Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries

Kenney Moore opened the first restaurant in 1991 in the Berkeley Mall in Goldsboro, North Carolina, under the name Andy’s Cheesesteaks and Cheeseburgers. He started with $500 and equipment financed by its owners, took over three more closed restaurants and was soon $30,000 in debt to his food supplier, before switching to franchising and spreading across eastern North Carolina.

In February 2012, ready to expand beyond the state and wary of clashing with other restaurants called Andy’s, the chain renamed itself after North Carolina Highway 55, and many branches were painted with a mural map of its route. The first restaurant outside the state opened in Myrtle Beach that May, and an attempt in Abu Dhabi in 2014 did not last. By 2022 there were 108 restaurants in nine states, 81 of them in North Carolina. The parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the end of 2024, with restaurants staying open.

The restaurants look like 1950s diners in pink and teal, with open kitchens. The menu is Carolina diner food: fresh hand-pattied burgers on steamed buns, the local chili-and-slaw style, pimento cheese, a fried shrimp burger, Philly-style cheesesteaks, and frozen custard for shakes and concretes.

About a hundred restaurants, most of them in North Carolina, with others across the Southeast.

• Original Tommy's (United States, since 1946). The Los Angeles chili burger stand so famous it has dozens of imitators. Also built on beef, chili and cheese.
• Big Smoke Burger (Canada, since 2007). Toronto’s burger-and-poutine joint, named after the city’s nickname. Also built on beef, bacon and cheese.
• Nation's Giant Hamburgers (United States, since 1952). The East Bay diner chain known for giant burgers and pie. Also built on beef, bacon and cheese.
• Five Guys (United States, since 1986). Every burger is a double unless you say otherwise, and the toppings are free. Also built on beef, bacon and cheese.