Starr came up with the name and branding for the tour after researching the restaurant chain and finding out a single Hot 'n Now location was still in operation in Sturgis, Michigan.

"I always wanted to take a road trip to see it," Starr said. "And this fall tour will take me through the area, so what better way to pitch the idea and my story to the franchise owners and get their endorsement."

"They loved the idea."

Hot 'n Now had over 130 restaurants in 15 states at one point, including locations in Hanover and East York. Recognized instantly by its iconic bright red font and lightning bolt logo, the chain gained popularity for its 39-cent hamburgers, fries and drinks when it launched in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1984.

"My dad would take me and my brother to the Hanover location all the time when we were kids," Starr said. "We would visit my grandmother on Radio Road, where we kept our mini dirt bikes to ride after eating Hot 'n Now."

"It was a piece of my childhood, so when they demoed the restaurant in 2018, it was hard to see it go, even though it was closed for years."

Both York County stores called it quits in the mid-1990s, just a few years after opening. The Hanover lot is still vacant today, while the Springettsbury Township building became Java the Hut, then Rudy’s Seafood & Crab House and finally Gyro-X-Press before being razed in early 2020. A two-unit retail building now sits on the property.

Starr said he's kept in contact with the Michigan Hot 'n Now owners and will be visiting the restaurant on one of his off days during the tour. As to which food item he is most excited to try after all these years?

"I think I’m just going to order everything off the menu for myself and bandmates to eat."

Before embarking on his four-state tour through the Midwest, Brenden Starr will be performing locally at the Hanover Snack Town Fall Fest at Moul Field on Sept. 20.