Broad Street Burger, a perennial fast-food fix for Harrisburg residents, is closing its doors next month, but owner Ed Bautista is already shopping for a new home.
"They plan to demolish the building Oct. 31, so we will have to close down sometime by the middle of October," he said.
The tiny restaurant near Chaffee Park, which has operated under various names since 1953, lies on property acquired last year by the Salvation Army, which is razing or moving many structures in the area to make way for its new Kroc Center.
In all, the Salvation Army has purchased 17 acres in that area and gave Broad Street Burger until "the absolute last moment" to close and vacate the site, said Derek Dugan, the Kroc Center's coordinator.
"This is easily the least popular announcement we will make about the Kroc Center," Mr. Dugan said. "From the beginning, we have said they could stay, rent free, until the last possible minute. That time is here and now we want to be sure that everyone knows to stop by before it closes."
Mr. Bautista hopes to move to someplace close to the original site.
"We're already looking," he said. "A lot of people kept telling us, 'we love your hamburgers' and 'we'll follow you.' There are a lot of people who grew up with this place."
The Kroc Center will be an 85,000-square-foot arts, education, recreation and worship center to be located in the Harrisburg neighborhood.
It has been made available through the gift of Joan Kroc, who, upon her passing, left $1.7 billion to The Salvation Army to build and endow "Kroc Centers" across the nation. Augusta's Kroc Center will be among six such facilities in the South.
Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2010 Morris Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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That used to be the Waterburger.
Stop by before it closes.
This is such a sad development. They may be moving, but those fantastic burgers will never taste the same. Gosh, I'd give ANYTHING for one more (all the way with cheese) and a chocolate shake. That doesn't seem possible, though, since I'm in Lafayette, IN. Mr. Bautista, what would I have to do to get you to ship me just one????
Hillguy-- thats What-a-Burger....
This place is an ICON in the Harrisburg neighborhood. Just thinkin about a burger and rings from this place makes me hungery. I look forward to hearing where the new location will be opened.
The hamburgers haven't tasted the way they use to in a long time. I remember leaving Chaffee Pool and stopping by there.They mixed the salt&pepper into one jar and shredded the lettuce real fine.I also miss Don's Drive-In,that was on Broad St.They had the best seafood platter around.They put a lot of black pepper in the slaw. I still do that.
that place used to put a hurtin' on me bowels before i wised up!
I worked there at the What-a-burger in the 70's somewhere beneath the floor of the walk in cooler should be some notes we would write and drop down through the cracks in the floor.
Those McDonald folks will do anything to get rid of the competition.
Sad to see all the memories of my youth fade away... Pee Wee's restaurant on Monte Sano, The Pig N Whistle, Greens Drive in, What-A-Burger, Monte Sano TV & Appliance, Shrimp Boat, Squeeky's Tip Top, Mr. Giradot's Gulf Station, Kelly's Hamburgers, Saturday Kelly/Pepsi Cartoons & movies, Bwanna John Tarzan movies,Jumpin Jimminy trampolines at Daniel Village, Leblancs clothes, Cullums, Walking around Broad street during Christmas Season, Snappy's Hamburgers,The great dances like the Turkey Trot at Thanksgiving, The Tee Off Wednesday before the start of the Master's...on and on...
AUgustadog that sounds like fun. I wish i was old.
reruns, augustadog lived throught some great times. You should be so lucky.
Augustadog, The TurkeyTrot was just one of the yearly dances put on by a Richmond Academy High School Soriety. I can't remember if it was the Alpha's or Theata's (sp). I was a member of one of the fraternities (Psi Omega Tau) and we also put on several dances a year at the National Guard Armory and Julian Smith Casino. There were also the Phi Beta Chi's and I think the Kappa Gama Roe's. We also sold all kind of items during the school year to go to Daytona at the end of the school year. The girls went to the Bahamas for 3 days and then back to Daytona. GOOD CLEAN TIMES were had by all. No fights, no guns and no drugs. Just beer at the weekend parties at the lake, the Greek church site at Clarks Hill and a really big house in Edgefield County where we would have bands on Friday nights. All that changed after the schools intergrated and the school system said we could no longer have the clubs. I think that is when the Richmond Academy experience changed because there was no one holding activities, selling tickets to the dances and generating school spirit because the dances were all held after high school football, basketball or baseball games. Never forgotten experience.i
Augustadog the mention of all those places sure bring back childhood memories. My sister worked at What-A-Burger in the early 60's and brought home burgers a lot. I liked the salt/pepper mix as well and the diced onions. When we visit Augusta we sometimes go by there for a burger but it's just not the same. I too have lived away from Augusta for 25+yrs.
It's really sad what folks have done to Augusta............
What folks?
I think I would rather have a burger place then the Kroc Center
Since the Kroc Center has ties to the founder of McDonald's, Ray Kroc, they should leave it alone and remodel it to look like the original McDonald's, and rename it the Broad Street Mac.
I remember walking from the Boy's Club in the late 70's to get a What a burger and onion rings. Take it all back to Division St. and buy a Dr. Pepper. That was the Best deal in town. Those were the days.
There are still great places to eat in and around Augusta, Hildebrandt's Grocery and Deli, The Sportscenter on Broad St., Villa Europa, Luigi's on Broad, The SnoCap Drive In in N. Augusta, Village Deli in Daniel Village, Augsburg Haus, Country Boys Cooking in Burke County,Guiseppe's Pizza on Wheeler Rd.
There was also a What-A-Burger on Milledgeville Road,but it changed management years ago and was not the same at all.We also use to have James Brown dance shows at The Bell,and two teentowns one for South Augusta and one for the rest of Augusta.It was a much simpler time and so much fun,you younger people will never know the joy of those early 50's and the birth of Rock N Roll,but I guess you have your things too,but I sure do miss those times.
There used to be a place on Broad near the old "Sky City" my mom would take me there to get a hot dog, they had a big RC Cola sign out side...gosh wish I could remember the name of that place..soo good, we would sit at the bar and enjoy the best hot dog around
That just about leaves the Delta Sandwich Shop as one of the few places left that are like a timewarp here, well you know except for the entire town of Augusta being a timewarp.
I'm with you BamaFanNGa,, I remember Division St well and getting to What-A- Burger. Later years i was driving in with my 57 chevy. I would drive thru Don's Drive In eating my What-A-Burger. lol
What -a -burgers hmmm good and also gas ws 19 cent. So long ago the keyboard does not have a cent sign key.
wahhhh, ya'll are killing me!! I'd love so much to have a what - a-burger. I am going to have to see if I can get to brunswick soon to get one, these imitators around here can't compare!! I pray they are as heavenly as they used to be!!! LOL
TakeAstand, You telling us that don't have good burgers in Texas? I use to thing Burger King would be the same as the old What a burger but no way does it come close.
actually 2B, I just seen they have what a burgers closer by now, last I checked online, texas was the only location they gave an address to a few years ago. How did you get I think there are no good burgers in Texas out of that??? I said I don't want to have to drive there to get one!!!!!
Hmmm, I could have swore I saw u say drive to TX. oh well , never mind. I read it wrong and thought you were in TX and wanted to come to Augusta to eat a What a burger...My BAD!. THis Whata Burger was not a chain that I know of. was a private business. At one time was the best burger in town.But was not a lot of fast foods either in that time.
Yes I did, I said I don't want to have to drive to Texas to get a what a burger cuz these imitators around here don't cut it!! LOL. I changed my post before I saw your post. I went to the site and now they show all the what a burger locations and the closet one here is brunswick. We have been planning to go to tybee anyways so we may just have to stop in and get a burger. I know what you mean about back then though, it was one of the few. It was the best!!! I hope they are as good as I remember them, but probably not!!! LOL