If you’ve lived in Utah very long, you’ve certainly encountered fry sauce, but did you know that it was invented right here in the 1950s? The iconic Beehive State condiment has spread across the country, and can even be purchased at grocery stores now, but it got its start at a little hamburger stand called Arctic Circle.
Don Carlos Edwards got his start in the food service business on Pioneer Day in 1924, when he opened a cart to feed people during the festivities. In 1940, he opened a permanent food stand called Don Carlos’ Barbecue, and in 1950, he opened his first Arctic Circle restaurant.
Edwards had some creative food ideas, and while he was running his BBQ restaurant, he came up with the sauce we now know as fry sauce. He later introduced Utahns to his Ranch burger, brown-topper ice cream cone, and kid’s meals.