Lawmakers commend Hudson’s

BOISE – In 100 years of serving hand-formed patties, Hudson’s Hamburgers in downtown Coeur d’Alene has survived the Depression, the arrival of the Golden Arches and the demolition of an adjacent building.

Lawmakers commended the small eatery’s history of no-frills burgers and family-oriented atmosphere Tuesday with a proclamation introduced by Rep. Marge Chadderdon, R-Coeur d’Alene.

Three generations of the Hudson family watched from the House gallery as North Idaho legislators praised the family-owned business for its longevity.

Over a century, Hudson’s has “probably contributed to the tax base of our great state,” Chadderdon told legislators.

Five generations of Hudsons have manned the grill, located today at 207 E. Sherman Ave., since Harley Hudson founded the restaurant as a “quick-eats” stand in a tent in 1907.

Todd Hudson, 43, great-grandson of Harley Hudson, said it was an honor to be in the Statehouse.

“We’re all awestruck,” he said with his older brother, Steve, and his father, Roger Hudson, 69, nearby. “It says a lot about our customers, because we wouldn’t have made it a year, let alone 100,” without them.

Hudson’s menu has remained largely unchanged: handmade patties topped with sliced onions and pickles, ham-and-egg sandwiches, and slices of pie.

Customers won’t find fries or milkshakes at Hudson’s, and they can’t pay with plastic.

Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene and a former Coeur d’Alene High School history teacher, said he has taught three members of the Hudson family.

“I’ve had the great pleasure over the years of having consumed a number of Hudson’s hamburgers, and I can tell you that there’s reason for their success,” he said. “It is a unique business. It is a wonderful family. They are a pillar of our community.”

Hudson’s is often full of customers, said Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene.

“If you want to go in at noon for a hamburger and lunch, you’d better get to Huddy’s about 11 a.m., because you’re going to wait for quite a while to get a seat,” Nonini said.

Those customers have helped keep the restaurant’s tradition alive, Todd Hudson said.

“You come in, and you can be next to a CEO, you can be next to a farmer, you can be next to your grandfather,” he said.

The proclamation states: “The counter dining at Hudson’s Hamburgers, with 18 stools, is like being with family, eating elbow-to-elbow with neighbors, family and visitors to await the treat of a Hudson’s hamburger.” The Hudsons, including Todd Hudson’s daughter, Cassie, 7, visited Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden on Tuesday, stopping to admire a gold-painted wooden statue of President George Washington inside the doors to his office.

Wasden, who hosted an attorneys general conference in Coeur d’Alene last summer, described how a colleague eating at Hudson’s forgot to bring her purse. A customer paid for her food, making quite an impression on people from the East Coast, Wasden said.

“That happens quite often,” Todd Hudson said. “It used to be bankers, though.”

Great-great-grandson Alex Hudson worked the grill while his family visited the Capitol.