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Defunct restaurant chains and retailers

Started by Stephane Dumas, September 05, 2016, 03:33:50 PM

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Big John



US71

Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Roadrunner75

Quote from: Big John on June 10, 2017, 10:56:46 PM
^^ There are still a few RR restaurants still open: http://www.royrogersrestaurants.com/store_locator
I live near what for years was one of the only non-rest area Roy Rogers in the northeast in Pine Beach, NJ.  I used to stop by every once in awhile for a bit of nostalgia.  It's pretty popular, even if it is a bit more expensive for what you get (no doubt for years due to the limited supply chain and its relative distance from the corporate hub and other locations).  More recently, the franchise owner has opened up another restaurant not too far away in Brick, and I've seen another pop up in Northern NJ on US 1.  I think the Brick location might actually hurt Pine Beach and the franchise in general since I believe it draws from a larger radius and relies somewhat on nostalgia and 'something different'.  For now, I will continue to enjoy Double R Bar Burgers, roast beef and their chicken - especially since Arby's came and left our area, taking its roast beef with it.

JJBers

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on May 11, 2017, 09:48:31 PM
Ames World Headquarters still sits empty.   Here's a 2007 shot of it:

https://goo.gl/maps/6Rx1YHrHyfL2


And more recently:

https://goo.gl/maps/wfa32YMBNv72
I've been there once actually
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roadman65

Quote from: Roadrunner75 on June 11, 2017, 11:26:07 AM
Quote from: Big John on June 10, 2017, 10:56:46 PM
^^ There are still a few RR restaurants still open: http://www.royrogersrestaurants.com/store_locator
I live near what for years was one of the only non-rest area Roy Rogers in the northeast in Pine Beach, NJ.  I used to stop by every once in awhile for a bit of nostalgia.  It's pretty popular, even if it is a bit more expensive for what you get (no doubt for years due to the limited supply chain and its relative distance from the corporate hub and other locations).  More recently, the franchise owner has opened up another restaurant not too far away in Brick, and I've seen another pop up in Northern NJ on US 1.  I think the Brick location might actually hurt Pine Beach and the franchise in general since I believe it draws from a larger radius and relies somewhat on nostalgia and 'something different'.  For now, I will continue to enjoy Double R Bar Burgers, roast beef and their chicken - especially since Arby's came and left our area, taking its roast beef with it.
My cousin lives there in Pine Beach.  He would take me there especially for Breakfast.  Though the last time I visited him there was in 05, so I had no idea its still there.

I used to enjoy the one in Edison near the Menlo Park Mall.  That one I believe is gone.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

cpzilliacus

#280
Quote from: roadman65 on June 10, 2017, 10:31:22 PM
Ginos. They sold their stores to Marriot and then there were all changed to Roy Rogers, unless a Roy Rogers was nearby then they closed them. Roy Rogers was already a Marriot brand and did not want to operate two hamburger joints so made them all Roy Rogers.


They were only in DE, MD, PA, and NJ but was the retailer for KFC.  Until they closed, I did not know KFC had their own outlets.

I think now Roy Rogers is defunct as Marriot unloaded them when I worked for them in the late 80s.  They only kept the toll road stores, but I think they're gone too.

Roy Rogers went through  a series of new owners, but there were always some franchised stores that did not go through the  RR-to-Hardees-to-RR-to McDonald's changes, and they remained under the old cowboy's name - and apparently remained rather profitable. 

The Roy Rogers concept and trademarks and the rest was finally purchased Plamondon Companies of Frederick, Maryland (founded by a former Marriott executive, which also owns several hotels that run under the Marriott brand).

Plamondon has been expanding the Roy  Rogers chain, selling franchises in Maryland and Virginia, and putting up brand-new stores. 

So Roy Rogers himself may be six feet under, but the fast food chain with his  name on the  outside is doing quite well, in spite of being pronounced dead more than once.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.

jwolfer

Quote from: mefailenglish on May 13, 2017, 12:14:07 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on May 09, 2017, 04:10:28 PM
[Wawa which is mainly NJ, DE, MD, Northern VA, SE PA,  and now Central Florida, Tampa Bay, and SW FL in the Sunshine State.
And now also Palm Beach, with Broward County locations (Davie, Ft Lauderdale, Deerfield Beach) coming this Summer and Fall.
Jacksonville stores are under construction.. 4 or 5 set to open in the upcoming fall/winter 2017-8...

The Jacksonville based Gate and Dailys c-sores are upgrading food choices( not to mention upgrades to RaceTrac) in response partly to WaWa

LGMS428


roadman65

Wawa sure has the capital, as in five years they went from only four locations in Orlando to almost ever major market in Florida minus the Panhandle.  They must be loaded or in hock up to their eyebrows with hopes of potential revenue to finance the building of their new stores.


Also who remembers The Rustler Steakhouse and Bonanza?
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

jp the roadgeek

Quote from: roadman65 on June 18, 2017, 11:39:34 AM
Wawa sure has the capital, as in five years they went from only four locations in Orlando to almost ever major market in Florida minus the Panhandle.  They must be loaded or in hock up to their eyebrows with hopes of potential revenue to finance the building of their new stores.


Also who remembers The Rustler Steakhouse and Bonanza?

I remember Bonanza and it's sister restaurant Ponderosa.  Had a Ponderosa in my town until about 15 years ago.  It's now a dental office and hair salon, but you can clearly see the architecture.  Would have been more appropriate if it had become a similar restaurant like Golden Corral.
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

roadman65

Ponderosa is not as big as it used to be.  I had one up the road from where I live now, but its now a mom and pop Mexican place.  I think we have a couple left in Orlando, but hardly what it once was.

Rustler I believe was absorbed into Sizzler, but even they are not as big as they once were as well.  Rustler was short lived in the 1980's and I remember one in particular seen on the NJ Turnpike where it meets NJ 45 near Woodbury, NJ.  Obviously due to the lack of interchange there it was not a interchange service of the Turnpike, but made your mouth water for steak when driving past it.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

catch22

The Rustlers here in southeast Michigan all closed around 1983.  I was a telephone installer back then, and one fine day I had the work order to disconnect all the phone service in their regional office, which was on the second floor of one of the restaurants.  My arrival that day was the first clue the office workers (including the manager) had that their jobs were gone.  The office manager told me I must be mistaken, and he called corporate HQ who confirmed my work order.  Not a fun day.

jeffandnicole

Quote from: roadman65 on June 20, 2017, 08:03:25 PM
Ponderosa is not as big as it used to be.  I had one up the road from where I live now, but its now a mom and pop Mexican place.  I think we have a couple left in Orlando, but hardly what it once was.

Rustler I believe was absorbed into Sizzler, but even they are not as big as they once were as well.  Rustler was short lived in the 1980's and I remember one in particular seen on the NJ Turnpike where it meets NJ 45 near Woodbury, NJ.  Obviously due to the lack of interchange there it was not a interchange service of the Turnpike, but made your mouth water for steak when driving past it.

I ate at that Sizzler many times. It's now a Diner/Sports Bar. There was a Ponderosa nearby as well, which is now a speciality car parts store.

1995hoo

Quote from: Big John on June 10, 2017, 10:56:46 PM
^^ There are still a few RR restaurants still open: http://www.royrogersrestaurants.com/store_locator

I ate at Roy Rogers yesterday, the one in the Manchester Lakes shopping center in Virginia, after playing golf. Place was quite busy, too. They still have the Fixin's Bar and most of the familiar menu items. They also now have a rewards program accessible via an app. Got me a $5 discount yesterday. That particular Roy Rogers is always WAY busier than the Boardwalk Burgers and Fries located about four doors down in the same shopping center. I'd say Boardwalk has better fries and Roy's has better everything else.

roadman65's list of states where Gino's "operated" is incomplete, as they were also in Virginia. I clearly remember the one on the corner of VA-236 and Prosperity Avenue, across the street from where the Walgreens is now. The Gino's became a Pizza Hut. My parents live near that location. The police station nearby used to be Pine Ridge Elementary, which I attended from kindergarten through third grade (the county then closed the school), and we took a walking field trip to Gino's one year as part of some sort of unit about jobs (I have no idea what we were studying, just too long ago). They'd never allow a walking field trip like that now because we had to cross TWO streets.

I believe there's still a Ponderosa in Charlottesville at the Pantops shopping center. Only Ponderosa I know of these days.

Regarding Wawa, I've bought gas at the one on Opitz Boulevard in Woodbridge and the main thing I noted is that their super unleaded is still 92 octane. That was the norm in this part of the country until the mid-1990s, at which time they all switched to 93 for whatever reason.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

jp the roadgeek

Apparently, Rite-Aid isn't as dead as we originally thought (yet).  Looks like they'll focus on their stores in their closer in markets in the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and Connecticut:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-scraps-rite-aid-bid-but-will-still-buy-some-stores/ar-BBDrjrX?li=AA4Zjn&ocid=spartandhp

Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

JJBers

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on June 29, 2017, 10:54:05 PM
Apparently, Rite-Aid isn't as dead as we originally thought (yet).  Looks like they'll focus on their stores in their closer in markets in the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and Connecticut:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-scraps-rite-aid-bid-but-will-still-buy-some-stores/ar-BBDrjrX?li=AA4Zjn&ocid=spartandhp
Huh...they seem to be in the west coast aswell

*for Connecticut
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inkyatari

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on June 29, 2017, 10:54:05 PM
Apparently, Rite-Aid isn't as dead as we originally thought (yet).  Looks like they'll focus on their stores in their closer in markets in the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and Connecticut:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-scraps-rite-aid-bid-but-will-still-buy-some-stores/ar-BBDrjrX?li=AA4Zjn&ocid=spartandhp

On the one hand, I'm disappointed that the merger wasn't pursued, but then on the other hand, I'm glad Wag's is buying almost 2200 stores.  Means work for me, but my raise come November will probably be crap.

(I'm a Wag IT employee)
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

SP Cook

Wikipedia is full of those footprint maps.  Most big bank articles have them.   I would love to know how these are made.

Anyway, Rite Aid and Walgreen's seem like a tough marriage, whether it be the now called off total deal or Walgreen's buying a large part of their stores.  They are just night and day on different edges of the specturm.  Rite Aid is so down market and the customer service is about the worst there is.  Whatever Rite Aids are taken over will need a big "come to Jesus" meeting with the employees to bring it up to acceptable levels, otherwise the reverse will happen.  Hate to see that happen to Walgreen's.


JJBers

Quote from: SP Cook on June 30, 2017, 09:59:06 AM
Wikipedia is full of those footprint maps.  Most big bank articles have them.   I would love to know how these are made.
Actually, I've made some myself, one with a local bank and one with Big Y. I made them using this tool: https://tools.wmflabs.org/magog/branchmapper/start.php and the zip codes of the places.
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1995hoo

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on June 29, 2017, 10:54:05 PM
Apparently, Rite-Aid isn't as dead as we originally thought (yet).  Looks like they'll focus on their stores in their closer in markets in the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and Connecticut:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-scraps-rite-aid-bid-but-will-still-buy-some-stores/ar-BBDrjrX?li=AA4Zjn&ocid=spartandhp



There's a Rite-Aid near our house, across from the Roy Rogers. I guess they need a K-Mart or Sears right there to complete the image, huh? The Roy's is always extremely busy, though. I've only been to the Rite-Aid once. I can't say it struck me as any different from the other ubiquitous chains like CVS or Walgreens, neither of which strike me as all that great either.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: JJBers on June 30, 2017, 01:18:19 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on June 29, 2017, 10:54:05 PM
Apparently, Rite-Aid isn't as dead as we originally thought (yet).  Looks like they'll focus on their stores in their closer in markets in the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and Connecticut:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-scraps-rite-aid-bid-but-will-still-buy-some-stores/ar-BBDrjrX?li=AA4Zjn&ocid=spartandhp
Huh...they seem to be in the west coast aswell

None in Texas?
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Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

JJBers

Quote from: 1995hoo on July 01, 2017, 11:53:43 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on June 29, 2017, 10:54:05 PM
Apparently, Rite-Aid isn't as dead as we originally thought (yet).  Looks like they'll focus on their stores in their closer in markets in the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and Connecticut:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/walgreens-scraps-rite-aid-bid-but-will-still-buy-some-stores/ar-BBDrjrX?li=AA4Zjn&ocid=spartandhp



There's a Rite-Aid near our house, across from the Roy Rogers. I guess they need a K-Mart or Sears right there to complete the image, huh? The Roy's is always extremely busy, though. I've only been to the Rite-Aid once. I can't say it struck me as any different from the other ubiquitous chains like CVS or Walgreens, neither of which strike me as all that great either.
I don't have a Rite-Aid until Norwich or Moosup around here.
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jp the roadgeek

I have 2 Rite Aids in my town (along with 2 CVS's and a Walgreens).  One of the Rite Aids was built about 10 years ago and is always clean and is actually pretty nice.  The other is about 35 years old, has very narrow junk strewn aisles, and the pharmacy is almost like a closet.  The latter one certainly would have closed if Walgreens had gone through with the merger because Walgreens built a store about a half mile from there about 15 years ago (across from a CVS, of course).
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

JJBers

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 02, 2017, 09:45:31 AM
I have 2 Rite Aids in my town (along with 2 CVS's and a Walgreens).  One of the Rite Aids was built about 10 years ago and is always clean and is actually pretty nice.  The other is about 35 years old, has very narrow junk strewn aisles, and the pharmacy is almost like a closet.  The latter one certainly would have closed if Walgreens had gone through with the merger because Walgreens built a store about a half mile from there about 15 years ago (across from a CVS, of course).
I've never been in a Rite-Aid before, and the one I got closest to was a Rite-Aid in East Lyme, which looked like it was built in 2010.
I have a CVS and a Walgreens in the town next to me. (Willimantic)
*for Connecticut
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sparker

Quote from: JJBers on July 02, 2017, 11:35:25 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on July 02, 2017, 09:45:31 AM
I have 2 Rite Aids in my town (along with 2 CVS's and a Walgreens).  One of the Rite Aids was built about 10 years ago and is always clean and is actually pretty nice.  The other is about 35 years old, has very narrow junk strewn aisles, and the pharmacy is almost like a closet.  The latter one certainly would have closed if Walgreens had gone through with the merger because Walgreens built a store about a half mile from there about 15 years ago (across from a CVS, of course).
I've never been in a Rite-Aid before, and the one I got closest to was a Rite-Aid in East Lyme, which looked like it was built in 2010.
I have a CVS and a Walgreens in the town next to me. (Willimantic)

There's one remaining Rite-Aid in my immediate neighborhood; it's in a strip of businesses next door to a Safeway that conveniently lacks a pharmacy (that particular market went "upscale" a few years back and installed a "gourmet" deli and bakery section and otherwise moved things around, with no remaining room for a pharmacy).  It does a decent business, despite a Walgreen's across the street -- but the employees have always been a bit clueless in regards to their inventory.  But it's likely that due to the fact that it's the only Rite-Aid within a 5-mile (or so) radius, it probably is bypassed by folks for prescription use (including myself) -- and that's the lifeline of such stores.  In reality the only reason to patronize the store is the occasional published special sale prices on demand items (12-packs of soda, snack items, or such things as OTC first-aid items). 

cl94

Quote from: JJBers on June 30, 2017, 12:18:46 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on June 30, 2017, 09:59:06 AM
Wikipedia is full of those footprint maps.  Most big bank articles have them.   I would love to know how these are made.
Actually, I've made some myself, one with a local bank and one with Big Y. I made them using this tool: https://tools.wmflabs.org/magog/branchmapper/start.php and the zip codes of the places.

Thanks for reminding me that tool existed. Think I might make a few for regional stores over my vacation time.
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