Wes Hall & Minute Man

Little Rock native Wes Hall founded the iconic fast food chain Minute Man, which at its peak boasted 57 restaurants in Arkansas and seven surrounding states. Minute Man was a pioneer on the fast food landscape, and its legacy is plain to see in food franchises across the country.

Little Rock native Wes Hall founded the iconic fast food chain Minute Man, which at its peak boasted 57 restaurants in Arkansas and seven surrounding states.  Minute Man was a pioneer on the fast food landscape, and its legacy is plain to see in food franchises across the country.

(Find out more about the collection by visiting the finding aid online.)

Hall opened the first Minute Man restaurant at 407 Broadway in Little Rock on May 26, 1948, along with partners Oliver Harper, Walter Oathout, and Alton Barnett.  The original Minute Man was a coffee shop with 24-hour service.  In 1956, Hall bought out the other partners and converted the flagship store into a fast-food establishment.  A historical marker was later placed at the site.

The original Minute Man at 407 Broadway in Little Rock, ca. 1956
The original Minute Man at 407 Broadway in Little Rock, ca. 1956
Gar Puryear and Wes Hall at site marker for first Minute Man restaurant, May 1975
Gar Puryear and Wes Hall at site marker for first Minute Man restaurant, May 1975
The Minute Man in Fort Smith, Arkansas, was fitted with a recreation center, 1968
The Minute Man in Fort Smith, Arkansas, was fitted with a recreation center, 1968
The Minute Man in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, was a popular meeting place for students of Ouachita Baptist University
The Minute Man in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, was a popular meeting place for students of Ouachita Baptist University

 

 

A nighttime view of the Minute Man restaurant in Jonesboro, Arkansas, 1968
A nighttime view of the Minute Man restaurant in Jonesboro, Arkansas, 1968
A Minute Man kitchen in Wichita, Kansas
A Minute Man kitchen in Wichita, Kansas