The Musical Way Red Robin Got Its Iconic Name And Brand

Red Robin's jingle — simply the restaurant's name plus "yum" — establishes a connection between music and gourmet burgers in the minds of modern-day customers. However, there's a deeper connection between music and the restaurant chain than many realize, and it's all in the name — just one of the many things people don't know about Red Robin. How did this come to be?

Nowadays, Red Robin is a casual dining establishment known for serving up burgers and steak fries to its hungry customers. The current menu also encompasses appetizers, salads, soups, seafood, and various other kinds of entrees, plus cocktails, wine, and additional specialty drinks. The chain presently has 546 stores spread across 44 states and the Canadian province of British Columbia, although 103 of those locations are franchises. It all began in the 20th century (per the Seattle Times), with a single site located in Seattle. Before it was named "Red Robin," the original building was a tiny grocery store, then an eatery, and then almost a dozen different businesses. Name after name — "Zimmerman Cafe," "The Bridge Cafe," and "Ann's Corner Cafe” — came and went, until finally, "Red Robin" came bobbin' along.

Where did "Red Robin" come from? According to the Seattle Times, the site in question became a tavern in 1942. Red Robin states this watering hole was originally called "Sam's Tavern." However, Sam was a quartet singer, and he adored the song entitled "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob Bobbin' Along)." So, Sam decided to change the name to "Sam's Red Robin," and even the "Sam's" part got dropped from the moniker in 1969, around the same time their menu was overhauled to put a focus on making gourmet burgers. This decision seems to have catapulted the newly christened "Red Robin" towards success, with 22 sites opened up by 1983 and an official Red Robin mascot being created that same year. A mere three years after that, the chain spread even farther across the country and into Canada, counting 175 locations and an even bigger menu among its offerings.

Is this story 100% accurate, though? As noted by the Seattle Times, Sam's Tavern supposedly came into existence in the 1940s, but the titular Samuel Caston figure in question isn't shown on official records as owning the building until 1953. Is this an oversight, a discrepancy, or a total fabrication? Whatever the answer, Caston sold the Red Robin tavern to a restaurateur in 1969, which seems to have been the reason why "Sam's" was removed from the name and the business model changed so much.

The original Red Robin sadly could not last forever. After decades of operation as a burger joint, the site was permanently closed down in 2010, per Crosscut. Apparently, the converted tavern layout couldn't handle the busy diner traffic. The Seattle Times notes that the place was torn down and transformed into a residential complex fittingly known as the "Robin's Nest." Yet, the chain this site spawned still remains.

How is Red Robin faring now? Well, not always great. In 2014, it was named by the Center for Science in the Public Interest as the home of the unhealthiest chain meal (via Thrillist). More recently, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. weathered the storm of the pandemic, brought focus to its menus, and became more efficient, per Nation's Restaurant News. It's also added pizza to its lineup, partnering with Donatos Pizza. As the era of quarantining at home began to wind down, FSR Magazine reported Red Robin is also looking to improve its already gourmet burgers, entice diners with affordable deals, and reach out to more customers digitally.

Red Robin's first location might be gone, but the chain's future may prove to be music to fans' ears, nevertheless!