Cliff Taylor bought the "Maid Rite" franchise in 1928 for the whopping sum of $300. Along with his family, Cliff operated Taylor's Maid-Rite, baking home-made pies, slicing pickles from a Marshalltown pickler and buying fresh buns from a local bakery. When Cliff died in 1944, his son Don and his wife, Polly, took over to keep it in the family.
Every time I go back home to visit, we take a trip to the Maid-Rite. It is always a matter for discussion between the out of town siblings, when we are going, how we are getting there (car pool? separate cars? meet up after a trip to the mall?), how many Maid-Rites are we are going to eat and whether it will be a malt or a shake this time.
A requirement for any man brave enough to date one of we three Kopsa sisters was a pilgrimage to Taylor's upon the first visit to meet my parents. These unknowing men from places like Chicago, New York or say, Edinburgh, Scotland, had no idea why the women they were dating went wild at the mere mention of Maid-Rites. Until they had one, of course.
When I asked my daughter what food she wanted at her high school graduation party this is the list she came back with: a chocolate fountain, Skittles and Maid-Rites. I thought that was a brilliant idea. The crowd went wild (for the Maid-Rites, I don't have any data on their reaction to the fountain or Skittles).
We take these sandwiches very, very seriously.
Senator Sodders went on to say, "I'm just trying to keep a piece of Americana intact. I am proud to word for the people in my district."
Whatever Steve is doing, it is catching on. The "Save Taylor's Maid-Rite" Facebook page has over 8,000 members.
Help me save Taylor's Maid-Rite for small town and big city landmarks everywhere. Iowans, pass the word around. Everyone else, visit the Facebook page. Or better yet, order up some delicious Maid-Rites for yourself - they ship everywhere. See what it is we are talking about, oozing about, and trying to save. Share the joy, spread the word.
- WHO TV 13 Des Moines reporting the story
- Taylor's Maid Rite homepage
- Travel & Leisure article on Taylor's
- Save Taylor's Maid-Rite Facebook page
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Comments
The food we grew up eating has all the power of music we grew up listening to.
Happy to find a fellow Maid-Rite aficionado. Of course, being Iowan, it stands to reason. Thanks for this, Akopsa.
Rated for nostalgia!
I'm all for food safety -- let's face it, food poisoning, even when it's mild, is not fun -- but we can take it to ridiculous extremes.
Breast milk cheese....that's a health danger? The thing millions of babies have consume as their sole, immunity-boosting, nutrient rich food source each and every day of human history back to the dawn of time?
Meanwhile, giant food conglomerates pump unhealthy and unsafe food into our system today every day with virtually no oversight and no real punishment. Insane.
Good luck Maid-Rite!
I've heard of them, never tried, but they look nummy!!! So again, SAVE THE SANDWICH!!!!
The Maid-Rites in say, Tama or off I-80 near Amana just don't taste the same. As an adult, I will continue to risk life and limb to eat at Taylor's when I go home. As a farm kid, I have eaten far more dangerous things than a Taylor's Maid-Rite. I may have even licked a toad or four as a twerp.
We have to be wary of everything we put in our mouth these days. The spinach scare in the Northeast put me off the stuff for a while. Odwalla and the child that died after drinking an ill pasteurized bottle of their juice. Everybody will need to be wary of lettuce in the supermarket, canned foods on the shelves (botulism), meat from well, anywhere as you just never ever know. By all means, don't drink water from my parent's well pit. Look both ways before crossing the street.
Although I don't agree with your position here, nor the article on your website, I do appreciate you visit. Stop by any time.
is there no recipe? can they be duplicated at home?
You made me hungry while just reading your article with calls for help to save it. I've been on board for a while, but I haven't had one for many years nonethe less and think I might try to order one home delivered if I can :)
Penny, author of the popular page on Insertt about x-ray technician salary - thanks and keep it up...I'll be coming back here more regularly for a refresher I think!