Maid-Rite is an American casual dining franchise restaurant chain. Before it became a restaurant chain, it was a single restaurant, opened in 1926 by Fred Angell. By the end of the 1920s, four franchises were granted; these four restaurants are still in operation.
There is some conjecture about the first Maid-Rite, as the Maid-Rite in Springfield, IL states it was opened in 1924. This Maid-Rite is not listed as a franchise according to the company history or current locations. The Springfield, IL Maid-Rite also claims to be the first ever drive-through, and was built in a retired railroad caboose, which is still a part of their building as of April 2025.
Maid-Rite Corporation's CEO and president is Bradley L. Burt. The corporate headquarters are located in Des Moines, Iowa. As of August 2025, Maid-Rite had 25 locations in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Missouri. The Quincy, Illinois, location was featured in the Food Network show Feasting on Asphalt.
History
Fred Angell was a butcher in Muscatine, Iowa, who combined a special cut and grind of meat with a selected set of spices and created the Maid-Rite sandwich, which is not a traditional hamburger. Rather, it is called a "loose meat" sandwich. While the component meat is similar, the Maid-Rite sandwich's meat is not formed into a patty, making it similar to a