South Central, Los Angeles– In 1952, Lovie Yancey and her co-investor founded Mr. Fatburger on Western Avenue in South Central, Los Angeles near exposition park. Yancey had previously operated a business in Tucson and wanted to expand her entrepreneurial skills. Yancey and her daughter had recently moved to Los Angeles a few years earlier in 1947.
Lovie Yancey created one of the most successful African-American burger chains and embodied the true entrepreneurial spirit that many Blacks of that time possessed; despite blatant discrimination as well as segregation.
The original Fatburger stand is described as a post war world II eatery with three bar stools out front. Her business partner is said to have worked in construction and used scrap-metal to build the Fatburger stand.
Yancey split with her partner years later and decided to drop the “Mr.”
Thus, Fatburger was born.
Yancey was a familiar face around the burger stand, sometimes working 16-hour shifts to ensure business ran smoothly and burgers were cooked correctly.
Eventually, Yancey opened a second location in Beverly Hills on La Cienega Boulevard. Celebrities including Red Foxx and Ray Charles were frequent visitors at the location.
In 1990, the Texas native sold the rights of Fatburger to a group of investors but maintained control of the original Western location. She eventually sold the property in 2007. One of the agreements drafted in the purchase of the original Fatburger property is that it can never be torn down.
4 Comments
I wonder if her granddaughter, Angie Breaux, has seen this piece? Angie and my first cousin, Jimmy Allen Jr., son of the late great NFL player Jimmy Allen Sr., brought a beautiful daughter into this world who they named Lovie, Lovie Allen. Lovie Allen is the great granddaughter of Osie Walker Scott, the matriarch of The Good Life Health Food Centre family of Crenshaw and Exposition, where west coast hip hop exploded as featured in Hip Hop Evolution on Netflix, and in Ava DuVernay’s first film This Is The Life. Thank you for sharing this story. I will forward this to my family. Blessings.
This is my first time seeing this my name is Lovie Allen, and Lovie Yancey who is my great great grandmother. I wish this article spoke more about her and not just fat burger.
This is my first time seeing this my name is Lovie Allen, and Lovie Yancey who is my great great grandmother. I wish this article spoke more about her and not just fat burger.
Are you interested in being interviewed about her? Thats how people can know more about her and not just the business.