Schoop's Hamburgers

In 1948, Allen Schoop created a formula for transforming fresh, made-to-order ground beef into what one newspaper calls the "finest hamburger this si

In 1948, Allen Schoop created a formula for transforming fresh, made-to-order ground beef into what one newspaper calls the "finest hamburger this side of the moon." Its the same formula that Schoop's restaurants use today. From a modest site in Hammond, Ind., Schoop's sold the first burgers for 15 cents apiece, taking in $2000 in the first month. The original menu had burgers, French fries, chili, soup, and pie. Although there have been additions since, these simple items are still the mainstays of the Schoop's menu. In 1959, Schoop's opened a second restaurant in Munster, Ind. Mostly through word of mouth, customers found out about the burger and formed lines along Ridge Road for a chance at one of the 36 seats.