RIP Bill Kenney, Roanoke’s original burger king
For those who have not yet read it, I’d like to direct your attention to a nice news obituary for burger chain founder William “Bill” Kenney Sr. of Roanoke County. This obit was written by my colleague, Jordan Fifer.
Please feel free to share your fond memories of Mr. Kenney and his businesses here on the Fridge Magnet blog.
As far as I know, Kenney burgers are still available at Zorba’s Small World Cafe near the intersection of Lynchburg Turnpike and U.S. 419.
According to Jordan’s story, there are still Kenney burger restaurants in Buena Vista and Lexington. If you know of another place to get a Kenney burger these days, let us know.
Burger chain founder Bill Kenney dies at 91
By Jordan Fifer
The Roanoke Times
Some say it was the secret sauce. Others say it was the classic decor of the restaurants. Still others loved the whole combination — the messy, greasy deliciousness that was a Kenney’s burger.
The man credited with creating that phenomenon and launching a generation of fast-food-loving diners in Southwest Virginia died Monday.
William “Bill” Kenney Sr., of Roanoke County, was 91.
As a 37-year-old franchisee, Kenney opened a Biff Burger Drive-In in 1958 on Williamson Road in Roanoke — one of the first fast-food restaurants to be established in the area at a time when McDonald’s was only just getting its start. He went on to open several Biff Burgers in the region in the late ’50s and early ’60s.
Kenney learned from the Biff Burger franchise and replicated that style in his own restaurants. In 1962, the Biff Burger locations in Southwest Virginia changed their name to Kenney Burger Drive-Ins, simply referred to as Kenney’s. The burgers there, like at Biff Burger, were known for the secret sauce into which patties were dipped that kept customers coming back.
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July 18, 2012 - 10:41 AM
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Great article but no mention of his start in the business in Radford. Kenney burgers are still served at R&R Market on Wadsworth St. in Radford as well. They just go by R&R burgers. His Kenney Burger restaurant is still standing in West End beside Sal’s and, although it’s long been empty, the classic design is still there.
I’ll just post a link to my earlier comments…
http://blogs.roanoke.com/fridgemagnet/2012/07/front-burner-cool-healthy-summer-meals/#comment-41411
Kenney was a pioneer of SW Va, and his restaurants were a part of childhood for many of us. It might be hard for some to imagine, but back in the day, people didn’t eat fast food all the time. Back then, it was actually a treat, as opposed to merely being a way to kill hunger.
I still remember the novelty of the original Salem Wendy’s and their square hamburgers, old school tables, and salad bars. Still, I loved Kenney’s, probably because of their local vibe and their special sauce, which wasn’t really that secretively special, but is nostalgic, certainly.
I’ll miss falling prey to him every time he was hawking his sauce at the local supermarkets. I never could say no, especially knowing that all the procedes were going to Habitat for Humanity. I remember his passion for Habitat, as he told me how many thousands of pounds of aluminum cans he had collected over the years that he recyled for the Habitats benefit. He was an inspiration!
There is one more original Kenney’s location still open, Lynchburg. That is where the photo accompanying this story was taken.
As noted here on our Salem community news site, you can still get a “sauce burger” at Bobbie Joe’s, aka Zorba’s, in Salem on Lynchburg Turnpike:
http://blogs.roanoke.com/sosalem/2012/07/you-can-still-get-a-kenney-burger-in-salem/
While I go for the lamb kabob or the “Leave it to Zorba,” I’ve been there many times when regulars ask for a “sauce burger.”
It seems like there is a Kenney’s still open somewhere up in the Lexington or Staunton region. Not part of the chain any longer, but they negotiated some sort of buyout and kept the name, IIRC. That’s been a few (4-5) years ago, so it might be closed now. Considering the recession, you never know. I know the owner was near retirement age at that time.
I was a member of the Kenneys birthday club in Galax. Every year on my birthday I got a free meal. That Kenneys was still open in the early 1990s but, sadly, has closed.
I am sure I had a Kenneys coloring book or pages at some point. I vividly remember the logo of the long, tall kid in the really, really tiny car.
Yes, R&R Market in Radford has “sauce burgers,” as well as some fantastic pressure-fried chicken (oh, my cholesterol!) and even deep-fried biscuits!
I happened to be in Lynchburg today and passed right by Kenneys. I had a Doozie and fries in Mr. Kenney’s honor.
Thanks for posting. We loved Mr. Kenney, even without meeting him. I don’t know how I survive losing Bob Slaughter, Mr. Kenney, and Andy Griffith all in the same year.
Kenny’s was a treat for our family. With five children in the 60′s my mother and Dad didnt spend money “out” for meals so we were thrilled to get a kenny burger,fries and drink after church!!
I later became friends with Paige Kenny, Bill K. was a good man and way ahead of his time.
My husband and I were just sharing memories of Kenney’s and we would be remiss to leave out the infamous balloon! It was half the fun of going as a little kid…the “Kenney guy” in the car on the cool shaped balloon.
BILL KENNEY WAS A TRUE CHRISTIAN, WITH NO REFERENCE TO HIS FAITH MENTIONED IN THE NEWS OF HIS DEATH. I WAS ON CHURCH BOARDS, AND DIFFERENT COMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS WITH BILL. HE GAVE HIS TIME, MONEY, AND WORKS VERY GENEROUSLY FOR MANY YEARS WHILE A MEMBER OF OAK GROVE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN. ONE ONLY HAS TO VISIT AND LOOK AT THE PEW BIBLES, WHICH WERE GIVEN (BY BILL ) IN MEMORY OF HIS YOUNGEST DAUGHTER CHERYL, WHO WAS MURDERED IN HE EIGHTIES, WITH THE MURDERER’S IDENITY YET TO BE REVEALED.I TALKED WITH BILL AND CONNIE LAST WEEK AT THE K & W CAFE AT (TANGLEWOOD ) HE WAS HIS USUAL KIND, CARING, AND JOVIAL SELF. HE WILL BE MISSED IN THE ROANOKE AREA. GOOD BYE BILL.
Bill and I were in the Kiwanis together; I asked him one time why he closed the business…………he answered succinctly, ” I couldn’t find people that knew how to cook a hamburger”. He was one of a kind!
@Sarah, it *has* been a bad year for losing folks. My colleague, Tad Dickens, was just talking about how many musicians have passed away this year, too. It’s a bummer.
Thanks everybody for your comments. To reiterate, there are still places to get Kenney burgers in Lexington, Lynchburg, Buena Vista and Roanoke/Salem (Zorba’s).
I first met Bill when I rented one side of the duplex he and his lovely wife Connie live in. Little did I know at the time that this would be the start of a long and endearing friendship with the Kenney’s but also with Connie’s daughter Ronna and her husband Wayne. I moved in as a single man and stayed for seven years until I married my wife Rikky. We bought a house not far from that duplex and our friendship continued to grow as we often had Bill and Connie to our home for dinner and fellowship. We celebrated Bill’s 90th birthday with a lovely trip to the Peaks of Otter lodge for dinner and a walk around the lake. Even at 91 Bill was spry and active! He played golf 2 or 3 times a week and told me he would teach me how to play even though I’m in my 60′s.(He thought of me as a young guy.)
Bill was a character like no other! He had a wonderful sense of humor and loved to tell detailed stories of his past and of his world travels. We never grew tired of hearing about Bill’s remarkable life. Bill was also a generous man, who donated time and money to Habitat for Humanity. He picked up tons of aluminum cans and sold Kenney sauce where ever he could so he could give the proceeds to Habitat. Bill was a Christian in the true sense of the word. He was kind and generous and filled with a God driven purpose in life. He truely will be missed by those that knew him and loved him.
May Bill Kenney, owner of Kenney Burgers in Virginia, rest in peace. He gave me my first job at the Kenney Burger on Orange Avenue in Roanoke in 1965. I worked there during the summer before starting my Senior year in high school. I definitely remember dipping those burgers in the “special sauce” and ate a many of them. The pressure fried chicken and the rolls dropped in hot oil were my favorites, too. One morning no one showed up with a key, and being skinny me back then, I was able to crawl through the tiny serving window to get inside and open the door for everyone to come to work. Do you think the sight of that would have made it on “America’s Funniest Videos” and won $10,000?
I can see Mr. Kenney laughing at it now.
I remember the fried chicken and biscuits. They were good!
We loved those deep-fried biscuits with honey; yum!
There are still 2 Kenney’s located in Buena Vista and Lexington. Both still serve those great sauce burgers, chicken, Big K’s and of course the deep fried biscuits. Kenney’s was the high school hangout growing up in BV and oh the great times. I last ran into Bill at the BV Kenney’s and will sure miss him. He had stoppedin to see if the original owners of that location were there which they weren’t as there daughter and son-in-law now run it. RIP Bill
When I was little i remember going to the Kenny Burger on 460, orange ave. after church and getting chicken dinners and burgers. I also went to the one on Williamson Rd. after going to dance at the Preston park center when I was in Middle school always very good!
I thrived on Kinney burgers while at U.VA. in the early 60s. Someone mentioned the sauce being sold for fund raising. Is any still available?
This past Christmas, my mother purchased a pint of the famous Kenney sauce for me. I agree with the post above (7/12 by crooked road). It was a genuine TREAT to eat at his restaurant as a small child. My usual would have been his hamburger loaded with extra sauce, fries, and the biscuit piled with honey. Oh – I think I may have had some form of a Coke too.
When I recently opened this jar of sauce, I prayed it would taste similar to the original Kenney recipe. It was exactly ON POINT! It is sitting on the top shelf in my refrigerator….whenever I open the door, there sits a piece of my childhood – staring back at me (then comes the flood of memories). I LOVE YOU, MR. KENNEY. May God’s face shine upon you forever. Your friend and long time admirer – Betty