Tuesday Trivia: May 9, 2023

Test your Oklahoma knowledge and win prizes by answering our weekly Tuesday Trivia question. Every week, we’ll choose a winner from the correct respondents to receive a prize—from an Okie sticker to a subscription to Oklahoma Today and more.

Nobody knew it at the time, but when Troy and Dollie Smith moved to Shawnee in 1948, they set in motion a culinary upheaval. Troy opened the Cottage Café and began building up a portfolio of restaurants, but when he looked at the numbers, his biggest profits were coming from an unexpected source: a small root beer stand that came as part of a deal to buy a larger restaurant. Sensing an opportunity, Troy focused on the stand and in 1953, Top Hat was born. Another Oklahoma entrepreneur was driving through Shawnee and fell in love with Top Hat in 1956 and approached Smith about expanding. After opening three more restaurants in the state, they found out "Top Hat" was already under copyright, so to continue growing the business, they'd have to change the name.

What nationwide restaurant chain began as Top Hat in Shawnee in 1953?