Courtesy Nation's Giant Hamburgersįast-forward nearly 70 years, and that chain has since expanded to 30 locations (with its latest location soon opening in Modesto). By 1970, Power had managed to buy his first restaurant location in Oakland and persuaded Harvey to become partners with him in a small, but mighty hamburger chain.ĭale Power opened his first restaurant, Nation's Giant Hamburgers, in Oakland in 1970. In 1961, an enterprising 15-year-old named Dale Power managed to land a job as a janitor at the second location, continuing to work there through college and graduate school, moving up in jobs. He was a man in search of a burger that was made the way he wanted, and when he didn't find that, he created it.īack then, it was known as Harvey's (for obvious reasons). Originally a hot dog stand, he eventually wanted to add burgers. The business was started in 1952 by Russ Harvey, with its first location in San Pablo. Nation's, with its late-night hours, has become the little hamburger spot that could. We want to love and serve and notice every member of society, as often as they can, in every possible setting, no matter what your day looked like.' 'You want the kids on prom feeling like, oh, this is a special spot where we can take our dates and have some pie. 'My dad wanted to create a restaurant where someone maybe didn't sleep all night and they've got to get something to eat and they feel comfortable coming in their pajamas, ordering food,' Power said. As CEO Grant Power tells it, when his father Dale Power began building the chain, he wanted to feed and take care of everyone.

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