Krusty Krab

The Krusty Krab is a fictional fast food restaurant in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. In the television show the restaurant is famous for its signature burger, the Krabby Patty, the formula to which is a closely guarded trade secret.

The restaurant was founded by Eugene H. Krabs (often referred to as Mr. Krabs), who is also the owner and manager. According to The SpongeBob Musical, Mr. Krabs' daughter Pearl will inherit the Krusty Krab when she grows older. SpongeBob SquarePants (who works as the fry cook) and Squidward Tentacles (the cashier) are the only full-time employees. The Krusty Krab is open from 9 am to 6 pm six days a week, Monday through Saturday, and closed on Sundays. Deemed "the finest eating establishment ever established for eating" in Bikini Bottom, it is constantly challenged by its primary competitor, the Chum Bucket, which is operated by Sheldon J. Plankton, a plankton, and his wife Karen, a waterproof supercomputer. It is noted by Mr. Krabs that the Krusty Krab is clean and disease-free.

One of the main settings of the series, the Krusty Krab was introduced in the pilot episode, "Help Wanted", where SpongeBob applies for the fry cook job at the restaurant. The Krusty Krab has also been featured in other media, including a theatrical film series, a Broadway musical, video games, and toys. It has been referenced or parodied throughout popular culture and has also inspired real-life establishments.

The Krusty Krab is a prominent fast-food restaurant in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. It is owned and operated by Eugene H. Krabs (Mr. Krabs), who invented its famous Krabby Patty sandwich and plans to transfer ownership of the restaurant to his daughter, Pearl, when she is older. Squidward Tentacles and SpongeBob SquarePants work at the Krusty Krab as the cashier and fry cook, respectively. The other main characters of the series have also held temporary, single-episode positions at the Krusty Krab.

Located across the street from the Krusty Krab is the unsuccessful Chum Bucket, owned and operated by Plankton and Karen. Plankton, Mr. Krabs' former best friend, later became his arch-competitor; Plankton's futile attempts at stealing the secret Krabby Patty recipe to replicate the burgers and put the Krusty Krab out of business, which are often thwarted by SpongeBob and/or Mr. Krabs, are a major plot point throughout the series. Mr. Krabs frequently exploits his restaurant's popularity, such as engaging in price gouging and charging his own employees for use of the building's services.

In the season 3 episode "Krusty Krab Training Video", the Krusty Krab building is shown to have originally been a run-down retirement home called the Rusty Krab, which Mr. Krabs acquired and converted into a restaurant, adding a "K" to the word "Rusty". In another episode, the Krusty Krab was the name of a pirate ship owned by Mr. Krabs before he started the business, which he named after the ship. The restaurant has seen a lot of temporary changes throughout the show, such as switching to a 24/7 schedule and being transformed into a hotel. Other episodes have depicted the Krusty Krab being damaged or destroyed, although due to the show having loose continuity the restaurant inexplicably always appears rebuilt and in good shape the following episode.

The Krusty Krab's menu, the Galley Grub, consists mostly of ordinary fast-food items, such as fries and sodas. Its signature sandwich, the Krabby Patty, is comically beloved by the citizens of Bikini Bottom. In The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Mr. Krabs states: "The Krabby Patty is what ties us all together! Without it, there will be a complete breakdown of social order!" The sandwich comprises two buns, with the patty, lettuce, cheese, onions, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, and pickles between them (in that order). The recipe of the patty is a closely guarded trade secret, which have led viewers to speculate about its contents. Several fan theories have been formed to guess the secret ingredient.

According to animator Vincent Waller, "there is absolutely no meat in the Krabby Patty. There's no animal product in there", something which was always planned by series creator Stephen Hillenburg. Mr. Lawrence, a show writer and Plankton's voice actor, explained that the show's writers are not allowed to depict fish as food; he stated that there is no meat served in Bikini Bottom except at the Chum Bucket. Tom Kenny, the voice actor for SpongeBob, joked: "Krabby Patties are hummus!" Some commentators suggest that there is actually no secret ingredient. A writer for Hollywood.com believes that it is "all a ruse that crafty Mr. Krabs came up with in order to stop Plankton from focusing on the Chum Bucket. It's legitimately brilliant marketing!" On the possibility that the secret Krabby Patty formula will be revealed in future episodes, Waller said in 2017 that he "would not count on it". In 2019, Waller stated that Hillenburg, who died in 2018, is the only person to have seen it.