About Us

What's the Hobo story?
The Hungry Hobo is a chain of sandwich shops that was created in 1973 when Jim Gende, Ray Pearson, Joe Gende, and Tom Spero converted 3 Little King stores into the first Hobo locations in Moline, Davenport, and Rock Island (1973). Since then the concept has expanded to include East Moline (1977), Bettendorf (1978), Milan (1984), Browning Field (1987), Kennedy Square (1989), West Locust (2004), John Deere Road (2007), 53rd Street (2009), LeClaire (2011), Eldridge (2013), and our newest drive thru location Glen Grove (2025).

The Hobo specializes in sliced-to-order and grilled sandwiches, baked potatoes with a variety of toppings, chef-prepared soups and shredded lettuce salads, and desserts that are baked daily in The Hobo Bakery. We currently have 12 convenient Quad-City area locations, accept all major credit cards, deliver box lunches and party items, and have made our everyday menu items available through DoorDash and Grubhub. We also have an app, loyalty program, and been voted Best Deli, Best Deli Sandwiches, and Most Distinctly Quad Cities Fast Food in various publications for countless years in a row.