By Curt Hodges
Jonesboro Sun Staff Writer
Jonesboro — For 80 years in newspaper comics and for decades in cartoons, J. Wellington Wimpy from “Popeye” has been telling people, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”
Northeast Arkansas residents will soon be able to get the hamburger of Wimpy’s dreams, said Todd Gambil, manager of the soon-to-be-opened Wimpy’s Burgers and Fries, 2610 Stadium Blvd., between Ridout Lumber and LongHorn Steakhouse. The new restaurant is set to open in early February, he said.
Wimpy’s Burgers & Fries is a new franchise owned by Fred and Cliff Mehler of Southaven and Olive Branch, Mississippi, which has its pilot restaurant in Southaven and another in Conway. The Jonesboro restaurant will be the third — but not the last, said Fred Mehler, who has been hands-on in converting the former used car facility into a restaurant.
“We found the location we wanted but not the building that we wanted,” Mehler said. So with the help of an architect and Mehler’s own talents, the used car lot office building is being changed to suit the needs of food service.
“It’s going to be great, I promise that,” Gambill said. “We’re a short chain working to become a long chain.”
Gambill, who grew up at Brookland and graduated from Jonesboro High School, said he has extensive experience in restaurants, including fast food. “I’m culinary by trade and have done every job in a restaurant,” the manager said.
There will be seating for more than 90, Gambill said, with comfortable, inviting decor Mehler himself has designed and is creating.
Galvanized tin roofing sheets and decorative pressed tin have become exquisite wall coverings after being stained to look like oil-rubbed copper and brass. Stained wood and bright colors cover the walls and cabinets, and a black ceiling hides recessed lighting that contrasts with two large ceiling fans.
“We will have a combination of booths and table seating,” Gambill said.
Wimpy’s will feature fresh, never frozen hamburger meat and Wimpy’s challenge, a 4-pound burger with a pound of french fries and a 24oz milkshake that will be free if consumed within one hour. He said a student at the University of Central Arkansas at one at the Conway restaurant in 27 minutes, so “the gauntlet has been thrown down.”
Despite the name, Wimpy’s is not just hamburgers and fries, Gambill said. The restaurant serves Philly steak and Philly chicken steak sandwiches, grilled chicken, salads, chicken strips and popcorn chicken for the kids.
“We make our own battered and fried pickles,” he said. The restaurant also features “bats and balls,” which are breaded and fried Monterey cheese “bats and cheddar balls as appetizers. There are also french fried sweet potato sticks.
“We consider ourselves ‘quick service,’ not fast food,” Gambill said.”Nothing is started until an order is placed, so if you order at the drive-through, you may have to wait a few minutes.”
The restaurant also has it’s own sourdough buns, which are lightly toasted before served. They even mix their own ranch, honey mustard and other sauces, he said.
With more than 20 toppings for their burgers, Gambill said customers can literally make a meal in a bun if they desire.
Each patty is 5.5oz, and burgers are available as single, double, and triple patties.
The restaurant will feature senior citizen discounts, beginning at age 55. ASU students with student identification, will receive 40% off their meal costs after 5pm each Tuesday.
