In Memoriam, David Edgerton
The FLAME Magazine, Issue 2, 2018
A man remembered for his mechanical ingenuity, BURGER KING® co-founder David Edgerton changed the course of the brand. His contributions to the success of BK® leave a legacy that will make David deeply missed by the franchise community.
Edgerton grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, serving in the U.S. Army after high school. He would go on to major in Hotel and Restaurant Management at Cornell University before attending business school at Northwestern University.
His entrepreneurial spirit led to the formation and sale of Pie Man Bakery by the time Edgerton opened his first Insta-Burger King in 1954. He was building his second location when he met Jim McLamore.
“As I got older and learned about Dave, I found that he and my dad were perfect partners together because Dave was a great engineering mind and inventor but not really good with paperwork, and Dad was really good with the administrative side of things, understanding balance sheets and P&Ls, legalese with franchisees,” recalled McLamore’s son, Whit.
McLamore and Edgerton would go on to transform Insta-Burger King into fast-food concept BURGER KING. Edgerton’s frustrations with the equipment used for broiling hamburgers at the time led to the invention of the continuous-chain flame broiler, an idea that changed the future for BK.
“In the middle of a lunch rush one day, the Insta-Broiler started messing up, and Dave got so frustrated he sunk a hatchet – his hatchet he had from being a Boy Scout with Davey Edgerton on the handle – right into the stainless steel of the machine,” Whit McLamore recounted. “Dad says, ‘Dave, what are you doing? You are going to put us out of business.’ He said, ‘I can build a better machine, and I can have it ready in two weeks.’ Lo and behold, he created the chain broiler, and that started us in a whole different light with flame-broiled sandwiches. As Dad said, through his act of genius, Dave set us apart from the whole industry.”
In the early days of BK, McLamore and Edgerton also faced challenges with equipment and food suppliers. Together, they created Distron, which acted as the commissary, and Davmor to manufacture the required equipment and furniture for new restaurants.
“It was an impressive operation, and it all started because Dad and Dave demanded quality and effective delivery of our products to grow the brand successfully,” Whit McLamore said. “Dave, the engineer, was critical to these subsidiaries’ success.”
When the pair sold BURGER KING to Pillsbury Co. in 1967, McLamore stayed on, but Dave pursued a different direction. He worked in several restaurant concepts through the years, including Bodega steakhouse, high-end restaurants in Florida and California, and finally Fuddruckers franchises.
Whether BK or one of his other ventures, Edgerton’s engineering capabilities set him apart. “I don’t think BURGER KING would have become successful if it wasn’t for Dave’s engineering skills and inventing skills because he could think through problems very, very easily when dealing with mechanical things,” said Whit McLamore. “Clearly, that set BURGER KING apart. His talents are his legacy because he did it with all of the concepts he was involved with.”
The franchisee community continues to see the rewards of Edgerton’s efforts more than 50 years later.
“Jim and Dave together created the BURGER KING brand. Dave was more the engineer, creating the broiler that is critical to the brand and flame broiling. They worked together beautifully,” said National Franchisee Association Chair Steve Lewis. “Today, we reap the benefits of his creativity and overall dedication to the brand’s success.”
Edgerton leaves behind nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.
“The one thing I always like to say is that, when Dave and my dad became business partners, I was 6 months old, so I have known him all my life. Every Christmas he would come to our home. It was fun to have him there and have him be our Uncle Dave, even though he wasn’t really an uncle,” Whit McLamore said. “Our family is deeply saddened that he is gone. We loved him. He was a great guy, always looking at life on the bright side.”
