In the late 1950s William Preston “Bill” Owens and his wife, Loretta, were running the A & W Drive-In on East 30th Avenue in Hutchinson, Kansas, when opportunity came knocking in the form of a vacant restaurant building nearby, at 1808 North Plum Street, just east of the Kansas State Fairgrounds. George and Lucille Hooper had opened Hooper’s Drive-In Restaurant there in 1953, but it never really took off and closed after about a five-year run.
Owens had in mind a sit-down establishment, not just a drive-in, and in 1960, following a complete remodeling of the building, he and Loretta opened the Red Rooster Restaurant—first, on May 6, for carry-out chicken and shrimp boxes, and then, on July 14, for service in the “Fireside Dining Room,” where all-you-can-eat family-style chicken dinners were just $2.25. “It’s the same pan-fried chicken we have served the past two years at the A & W Drive-In,” Bill Owens explained to a reporter for the local newspaper, but other specialties included shrimp and U.S. Choice dry-aged steaks along with house-made soups, breads, pastries, and ice cream. Lunches at the Red Rooster were 80 cents to 95 cents. The restaurant’s slogan was—naturally—“Something to Crow About.”
Business was so good that by 1963 Owens decided to expand and remodel the restaurant. A new banquet room debuted the following year, but not long after that, in 1965, Owens decided to sell the Red Rooster to Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Konkel, the owners of Konkel’s Cafe in Great Bend, Kansas, and retire from the restaurant business. He announced plans to open a drive-through automated car wash—a newfangled concept at the time.
Things with the Konkels evidently didn’t work out, however, as by 1971 Owens was back at the helm of the Red Rooster, bringing on his son, Carl, to help manage the restaurant. In 1973, when Owens again retired (this time for good), Carl and his wife, Janette, took over. Loretta Owens died the same year at age 67.
The Red Rooster closed in 1979, to be followed by Randy’s Restaurant, Pancake Palace, and, in time, a hair salon, roofing business, and, most recently, The Rusty Needle Sports Bar and Lounge.
Bill Owens died in 2007 at age 98.
Bulgur Pecan Pie
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Loading...In 1965 the Kansas Wheat Commission and the Farmers Cooperative Commission Company of Hutchinson, Kansas, joined forces to introduce new products made from bulgur (wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried, and cracked into smaller pieces) under the “Treat-O-Wheat” brand name. The Red Rooster pitched in by developing some new recipes for the new products, including this pecan-pie variation.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup coarse bulgur
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the vegetable oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and salt, whisking until well combined. Stir in the bulgur and pecans.
Pour the filling into the pie shell, spreading it evenly.
Place the pie in the oven and bake until the top is lightly browned and set, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Allow the pie to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature. For added indulgence, top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if desired.
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