EDITOR'S NOTE: Following is one of several vignettes commissioned by the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce as a part of the Cozy Inn 100th anniversary celebration.
By TIM UNRUH
For the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce
A pair of brothers from Russell stopped at the Cozy Inn restaurant during the afternoon of March 5, 2010, aiming for some fame.
They announced to owner Steve Howard their intention to break a record of eating 55 Cozy Burgers in 45 minutes. No one knows who owns the record or when it was set at 54.
Cecil Brooks III, 24 at the time and an employee at the Russell Sonic drive-in, devoured 21 of the sliders before bowing out, 11 minutes to the deadline.
His brother, Derrick Williams, 19, then a worker at the Russell McDonald’s, gulped down 22 of the small burgers before bowing out with six minutes to go.
On one occasion since that day, possibly in 2011, a younger man took the challenge and ate 23 Cozy Burgers, Howard said, so the record still stands.
When the last attempt resulted in the contestant’s credit card being denied, a policy change ensued.
“If anybody wants to try, there’s gonna be a 30-dollar cover charge,” Howard said.
READ: Cozy Inn a global treasure in downtown Salina