1930s photo of the gas station in front of Arena Park that would be converted into the first Wimpy's. Mr. and Mrs. Ted Daughtery owned the Wimpy's stand to the right of the filling station. In the late '30s the filling station went out of business and the Daughterys converted it into an expanded Wimpys. They put in an efficiency living area in the back. There was a counter with 4 stools for inside dining. Behind the counter was the grill and small kitchen. Curb hops waited on customers in cars outside. In May 1941 my father Freeman and his friend Bill Magill stopped in to have a hamburger. When Dad was talking to Mrs. Daughtery, she mentioned she wanted to sell the business for $800. Dad and his mother and father talked it over and decided they would see if they could raise the money. They did, and took over that summer. Dad was 19. The building was being rented from the city of Cape Girardeau for $30 a month.

Fred Lewis and son Bill in front of the original Wimpys - located on Kingshighway at what is now the entrance to Arena Park. This building was leased by the Lewises from the city of Cape Girardeau in 1941. Photo taken in 1944. The vertical bars to the left of the cents symbols were a sign support for the price of a Wimpyburger. When the photo was taken, they were soon to be installing the number 7.
My father was serving in the Army Air Force in WW II when this photo was taken.

A grocery store has been added to the right - 1946.
Freeman Lewis returned from WW II in January 1946.
His father and mother and younger brother Bill operated the business while he was in service.
His older brother Frank returned from WW II and worked for the Astatic Corporation in Conneaut, Ohio until his mother persuaded
him and his family to return to Cape in 1948 to help run Wimpy's.

In 1947, the city informed them that they wanted to terminate the lease to tear down the building to build a new entrance to Arena Park. My dad found out that this building, across the highway, was for sale. Originally Haman's Sandwich Shop, it was now a car repair shop, Kuykendall's Garage. The Lewis family bought this building and remodeled it while still serving Wimpyburgers in the original service station building.

My father Freeman Lewis in front of the new Wimpy's, 1947 - after conversion from Kuykendall's Garage.

Freeman Lewis and his parents, Fred and Ethel

Butcher Shop

Dining Area

The grill

Grocery store looking to back

Kitchen

View from the kitchen to front

Wimpy's - About 1965

Wimpy's - 1973 - after it was closed for business.