Ask: True or false? Gus Belt from Bloomington founded the now global restaurant chain Steak ‘n Shake in 1934 and is considered the inventor of the fast-food burger – all because he wanted to sell more tires.
Answer: That’s mostly true. Belt was an entrepreneur in his day before he became the steakburger kingpin. He owned Gus Belt’s Better Tire Service in downtown Bloomington and thought that by serving burgers while also selling and changing car tires for others, he could add an extra way to attract customers and make more money.
View now: Photos from Kite Fest 2024
Volunteers Srinidhi Gurijala and Rhea Balakrishnan
Volunteers
Ellie Rogers, 10, of Bloomington, sits on the ground preparing her kite.
Quinnlan Hosh, Ellie Rogers, Anita and Ava Hosh
Mateo Miranda
Mateo Miranda, 10, of Bloomington, gets his kite ready to fly.
Parknika Dasari, starring Bala Krishna and Dhanvik Dasari
Anindya Sarkar and daughter Rini, 2, from Normal have fun flying kites.