King's Food Host

Like some chains of the era, at most King's locations, customers would call their order into the kitchen via tableside phones. Some locations also had car service. Alongside burgers and hot dogs, King's signature innovation was the "Cheese Frenchee", also known as "Frenchies", a batter-dipped, deep-fried cheese sandwich. The Frenchee was also available with tuna salad. Other best-selling items included onion rings, malts, and shakes. As of 2025, versions of the sandwich are still available at Donnie & Millie's and Amigo's/King's Classic locations across Nebraska. == Demise ==

Larry Price had a rigid policy that he would not permit cigarette machines to be installed in King's, because he believed they would encourage minors to smoke, despite this being a common revenue stream for restaurants. By 1971, King's began posting losses due in part to overexpansion, Exacerbating the lost cigarette revenues and overleveraged expansion was the Nixon shock of 1971. Under the temporary policy, suppliers could generally continue to raise prices, but retail prices were fixed for 90 days, leaving restaurants vulnerable to rising input costs. In the wake of the Nixon shock, the 1973-75 recession depressed retail demand just as the debt-burdened King's could least afford it. In 1974, King's new investors filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy, from which it never recovered. == References ==