tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption

CHAIN -- Arctic Circle
Owner -- Arctic Circle Restaurants, Inc
Primary Operating Region -- Utah and the West
Number of Locations -- 77 (2007)

A Saturday morning conversation at a small-town Arctic Circle between the blonde behind the counter and a long-haired guy with a black BMW...(Blonde:) "(So-and-so) moves all her stuff into my mom's, and of course (different so-and-so) thinks (Mom?) stole it all, so she shows up here and there's like 20 people out there (eating in the dining area) and she's screaming at me and I'm like 'Whatever'."  (Guy:) "Your mom would take her down with one flat hand."

Arctic Circle was a staple of the small towns of the West and Midwest for a number of years.  I remember a guy complaining to me about all the big name fast food chains that had come to his 7,000-some-odd populated berg, and run his precious local eatery out of business.  "What was it called?" I asked.  "Arctic Circle", he said.  Boy did I break his heart when I explained THEY were a chain.

Arctic Circle started in Salt Lake City in 1950.  Whereas most chains were selling franchises and either doing collective distribution deals through third-party vendors or simply advising franchisees on who to buy from, Arctic Circle founder Don J Edwards actually manufactured the sauces, syrups, and toppings used for Arctic Circle’s products, and then sold them to franchisees.  One of those sauces was something called "fry sauce", a mixture of ketchup, mayo, and other "secret ingredients" made for dipping fries in.  (Mix two parts Hellman's/Best Foods mayo with one part Hunt's ketchup and you'll have a perfectly decent fry sauce of your own.)  It's become a staple at pretty much any fast food restaurant selling fries in the Salt Lake area, and it was featured on an Olympic pin during the 2002 Winter Games.  Arctic Circle was also well known for its ice cream products (shakes and dipped cones) and Lime Rickey's, sort of a limeade with a shot of grape syrup.

At its high point, there were around 300 Arctic Circles in operation, largely doing their own thing with completely different menus.  One of Arctic Circle's franchisees made a deal that effectively gave him a majority share of the company. He pared it down in size and started developing standardization across the chain.  Then he got into the quick lube business and the whole thing was eventually sold to Quaker State.  Quaker State sold the restaurant business to a venture capital firm, who in turn sold it to company executives and former shareholders, who have helmed the ship since 1992.

Arctic Circle  is still a player in Utah and the West, currently featuring burgers with "100 percent Black Angus Beef".  The fry sauce still flows, as do the Lime Rickey's.  The fish sandwich is made of halibut instead of cod and there's chicken sandwiches and fingers available too.  Arctic Circle's shakes are well worth the bother.

Arctic Circle's longtime best seller has been the "Ranch Burger".  It's a double-decker (like a Big Mac) with one of two variations depending on location...Company owned stores use ketchup and Arctic Circle's white sauce on the sandwich.  Several far-flung franchise outlets instead just top it with fry sauce.  My favorite burger on the menu is the Mushroom Bounty Cheese, one of the best mushroom burgers in the business.  The halibut items are a disappointment because the locations I've been to WAY overcook it.  (Halibut is water-heavy and easily overcooked, leaving it dry, tough, and flavorless.  Many restaurants overcook it.) 

Arctic Circle always was, and still is, a good place to get a burger.  I'd like to see them back in the Midwest, where I occasionally run into an old building that obviously was originally built as an AC.  In the meantime, when in Utah...

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