Meatheads Burgers & Fries

Ghost Corp Apparel — resurrecting iconic corporate ghosts.

Meatheads Burgers & Fries began in Bloomington, Illinois, in 2007, created by former Potbelly executive Tom Jednorowicz and real-estate entrepreneur Doug Reichl. The fast-casual chain built its name on cooked-to-order Angus burgers, milkshakes, hot dogs, and fries cut fresh from Idaho potatoes—the sort of wonderfully unnecessary bit of theater that made lunch feel important.

After entering the Chicago market in 2009, Meatheads expanded across Chicagoland and central Illinois. It had 17 locations by October 2016, while its corporate identity was associated with Chicago. Unlike plenty of chain competitors, Meatheads initially stuck to company-owned restaurants rather than going all-in on franchising. More burgers, fewer binders: a respectable operating philosophy.

The original partners sold the business to Crave Brands, LLC in 2019. Meathead Restaurants, LLC, doing business as Meatheads Burgers & Fries, and Crave Brands filed for Chapter 11 protection on April 9, 2021. In September 2023, Epic Burger acquired the remaining Meatheads restaurants from the lender, with plans to convert the locations under the Epic Burger banner.

Our Meatheads Burgers & Fries collection celebrates the black-and-red burger-joint energy of an Illinois original: hand-cut fries, college-town runs, suburban drive-thrus, and a chain name with exactly the right amount of swagger. Corporate history may be well done, but the memories are still juicy.