Preservation Online, which is published by the National Trust of Historic Preservation, reports that the historic and distinctive-looking Beef Barrel Burger restaurant in Amarillo, Texas, closed about a month ago.
Owner Bill Fischer, whose father-in-law, F.E. Waller, bought the barrel-shaped building in 1947, said high energy bills, food prices, and competition from fast-food eateries forced him to close the restaurant.
Originally an A&W Root Beer drive-in, the building was moved several times.
Fischer wants to repair or replace some equipment and possibly repair the neon sign before he reopens-improvements that will cost less than $10,000, says Wes Reeves, president of Amarillo Historical Preservation Foundation.
“We’re going to talk to him about some low-interest loans and possibly some marketing support,” Reeves says. But the barrel’s location, “off the beaten path,” he says, makes it hard to run a profitable burger joint. “We’re not a real pedestrian-friendly town.”
Here are more photos of the Beef Burger Barrel.
According to this article in the Amarillo Globe-News, the Beef Burger Barrel was at Amarillo Boulevard (Route 66) and Hayes Street in 1947. The restaurant, which moved several times, was started in 1937. It wound up at 3102 Plains Blvd. in 1952 and stayed there until its closing.
At least one Web site is trying to find a way to reopen the restaurant and make it financially viable again. Some of the proposals:
- Move it downtown, near its original location near 10th and Polk. The Polk Avenue district has a lively nightclub scene.
- Move it onto Route 66. “History buffs and architectural historians recognize the Barrel as an outstanding example of roadside architecture from an era the Interstate Age unfortunately left in the rearview mirror. Check out the setting in the movie “Cars” – how can we let something as nifty as the Barrel be sent to the junk yard?”
- Move it to the Cadillac Ranch. “Hundreds of cars stop there every day, and there’s no refreshment available. Moving the barrel to Stanley Marsh’s landmark would create a photographic utopia for tourists and one not too far away for locals.”
The last two seem like good ideas. Let’s hope something can be accomplished.