The 1970s Burger Chain Restaurant That Only Has 2 Locations Remaining In Kentucky And Ohio - Tasting Table

"adored for heavily spiced burgers, served medium‑rare only, and a side of similarly seasoned fries. Rumor has it, he was prone to cursing customers who requested ketchup or well‑done meat, insisting that Ollie knew best. Apparently he did, as his customer base included some of the country's most beloved comedians and entertainers, including Dean Martin, Rodney Dangerfield, and Don Rickles, the latter two reportedly garnering material from Oliver's own brash, bold persona."

"Comfortably resting on his burger-fueled laurels was ultimately not Gleichenhaus's fate. It all changed when a man named John Y. Brown Jr. entered the picture decades later in the 1970s. Fresh off making Colonel Sanders famous with the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain, he was ready to do the same with those spicy Ollie burgers. Buying the recipe for $1 million, Brown franchised Ollie's Trolley nationwide in small wooden trolleys - and the rest is retro restaurant chain history."

"There's nostalgic charm to Ollie's Trolley, if only because its two remaining locations are fading slices of Americana. Once a thriving fast-food chain known for the spiced Ollieburger and its bright-red, old-style, trolley-designed structures, it now survives in a couple of stand‑alone spots: in Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio. A third holdout to the chain's demise, a restaurant in Washington DC, closed its doors in December 2023. That's a far cry from the former 100-plus burger trolleys of the 1970s."

Ollie's Trolley began in the 1930s when chef Oliver Gleichenhaus ran a 20-seat sandwich shop in Miami known for heavily spiced burgers served medium-rare and seasoned fries. Gleichenhaus cultivated a loyal clientele including Dean Martin, Rodney Dangerfield, and Don Rickles. In the 1970s John Y. Brown Jr. bought the recipe for $1 million and franchised Ollie's in small wooden trolley-style units, growing to over 100 locations. Surviving locations now include restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, while a Washington, DC location closed in December 2023. Financial and operational pressures tied to business ventures led to the chain's decline.

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