 Runza logo (2017–present) | |
 Runza restaurant inOmaha, Nebraska, July 2022 | |
| Runza | |
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Fast food |
| Founded | 1949; 76 years ago (1949) inLincoln, Nebraska |
| Founder |
|
| Headquarters | Lincoln, Nebraska ,U.S. |
Number of locations | 93 (as of September 2024)[1] |
Area served |
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Key people | Sally Everett, Alex Brening & Donald Everett, Sr. |
| Products | Runza sandwiches, chili and cinnamon rolls, hamburgers, chicken strips |
| Services | Fast food |
| Website | runza |
Runza Restaurant (formerly calledRunza Drive-Inn[2] andRunza Hut[3]) is an Americanfast food restaurant chain in theMidwestern United States whose flagship menu item is therunza sandwich.
Founded in 1949 by Sally Everett, the chain began its expansion under Sally's son Donald Everett Sr. in 1966, and started franchising restaurants in 1979. As of November 2020, there are 85 Runza restaurants operating: 80 in Nebraska, two in Iowa, two in Colorado, and one in Kansas.[4][5] The restaurant chain is still owned by the Everett family, and Sally's grandson Donald Everett Jr. serves as President.[6] In addition to the namesake sandwich, the chain serveschili andcinnamon rolls[7] (another Midwest dish), as well as other fast food staples likehamburgers,french fries andonion rings.
The chain attempted to expand beyond the region in 1989. Executives tried to open a restaurant in theLatvian republic of theSoviet Union,[8] going as far as shipping two hundred frozen Runza sandwiches to theSoviet Ministry of Agriculture as a part of its negotiations.[9] The deal fell apart afterLatvia was invaded by the Soviet government in an attempt to keep it in the Union.[8] Stores did open in theLas Vegas Strip at theFashion Show Mall's food court[10] and a mall food court inMoline, Illinois[11] but both failed to gain traction and closed within a few years.[8]
Runza is a vendor inMemorial Stadium, home of theNebraska Cornhuskers football team,[citation needed] In 2017, theOmaha Storm Chasers, Omaha'sTriple-A affiliate of theKansas City RoyalsMajor League Baseball team, rebranded themselves as the "Omaha Runzas" in across-promotional event.[12] The team's rebranded uniforms featured a cartoon runza sandwich and shared the green and yellowlivery of the Runza restaurant chain.[12] Runza operated a1950s themed Rock n' Roll Runza featuring memorabilia, vintage automobiles and roller skatingcarhops out of downtown Lincoln from 1991 to 2004.[13]
The Runza restaurant operating in theNebraska Union, the student union at theUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln, closed in 2018 after a decade of operating in the location.[14] The Runza was outbid by a combination of two vendors (Steak 'n Shake andChick-fil-A franchisees) bidding together.[15] There was public outcry from the student body,[14][15] as the runza is strongly identified as a Nebraskan dish, and students felt that it should be sold at Nebraska's flagship university. Runza returned to the university in 2025 as a vendor inside the Selleck Hall food court.[16]
Robert Benford, 33, 1825 Northwest Radial Highway, was charged Saturday with the armed robbery of Runza Hut, 1325 Northwest Radial Highway.
