Shell's Chicken - Gas Station - Normal, Illinois, USA.
N 40° 29.898 W 088° 59.685
16T E 330967 N 4484977
In 1934, Gus Belt turned his Shell gas station on Main Street, Normal, into a "Steak & Shake" restaurant. The original building on the Mother Road is now a Monical's pizza restaurant. Located alongside historic Route 66 in Normal, Illinois.
Waymark Code: WMTCV8
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 11/03/2016
Views: 1
After 8 years of serving customers Gas on Route 66, at his combination Shell Gas Station & Chicken Restaurant, in Normal, Illinois. Gus decided to focus his business on Steakburgers, & founded Steak & Shake, which now has over 500 restaurants.
History of Shell's Chicken Gas Station:
"Gus Belt (born in Morrisonville, Illinois) founded Steak 'n Shake in Normal, Illinois in February 1934, after serving four years in the United States Marine Corps. He converted the combination gas station and chicken restaurant that he owned (Shell's Chicken) into a hamburger stand. The original building at the intersection of Main Street and West Virginia Avenue was damaged by a fire in the early
1960s, but it was repaired and its dining room expanded. In the late 1990s, Steak 'n Shake sold this building to the Monical's Pizza company.
Steak 'n Shake's slogan "In Sight It Must Be Right" originally referred to Belt's practice of wheeling a barrel of T-bone, sirloin, and round steaks into the public area of his restaurant, then grinding them into burgers in front of his customers. This practice was intended to reassure customers of the wholesomeness of the product; at that time, ground beef was still viewed with some scepticism by the general public, based on the likelihood of its having deliberate impurities introduced into it. This practice of grinding the beef in public also helped assure his customers of the veracity of Belt's "Steakburger" claim because they could see for themselves that he was grinding steaks into the hamburger meat. Later, patrons were assured that Steakburgers were still made from these ingredients "at our own commissary" for shipment to the restaurants, where the open grill line remains "in sight" to customers." Text Source: (
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