LOGANSPORT, Ind. — A restaurant that has been a fixture in Logansport for over 60 years will live on after a sale.
(NOTE: The video in the player above is from a 2015 "Only In Indiana" story about Mr. Happy Burger.)
Bob Shanks founded Mr. Happy Burger in November 1961 in response to the rise of fast food restaurants. According to our partners at the Pharos-Tribune, the Shanks sold his restaurant last week to Pat Hilton, CEO of the Penguin Point Restaurant Group, and plans to retire.
"It’s not as easy at 89 years old to get around like I used to. I need to slow down. And we’re tickled to death the way they got it sold. It’s staying Mr. Happy Burger," he told the newspaper.
Hilton said his initial plan was to turn the restaurant into another Penguin Point location, the 17th in the northern part of the state, but changed his mind after speaking with Shanks.
"The reason it needed to stay Mr. Happy Burger is, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it," Hilton told the Pharos-Tribune. "But it’s also way deeper than that. Logansport needs Mr. Happy Burger forever. For me to be a small part of keeping it here is an honor."
RELATED: Read more from the Pharos-Tribune
13News visited Mr. Happy Burger in 2015 as part of Kevin Rader's "Only In Indiana" series. Customers at the restaurant that day commented on Shanks' personality as he greeted every guest who came through the door.
"He's a man of faith," said one customer.
"He's always impressed me," said another.
Even if ownership of the iconic restaurant is changing, the family behind its success will still play a role in its future.
The Pharos-Tribune reported Shanks' daughter, Becky Partin, will continue as the restaurant's manager, and two other daughters, Emy Bridge and Sherry VanSoest, will assist Hilton during the transition period next spring.
"It is such a relief," VanSoest told the newspaper. "I don’t know how the community would have accepted Mr. Happy Burger not being there. God worked things out. This transition is going to go well."
While Hilton said he does plan some changes to update the restaurant, including a website and delivery options, a lot will remain the same. The restaurant will still be closed on Sundays and keep the current staff and menu.
Even the life-sized steer that stands in front of the restaurant is staying.
As for Shanks, he has an open invitation to stop by for a free meal anytime. Hilton said he also hopes to learn more about the history of Mr. Happy Burger and Shanks' long history of giving back to the community.
"As honored as we are, there’s a lot of pressure," Hilton said. "It’s big shoes to fill."
