Hilarious chain knockoffs

[oscar]

As for Dairy King, that one kills me.  Thank you for posting that.  It reminds me of a Burger Queen I saw many years ago.  I just wish I could remember where it was.

I saw a Burger Queen in southern Oregon (I think Lakeview) in 2011 or so.  It was not a Burger King knockoff.  But that caught my eye anyway, since for a time one of my college classmates was known as the "Burger Queen" when she was a senior vice president at Burger King.

[empirestate]

As for Dairy King, that one kills me.  Thank you for posting that.  It reminds me of a Burger Queen I saw many years ago.  I just wish I could remember where it was.

I saw a Burger Queen in southern Oregon (I think Lakeview) in 2011 or so.  It was not a Burger King knockoff.  But that caught my eye anyway, since for a time one of my college classmates was known as the "Burger Queen" when she was a senior vice president at Burger King.

The one I'm most familiar with is in Ketchikan, AK: http://goo.gl/maps/Bb226

[hbelkins]

I've been by the Dairy Queen in Grafton. It is a DQ franchisee. I"m pretty sure I have a photo of it somewhere.

As for Burger Queen, there was a Kentucky-based chain called Burger Queen back in the 1970s and early 80s. The mascot was Queenie Bee. She'd have fit in well in that video from the late 80s by the band (name escapes me) that was led by Axl Rose's buddy, Shannon Hoon. In many small Kentucky towns, they were the only fast-food restaurant before McDonald's went on an expansion kick.

They changed their name to Druther's (slogan: I'd ruther go to Druther's Restaurant) in the late 80s and eventually got bought out by Dairy Queen.

There are actually a couple of Druther's Restaurants left in Kentucky, from what I understand. Somewhere in the true central part of the state (Lebanon, Campbellsville area).

[djsinco]

I used to frequent the Burger Queen in Lebanon, TN, back in the late 1970's. It was part of the chain hbelkins is describing. I was particularly fond of the fish, which was better quality than most other fast-food fish. This restaurant was one block from the courthouse square in Lebanon and I believe it is now the site of a gas station.

[Takumi]

in that video from the late 80s by the band (name escapes me) that was led by Axl Rose's buddy, Shannon Hoon.

Blind Melon. The song was called "No Rain" and it was actually from the early 90s.

[hbelkins]

I used to frequent the Burger Queen in Lebanon, TN, back in the late 1970's. It was part of the chain hbelkins is describing. I was particularly fond of the fish, which was better quality than most other fast-food fish. This restaurant was one block from the courthouse square in Lebanon and I believe it is now the site of a gas station.

Yes, the fish at Burger Queen/Druther's was very good.

I've been by the Dairy Queen in Grafton. It is a DQ franchisee. I"m pretty sure I have a photo of it somewhere.

Found it...

http://www.millenniumhwy.net/WV_Eastern_Panhandle_June_2004_Day_1/WV_Eastern_Panhandle_June_2004_Day_1-Pages/Image34.html

[djsinco]

Anyone remember "Po' Folks?" It was a knockoff of Cracker Barrel. I only remember seeing a couple in the Roanoke area, but it seemed like only part of a larger group. They definitely made fun of hillbillies, and probably went a bit too far for today's PC culture.

Jeff Foxworthy had a BBQ restaurant on 192 in Kissimmee for a brief period in the 1990's, IIRC. There was a car on blocks, a broken washing machine, and a moonshine still in the "front yard." The "booths" were old picnic tables and the seats were old beat up pickup truck tailgates. The food was quite good, and I met Jeff there as I just happened to be there for the grand opening. He said he planned to create a franchise and hoped to someday be known more for BBQ than comedy. Now, from a web search, it appears as though he is giving it another run, with perhaps less lofty long-term goals.

[formulanone]

I remember Po Folks, Cracker Barrel hadn't made it to South Florida, but they did. I remember that the drinks were served in Mason jars. Only lasted a few years; wouldn't really call it a knockoff, though.

[djsinco]

Right, I had forgotten about the Mason jars, although I think I only ate there one time, and that was 25 years or so ago!

[kphoger]

I'm saddened to learn that the Dairy King in Last Chance, Colorado, has closed (along with the rest of the town, basically).  I fondly remember stopping there on the way to or from Denver for a Cyclone or a Hurricane or whatever their version of the Blizzard was called.

[1995hoo]

I remember Po Folks. There was one in Fairfax City that's now an Outback.

There was a small chain of "6-12" convenience stores in the DC area at one time, probably back in the 1980s.

I seem to recall that in the early 1990s there was a restaurant in Baltimore with big-breasted waitresses operating under the name "Knockers."

[Takumi]

South Hill, VA has a Brian's Steakhouse (instead of Ryan's).

[corco]

How about the Giles and Johnson Automart in Ucon, Idaho

[Stephane Dumas]

Not technically a knockoff, but a McDonald's in Queens was converted into a McDowell's in the movie "Coming to America" with Eddie Murphy. http://barilski.blogspot.ca/2012/01/coming-to-america-and-finding-mcdowells.html

Should we include the fictionnal knockoffs chains used in movies and tv series?

Edit: the restaurant in question was a Wendy's and not a McDonald's.   

[broadhurst04]

South Hill, VA has a Brian's Steakhouse (instead of Ryan's).

I've eaten there. It's pretty good. If you can find a place to park

[thenetwork]

Two knockoff that come to my mind:

1) Somewhere in northern Ohio (Strongsville??) there was a Red Barn restaurant that went under with the rest of the chain.  Someone kept nearly all of the decor & signage and renamed it The Farm, turning it into a Family/Bob Evans-styled restaurant.

2) Somewhere on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, SC, there was a hotel/motel called Holiday Inn that was not related to the actual Holiday Inn chain.  IIRC, they used the same colors (green & white) as the big guys for their sign and outer decor.

3) There used to be a pizza joint in Parma, Ohio called Holiday Pizza.  Not sure if they got a good deal on a used green & white sign, but the Holiday script font was exactly like the hotel's with only the word Pizza in a completely different font.

[Takumi]

Around the time I was born, my hometown (Colonial Heights, VA) had a pizza place called Pizza Cabin. By the time I was old enough to appreciate pizza, it had closed.

[iowahighways]

Kind of what Motel 6 used to say: "With your eyes closed, all motel rooms look the same."

A former Motel 6 in Coralville, IA, became "Super 7" about a year ago -- the sign still uses Motel 6's color scheme, with a red "7" on a blue background. (They have a website, too.) Never mind the fact that there is a Super 8 just down the street...

[agentsteel53]

Should we include the fictionnal knockoffs chains used in movies and tv series?

if so, a mention must be made of certain 7-11s being turned into Kwik-E-Marts around the time of the release of the Simpsons movie.  I wish I had gone inside the one I passed randomly, so I could have ascertained the existence of Squishees. 

[NJRoadfan]

The "Mountain Inn" in Rockaway, NJ kinda-sorta uses a sign styled after a Holiday Inn. I wonder if it is an ex-franchise.

http://goo.gl/maps/yOg9j

[CNGL-Leudimin]

When I first saw this thread, nothing came to my mind. But yesterday I was walking around in Zaragoza when I came across a sign which read King Fried Chicken, and I took a photo with my cell phone (I will upload it later). But it was not the only one, just across the street I found a Conrad Fried Chicken. Two knockoffs of KFC at the same spot.

[PHLBOS]

This is somewhere off of South Street in Philadelphia... or at least was in December of 2005:

A few years ago, there were two 7-Eleven knockoffs in Delaware County, PA: one called 7-Heaven in Clifotn Hieghts the other called 7-Twelve in Springfield.  Believe it or not, Corporate 7-Eleven complained and filed suit claiming trademark infringement IIRC.  As a result, both places changed their names; the former 7-Heaven in Clifton Heights is now called the No Name store.

FYI, there's also a Diary King in Marcus Hook, PA along PA 452.

[NE2]

FYI, there's also a Diary King in Marcus Hook, PA along PA 452.

Do they sell stationery?

[PHLBOS]

FYI, there's also a Diary King in Marcus Hook, PA along PA 452.

Do they sell stationery?

I don't believe so.  Apparently, their 'official' name is the Linwood Diary King but their logo downplays the Linwood (a section of Lower Chichester Township located just north of Marcus Hook) part.


Here's their website:
http://linwooddairyking.ambz.com/index.html

[djsinco]

Can we all say, over his head?