email: roadarch@outlook.com

Missouri Eateries (page 1)

(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)

former Hen House Restaurant
Bourbon, MO
2012: 2024:
The Hen House Restaurant chain was established in 1969 and at one time had 42 locations in five states. This location now houses Figo's Mexican Barn. [map]

Ray's Diner
Excelsior Springs, MO		 Whisler's
Carthage, MO
Whisler's opened in 1953. The white building was painted to look barn-like sometime after 2016. For more, see this website. [map]

Ray's Diner was established in 1932. It moved to this location in 1942. This sign may be from 1944. [map]

Independence:
Novella's Soup Trolley

former Colonel's Pancake House [gone]
Joplin, MO
The Colonel's Pancake House opened around 1960. The building was painted green in 2008. It appears from the faded paint behind the Colonel character that this restaurant was originally known by another name beginning with "W". Could this have been a Waid's at one time? These photos are from 2010. Between 2012 and 2014, the building was repainted grey. The rooftop sign was repainted black. The upper panel on the pole sign is now backlit plastic while the lower panel is now a message board. By 2016, the building housed a Mexican restaurant and the signs had been repainted. In 2023, the pole was hit by a car and the sign crashed to the ground. Later that year, the structure in front was demolished and the rooftop sign was also gone.

Waid's Restaurant [gone]
Kansas City, MO
Waid's Restaurant opened their first location in 1953. In 2006, this location became "Poco's Mexican" and the sign was removed. The toaster collection is also gone. I don't know how many locations Waid's had, but there seem to be only a couple left now around Kansas City. I don't believe there are any signs like this left. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Winstead's Restaurant
Kansas City, MO
Winstead's Restaurant [gone]
Blue Springs, MO
Winstead's Restaurant began selling steakburgers and frosties (malts) at this Kansas City still-operating location in 1940. For more, see this website. [map]

I believe the Blue Springs location was from the 1980s or so, built in the style of the original location. That location closed in 2018 and was demolished in 2021. Other modern locations were built in the Kansas City area but I believe the only one still operating is in Overland Park, KS. It was built in 1989.

Town Topic Sandwich Shop
Broadway
Kansas City, MO

Town Topic Sandwich Shop
Baltimore Ave.
Kansas City, MO

Finish Line Cafe
Kansas City, MO
2012: 2024:
The Town Topic Sandwich Shop, aka Town Topic Hamburgers, has two locations just a few blocks apart. The original location which is gone now opened in 1937. The signs were designed by Noel Barnes of Signs, Inc. Both of these remaining locations are open 24 hours and have been around since at least the 1950s. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

The building at the Broadway location originally housed Eat-Moore Hamburgers. It began housing a Town Topic in 1944. [map]

The Baltimore Ave. location was built in 1950. [map]

The Finish Line Cafe was built as a Town Topic in 1967. It was still operating in 1975. It had closed by 2017 and remains vacant. [map]

There was a more modern location in Mission, KS which was originally known as Whopper Burger. It now houses the Snack Shack.

Missouri
(page 2)		 Missouri
Drive-ins		 Missouri
Ice Cream		 Eateries Main Page