Then vs. Now: Town Topic

Town Topic Hamburgers began in 1937 when Claude Sparks opened a small white diner at 2442½ Broadway in Kansas City, selling 5-cent hamburgers cooked with onions and served on steamed buns.

Address: 2021 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108 (Map)

Town Topic Hamburgers began in 1937 when Claude Sparks opened a small white diner at 2442½ Broadway in Kansas City, selling 5-cent hamburgers cooked with onions and served on steamed buns.

Modeled after White Castle, where Sparks had once worked, the tiny 24-hour stand became an instant success during the Depression by offering affordable meals and friendly service.

Over the years, Town Topic added new locations, including its well-known diner at 20th and Broadway, which continues to operate around the clock.

The menu has remained largely unchanged, featuring its signature hamburgers, chili made from Sparks’s original 1937 recipe, and classic diner fare like breakfast plates, pie, and malts.

Over the decades, Town Topic has drawn an impressive mix of visitors, including Harry Truman, Bruce Springsteen, Al Gore, Anthony Bourdain, Walt Bodine, and Gerald Ford.