1959 was a busy year; Fidel Castro came into power, the Barbie doll was launched, Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th states respectively, most of my classmates, the class of '77, were born, and Wetson's Hamburgers began.
History
That year, Herb and Erol Wetanson started the first Wetson's in Levittown, NY. Herb Wetanson's father had been a restaurateur so he had grown up in that environment. Herb had been on a trip to California where he visited his first McDonald's. That visit gave him the inspiration to start his own fast food restaurant. When Herb returned from the military, he began working on opening his own Hamburger stand. Herb and his brother Erol choose Levittown because of its post-war boom. They opened their first Wetson's in an old coffee shop, and as they say, the rest is history.
Wetson's op
ened in Hicksville on Old Country Rd and Levittown Parkway in May of 1963. They sold Hamburgers for 15¢, and fries for 10¢. Wetson's also had two clowns Wetty and Sonny who were the mascots. They were modeled after Ronald McDonald. 
The hamburger meat was purchased from Schloesser & Weingartens. At the time, the Federal government required hamburgers to have no more than 30% fat, but Wetson's burgers had anywhere between 18% - 22%. That may be why people loved them. Schloesser & Weingartens also sold fried chicken to Wetson's. By 1964, Wetson's had 14 locations on L.I. Altogether, there were 72 locations in NY, NJ, and CT. Unfortunately, by 1975 Wetson's merged with Nathan's. It was the end of an era.
Memories
In 1968 my parents bought a Levitt house in the 'B' section of Hicksville. We would drive out from the Bronx every weekend to prepare the house for
day we would move in . Each weekend, we would stop at Wetson's for lunch which consisted of hamburgers, fries, and drinks. Their burgers were good, but their fries were AMAZING!!! They were wonderfully crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, and they had just the right amount of salt. I remember my dad driving our 1959 Chevy Impala into the parking lot and parking the car. We would walk up to the window to order our food. There was no seating in Wetson's at all, not like fast food restaruants today. We would take our order, pile into the car, and drive to our new house on Bobwhite Lane. The smell would permeate the car and by the time we got to the house, we were starving. We would find a place to sit, whether it was on the floor or a folding chair and chow down on that deliciousness.
While looking through social media posts concerning Wetson's, I noticed a lot of people loved the fries and the shakes. There were quite a few people who thought that Wetson's hamburgers, especially the Big W, were better than McDonald's. What do you think? Where their hamburgers better than McDonald's?
Some reminisced about hanging out with their friends in the parking lot, going to Wetson's on first dates, celebrating birthdays, and even working there at 16 yrs old. What are some of your memories of Wetson's?
Jim Clark remembers working there the summer of '64 when he was 17. He told me that the owner of the Hicksville franchise would peel and cut the potatoes for the fries. They were soaked in water overnight and then cooked in lard at 600 degrees for a few minutes. They were made fresh for every order. He also said that the lines on the weekend went on for hours.
Karen Ulbricht, a classmate of mine, remembers the whole family piling into the car and sitting at picnic tables that were there to eat their meal.
Susan Schular-Nolan, another classmate of mine, shared her memories of Wetson's too. She loved Wetson's Fried Chicken and would always ask for it when she went there with her family. Susan also shared that her husband worked for a short time at a burger place called Burger Square. One was located in Syosset on Jericho Turnpike. That restaurant was replaced by a Wetson's.
Afterwards
I do want to send a BIG Thank You to Susan Shular-Nolan for the follow-up to what happened after Wetson's closed. When Wetson's went out of business in 1975, it became Titus Oaks Record Exchange. As a matter of fact, my husband was one of their customers. People would turn in used albums that they didn't listen to anymore and get credit to buy new or used albums they wanted.
Titus Oaks Record Exchange (Check out the Sign on the Building)
After Titus oaks closed, it was razed and now a Dunkin Donuts stands where Wetson's used to be. Instead of ending their night with a burger and fries, hanging out with friends, or having a first date, people are now starting their day with a donut and coffee. Those of use who knew Wetson's miss those simpler days. I know I do.
 Dunkin Donuts Photo by Susan Shular-Nolan |
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Resources:
LongIsland 70s kid. - Information on Wetson's
Newspapers.com Newspapers.com - Advertisements
Wikipedia - Information on Wetson's
NY Times June 4, 1972 - Article about Schloesser and Weingartens
