Making a Home
A Community in Conflict
Working for a Living
Farming in the Great Corn Belt
Abraham Lincoln in McLean County
Entertaining

Food on the Run

Food service workers, whether cooks, wait staff, processors, or delivery or management personnel, all helped feed hungry residents, as well as travelers.

Featuring:

Warren Miller, (1926 – 1991), Steak 'n Shake worker

Warren Miller (1926-1991) began work at Steak 'n Shake in 1947 at the age of 21. His job was to load a truck at the Bloomington commissary with supplies that he delivered to Bloomington-Normal’s restaurants.

Soon Warren was also making deliveries to 18 other restaurants across Illinois and Indiana.

Warren liked delivery work, but eventually got tired of driving and joined the office staff as a manager.

He retired in 1972.

Grainy black and white photo of a light-skinned man in a light suit jacket and dark tie. He is sitting at a desk holding a pencil to paper. He is smiling and looking at the camera.

Warren Miller

Grainy black and white photo of a light-skinned man in a light suit jacket and dark tie. He is sitting at a desk holding a pencil to paper. He is smiling and looking at the camera.
7 people are in a room with industrial equipment and stainless steel tables. In the foreground there are 4 light-skinned men wearing white clothing and white aprons and it appears they are extruding meat into plastic bags. They are all wearing paper hats with the Steak n Shake logo and name. On the left side of the image are two huge containers filled with ground beef. You can see a shovel actively pouring meat from one container to the next.

Steak 'n Shake’s commissary on West Washington Street (pictured above in 1957) was where meat was butchered, ground into burger, and then packaged for delivery to the restaurants.

7 people are in a room with industrial equipment and stainless steel tables. In the foreground there are 4 light-skinned men wearing white clothing and white aprons and it appears they are extruding meat into plastic bags. They are all wearing paper hats with the Steak n Shake logo and name. On the left side of the image are two huge containers filled with ground beef. You can see a shovel actively pouring meat from one container to the next.

Curb service was a popular way to deliver fast food up until the 1980s. Carhops came to the customer’s car to take their order, often wearing roller skates. When the food was ready, they brought it to the car on a tray that clipped on the automobile’s rolled down window. Hungry customers then ate their meal in their car.

Steak n Shake menu, listing the locations of Steak n Shakes as well as their food offerings. First listing is the Cheeseburger Lunch, for 60 cents. A root beer was 10 cents. Their chili was 20 cents.

Steak 'n Shake menu, circa 1945.

Steak n Shake menu, listing the locations of Steak n Shakes as well as their food offerings. First listing is the Cheeseburger Lunch, for 60 cents. A root beer was 10 cents. Their chili was 20 cents.

Steak 'n Shake carhop serving tray, coffee mug, saucer, glass bowl, and order pad, circa 1965

View this object in Matterport

Donated by: Amy Miller (tray, coffee mug, saucer, bowl, and order pad) and Martin Wyckoff (glass)
2014.97.12, 09, 10, 11, 08; 848.436

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