EVERETT – In the early ’70s, it was hot-rod heaven, otherwise known as Herfy’s. Later, it became a bustling Burger King franchise. For the past three years, it’s been a boarded-up and graffiti-tagged eyesore.

Today, the building at 2424 Broadway is a pile of rubble. But in 90 to 100 days, it will be a new Burger King restaurant, with 62 seats and a two-window drive-through.

Fred Schmidt Sr., who built the original building in the early ’70s for his home-grown chain of Herfy’s burger restaurants, was on hand to watch Tuesday as steel jaws crunched through it. So was his son, Fred Jr., who was joined by Burger King franchisee Dan Gettemy and operations director Robert Taylor.

“I’m excited to actually see this come to fruition,” Gettemy said. “This is the last eyesore in Snohomish County that we can clean up.”

Gettemy was referring to a number of Burger King restaurants in the county that sat empty and idle because of problems with the previous franchisee and Burger King, which had been owned by an overseas liquor company and was recently sold to U.S. owners.

Gettemy said 13 Burger Kings were closed by the previous owner before he and his partner Bill Bishop picked up seven of the franchises. Together, the pair own 27 Burger Kings in Western Washington.

Their company, North Sound Restaurants, plans to invest $1 million in the Broadway Burger King, creating a fast-food operation that will employ 40 people and include a state-of-the-art broiling system.

He expects the new restaurant to open in May.

He said the company’s Marysville Burger King, which also sat idle for a long time, has been successful since it reopened.

“It’s doubled,” he said of that location’s business. “Hopefully, this will be similar to what we did in Marysville.”

Fred Schmidt Sr., whose family still owns the property, said he wasn’t sad to see his building torn down.

“I think it’s great. It’s not very often you get to celebrate this twice,” he said of the opening of the new Burger King.

Schmidt Sr. and his partners turned Herfy’s into a strong regional chain that was very popular in its time and often attracted hot rodders who also liked to cruise downtown Everett’s Colby Avenue. The chain later went out of business

“I’m not a historian,” Schmidt Sr. said about the original building. “I try to roll with the times. This building was well-constructed. But they have different ideas of what they want to do. It will still be a food establishment.”

Michael O’Leary / The Herald

Workers begin demolishing the old Burger King at 2424 Broadway in Everett on Tuesday to make way for a new restaurant.

From left, Robert Taylor, Burger King director of operations; Daniel Gettemy, president of North Sound Restaurants Inc.; Fred Schmidt Jr. and Fred Schmidt Sr. put together the deal for a new Burger King restaurant.