Paul Bunyan Famous Hamburgers, the burger joint, has stood on this location for at least 70 years, as of 2022. However, it wasn't always Paul Bunyan Famous Hamburgers. It began life as Louie’s In ‘n’ Out, after Louis Ormesher, the founder of Louie’s In ‘n’ Out and has, since its inception, been the second oldest burger stand/drive-in in Coeur d'Alene.
When Louis went to the bank to beg startup money for his new burger stand, the bank told him that Coeur d'Alene already had a drive-in, thank you. But Louis, with $7,200 of his own $300 borrowed from his father, started Louie’s In ‘n’ Out and, by the end of 1952 his drive-in was in great shape, financially speaking. Today, depending entirely on personal tastes, their burgers are rated by some as the best in town, as are their onion rings.
In 1953 the large Paul Bunyan figure was placed in front of the establishment, remaining there until this day. The building itself had become quite run down by the 1990s and so was torn down and a new one built in its place, the metal roofed concrete block building we see today.
In 1963 the business was purchased by Louis' son and daughter-in-law, Gary and Carol Ormesher. It's unknown to us who operates the business today.
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