LOVEY YANCEY, 96
Founder of the Fatburger Chain of restaurants, a popular postwar LA hamburger stand."I settle don the hamburger because they were the the fast-selling sandwich of America." he partnered with Charles Simpson and used scrap materials to build a 3-stoll hamburger stand stand on Western Avenue near Jefferson Avenue. Opened 1947 and was called Mr. Fatburger because of its size with everything on it. In 1952, he bought out his partner and dropped the Mr.
In a 1985 interview, he said, "I worked 16, 17 and 18 hours a day behind the counter, seven days a week. I'd come home, catch a few hours of sleep and start all over again."
Originally, Fatburger was not an all-night place, but third shoft workers wanted it.
In 1973, he opened a Fatburger on La Cienga Blvd. in Beverly Hills and it quickly became a celebrity favorite.
Fatburger has been included in songs, movies and TV shows. Lamont is going out for one in an episode of "Sanford and Son." It was in the film "The Fast and the Furious" and IceCube sang about it in "It was a Good Day."
I'm not sure that I've ever had one, but it sure got my mouth to watering. There are definitely none here in northern Illinois.
Jan. 26th LA Times, by Dennis McLellan.
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