Vice President of Operations
  • Lauren Boggs McHugh, President and CEO
  • Fulton Boggs
  • Alex Boggs
  • Samantha Boggs Dean

Boggs was partner in several other successful Memphis restaurants including Folk's Folly, Tsunami, Molly's La Casita, and Half Shell.[5]

Boggs died on May 5, 2008, at 63 years of age in his sleep.[6] Huey's celebrated its 45th birthday on April 26, 2015, with a birthday party spanning from 2 pm to midnight. A portion of the proceeds from the event went to Restore Corps, an anti-human trafficking organization.[1]

A character called the "prospector" was created for an advertisement in the late '70s and early '80s by the University of Memphis' then Tiger Rag, which is now known as The Daily Helmsman.[1]

Customers, starting during Gary's tenure as manager, would shoot toothpicks out of their straws and into the ceilings. Boggs initially cleaned the toothpicks from the ceiling, but a customer suggested that he do a contest instead. Customers pay one dollar to guess how many toothpicks, and the proceeds go to benefit the Memphis Zoo. The contest has raised $70,000.[1]

Huey's features different menu items, including burgers, fries, onion rings, tater tots, and others.[1][7] Huey's menu originally had hamburgers and cheeseburgers as the only options.[1] One of its current burgers is called the "World Famous Huey Burger."[8] In October 2018, Huey's introduced a vegan burger option called the "Beyond Burger" in three locations, with a rollout to all locations in early November.[9]

Locations

On May 8, 2017, Huey's opened a new location at the Shops of Millington Farms in Millington, Tennessee.[10] As of May 2017, there are nine locations.[10]

There are things that can be found at all Huey's locations, including a crutch adhered to the ceiling. Graffiti can also be found at various locations on the walls inside the buildings and is redone every year.[1]

Locations

Reception

Since 1984, its burger had won "Best Burger" from Memphis Magazine every year.[13] Kevin Alexander of Thrillist included Huey's and the "World Famous Huey Burger with Cheese" on his list of the best burgers in Memphis. He praised the balance of tastes in the burger while noting minor issues such as the bun being slightly dry.[8] WMC Action News 5's Joe Birch meanwhile called the "World Famous Huey Burger" a great Memphis burger.[14] Commercial Appeal editor Nicole R. Harris included Huey in her list of restaurants to visit in the Downtown Memphis area.[15] Memphis Flyer staff featured Huey's burgers in a list of the most iconic Memphis burgers.[16]

Readers of the Memphis Flyer voted for Huey's, among others, in their "Best of Memphis 2016" poll.[17] Thrillist editor Meredith Heil called Memphis the "best food city" of Tennessee, citing Huey's as part of why.[18]

References
  1. Ellis, Susan. "Huey's at 45". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  2. Moore, Linda A. (May 5, 2008). "Thomas Boggs cast big shadow in Memphis". The Commercial Appeal. Archived from the original on 2008-06-13. Retrieved 2019-11-29.
  3. "Huey's Restaurants' Mitchell driven by husband's influence, experience - Memphis Business Journal". Bizjournals.com. 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  4. Gertler, Jessica (July 31, 2014). "Union leader takes crack at crime victim due to benefit cuts". News Channel 3. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  5. "HISTORY". Huey's Burger | Memphis. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  6. Watson, Ben (May 5, 2008). "Huey's CEO Thomas Boggs dies". WMC Action News 5. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  7. Ellis, Susan (October 18, 2017). "Tater Tots Now Available at All Huey's". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  8. Alexander, Kevin (January 18, 2017). "The Best Burgers in Memphis, Ranked by Our National Burger Critic". Thrillist. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  9. Ellis, Susan (October 16, 2018). "Huey's Vegan Burger". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  10. Bailey, tom (April 26, 2017). "Huey's Millington to open May 8". Commercial Appeal. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  11. "Huey's". hueyburger.com. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  12. Kennin, Lydian. "Huey's announces opening date for Olive Branch location". www.actionnews5.com. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  13. "The Best of 2009 - Memphis Magazine - January 2009 - Memphis". Memphis Magazine. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2012-09-02.
  14. Birch, Joe (July 19, 2017). "Farm Burger sizzles soon at Crosstown Concourse". WMC Action News 5. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  15. Harris, Nicole R. (April 24, 2018). "Downtown Memphis guide: Eating and drinking". Commercial Appeal. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  16. "Memphis' Most Iconic Hamburgers". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  17. "Best of Memphis 2016 - Introduction". Memphis Flyer. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  18. Heil, Meredith (March 2, 2017). "The Best Food City in Every State". Thrillist. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
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