Lovie Yancey

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Lovie Yancey, founder of the popular Fatburger restaurant chain known for huge burgers and music blasting from jukeboxes, has died.

Yancey, who started with a hamburger stand in 1950's Los Angeles and saw it expand to more than 90 locations across the country and overseas, died Jan. 26, Fatburger's parent owner Fog Cutter Capital Group Inc. said in a statement.

In 1947, Yancey opened her first stand with a partner, calling it Mr. Fatburger. They parted ways five years later, and Yancey changed the business name to Fatburger with sights on expanding it. For her efforts, Yancey was recognized as a trailblazing black businesswoman of her time.

She turned cooked-to-order burgers made from fresh instead of frozen patties, onion rings and thick fries trademarks of a Fatburger restaurant. A music lover, she also put jukeboxes in the restaurants to keep it lively.

Her flagship location in Beverly Hills drew many celebrity diners, some of whom went on to invest in the franchise. Earvin "Magic" Johnson invested in the restaurant chain for several years, then sold his majority stake in 2003 for $6 million to Portland, Ore.-based Fog Cutter.

Queen Latifah helped invest in a Fatburger in Miami, and musician Pharrell Williams has partnered with the chain to open Fatburger's first 10 locations in China.
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press