This is the story of the greatest might-have-been in the history of the fast food business. How did a company that began almost by accident become the innovation leader by 1960? What caused a decade-long slide that began right at the moment of their greatest success? Understanding begins with studying the experiences that forged Burger Chef and its leaders, and then learning from the mistakes corporations can make when they replace innovation and entrepreneurship with process and control—a lesson as important today as it was a half-century ago.