| Swensons Drive In Restaurants | |
| Type: | Private |
| Foundation: | in Akron, Ohio |
| Location: | Akron, Ohio |
| Founders: | Wesley T. "Pop" Swenson |
| Industry: | Fast Food |
| Products: | Burgers |
| Area Served: | Greater Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Youngstown, Ohio as well as Greater Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Locations: | 20 (2023) |
| Num Employees: | 800 |
Swensons Drive-In is an Ohio and Indiana drive-in restaurant chain with locations in the Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Youngstown areas, along with the Indianapolis area. Swensons' signature hamburger is the Galley Boy, a double cheeseburger prepared using two sauces,[1] [2] and the restaurant also purveys 18 different milkshakes.[1]
Wesley T. "Pop" Swenson started selling hamburgers at Buchtel High School out of a station wagon in 1933. In 1934, he opened a restaurant on South Hawkins Avenue in Akron, near West Market Street. Swenson sold the restaurant in 1949 to Robert Phillips, who began expansion in 1952 with a second location in North Akron on East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue.[3] Other locations include Stow (1987), Montrose (1995), Jackson Township (1996), Seven Hills (2001), North Canton (2003), University Heights (2017), North Olmsted (2018), Avon (2018) and Willoughby (July 2021[4]).[5] [6] Expansion of the chain into the Columbus area is complete with locations in Dublin, New Albany, Columbus, and Hilliard.[7] [8] Swensons expanded to Indiana, opening in Avon in February 2023.
On an episode of The Food Network's series Food Feuds entitled Beef Feuds, Swensons was pitted against the Skyway drive-in in the Akron suburb of Fairlawn for best double cheeseburger in the Akron area.[10] Celebrity fans include Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney, actor Matt Lanter, and basketball player LeBron James.[11]