Exterior of the Corral/Hannigan’s restaurant, located on the southwest corner of Fifteenth Street and Eighth Avenue, where the A&W sits today.
Would You Like Fries With That?
“I’d like a Superburger, a Coyote, a Chuckwagon Burger, fries and a shake!” Sound familiar? Then you may have spent a good part of your teenage years at the Corral, hanging out with friends and enjoying the drive-thru experience.
Mercedes Smith sitting on the picnic table outside the Corral.
A menu to remember
Mercedes Smith not only ate there, but worked there for Julian and Carmen Haudegand during the summer of 1964. She remembers that you could order a hot dog split lengthwise, grilled and placed on top of a grilled beef patty. Another popular item was a bun with mustard on one half, mayo on the other, a slice of Spanish onion on each and a burger in between.
The Corral was opened by Don Wassill in 1959, sold to the Haudegands in 1963 and then to Kathy and Steve Detillieux in 1966. Kathy and Steve, a couple from Saskatoon who had previously owned a fleet of taxicabs, took over the Corral with no previous restaurant experience, relying on staff to help them learn all about the business.
The original building was very small, with just a drive through window, a walk up window, no interior seating and the only public washroom was an outhouse out back. Over the next 30 years, the Detillieuxs built a new building with interior seating, interior bathrooms, and had a staff of as many as 17. They bought a Hannigan’s franchise in 1972, and at their busiest, served 1800 meals a day. They created new and delicious menu items that were very popular. So popular in fact, people still talk about them today. Anyone for a Hannigan’s Superburger? Only a privileged few ever knew the ingredients of the Superburger’s secret sauce…
