Vintage photos show what it was like to eat at Burger King in the 1980s

The first iteration of Burger King was called Insta-Burger King and opened to the public in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1953. But the company says the first real Burger King opened a year later.

By the 1980s, the chain had opened 2,000 restaurants and had expanded to every state, FLAME magazine, a publication for Burger King’s franchisees, reported in 2004. By 1986, the company had 4,743 restaurants, including locations in 25 countries, per the timeline.

As the above photo shows, an early version of the Burger King logo featured curved letters sandwiched between two yellow buns. The chain is now using a very similar logo that embodies the same nostalgic, vintage feel. 

Drive-thrus, which the company introduced in 1975, have proven essential to the success of fast-food chains.

By 1987, drive-thrus were responsible for 60% of sales in the fast-food industry.

In 1982, Burger King’s drive-thru lanes started offering “late-night” service, according to the company timeline in FLAME magazine.

By 1985, customers could also grab their own drinks from self-service machines.

While Burger King’s brand identity hasn’t changed drastically since the 1980s, its menu has been updated.

While many menu items, such as the Whopper, fries, and burgers that customers could customize and “have it your way,” are still on the menu, Burger King restaurants in the 1980s also had a customizable salad bar, according to a vintage photo posted on X.

Burger King’s uniforms have changed drastically during the chain’s lifetime.

In the 1980s, the brand started experimenting with plaid, stripes, and baseball caps to give a relaxed, approachable feel.

In this image from 1983, Burger King University dean Al Jesness shows an employee how to fill a soft drink cup.

As the company grew, Burger King’s managers were trained at the Miami-based university “to learn the holy grail of the perfect burger,” UPI reported in 1983.