Hamburger Mary's

The original Hamburger Mary’s was the brainchild of a small group of hippies living in San Francisco in the early 70′s. “We were extremely poor,” says Bob Charles, the last surviving founder of Mary’s. “We were living on food stamps, SSI, and peace and love. But we had some drug-induced fantasies of owning our own ‘anti-establishment’ bar/restaurant, run on our own relaxed and laid back agenda.”

With just $500 (a fortune for them at the time), they set out to open a gay-owned, people-friendly gathering spot where everyone was welcome. Without much cash, they began their operation on a shoestring budget. Shopping at flea markets and in second-hand stores, they outfitted the original Hamburger Mary’s with mismatched wooden chairs and odd shaped tables. The dishes and flatware patterns were unrelated and often regular items, which added to the charm. Keeping to their hippy tendencies, the original location was named “Hamburger Mary’s Organic Grille.”