Earlier this week, a fresh coat of paint was given to the building that used to be Mr. Happy Burger at 3131 E. Market St.
On Thursday, signs went up, confirming the arrival of Beef-A-Roo to Logansport. No opening date has been announced, and work is ongoing inside the restaurant.
According to its website, Beef-A-Roo is a “fast-casual restaurant offering classic roast beef, wraps, specialty sandwiches, burgers, chicken and turkey sandwiches, soups and salads, and a selection of heart-healthy foods. Our famous cheese fries are smothered in liquid gold and are a local favorite.”
Mr. Happy Burger, a Logansport staple which had been in operation since 1961, officially closed in November 2023.
Bob Shanks, founder of Mr. Happy Burger, sold his restaurant to a member of the Penguin Point Restaurant Group in 2022.
“I think I’m ready to retire,” Shanks said at the time. “It’s not as easy at 89 years old to get around like I used to. I need to slow down. And we’re tickled to death the way they got it sold. It’s staying Mr. Happy Burger.”
Unfortunately, the restaurant could not remain stable under the new ownership. It struggled to pay employees in December 2022, culminating in workers closing the store early one day that month.
Equity Investment Acquisitions LLC, based out of Dallas, Texas, bought the building for $900,000 in August. In addition to Beef-A-Roo, the firm also owns Penguin Point and several healthcare clinics around the nation.
The first Beef-A-Roo opened in Rockford, Ill. in 1967. Originally owned by Dave DeBruler and Jean Vitale, their children took over in 2007 and sold the company to a private equity firm in 2019.
Beef-A-Roo currently has 17 locations according to its website, with restaurants in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Missouri and Kansas. It’s lone Indiana location is in Lebanon.