Fired up! Mount Prospect man invents first Weber grill
In the 1950s, Mount Prospect experienced a period of growth and prosperity unmatched by previous decades. One of the residents of this bustling suburb was George Stephen, who was employed by the Weber Brothers Metal Works in Arlington Heights.
Stephen had developed a penchant for outdoor cooking while serving in the Army. The state of outdoor cooking was rudimentary at best. The most popular options were a large brick barbecue, which was not portable, and small, flat brazier grills characterized by uneven cooking, little to no protection from the elements and inability to cook more than a small amount of food.
As it happened, Weber Brothers Metal Works was in the process of manufacturing metal buoys that were to be placed in Lake Michigan at the Chicago Yacht Club. Experimenting both at Weber Brothers and at his home on Can-Dota Avenue, Stephen crafted the first incarnation of the Weber grill by cutting one of the metal buoys in half.
"We were making dome shapes at the shop. I took one of the domes, drilled some holes in the bottom and lid, welded supports to hold two wire grates, and gave my strange looking, kettle-shaped grill a try. It worked great," he said later.
Based on the popularity of the grill in his immediate neighborhood, Stephen hit the streets, using it in various cooking demonstrations outside of various businesses.
"Dad would literally load the grill into a station wagon, go to a hardware store and set up a demonstration …" son Jim Stephen said in an Associated Press interview. "He would cook a turkey or a pig or something, and people would be in awe."
Stephen would later bring these cooking demonstrations to local Chicago television outlets.
According to the company, the average price of a non-Weber grill during this period was $7, whereas the Weber grill retailed for $50. The demonstrations were used to justify the expense, selling the grill as a device that would be easy to use - and used often. It was not portrayed as a necessity, but as an enhancement to one's quality of life.
The growth of the Weber was very much a grass-roots phenomenon, first encompassing the Chicago area, then the Midwest and eventually the United States and the world. It is one of those few products, such as Coca-Cola and Kleenex, whose brand name is synonymous with the product.
Now headquartered in Palatine, Weber-Stephen Products Co. has grown to be the world's leading manufacturer of barbecue grills, smokers, grilling accessories, and other outdoor room products.
George Stephen's contribution not only played a vital role in the history of Mount Prospect, it also has had a significant impact on American culture and the importance of leisure within our society.