Defunct restaurant chains and retailers

[snowc]

Sagebrush and Texas Steakhouse have only 3 locations in NC.
Sagebrush has 2 and TX Steakhouse has 1 left.
The one in Dunn is the only one in the area left.
One other in Smithfield (TXSteakhouse) and SB in Morehead City.
Bryce

[roadman65]

Sam Goody.   That was a national record store we bought our Albums (later cd's) before the internet made it possible to get music on demand, to you younger people.


In the New York City area there was Record World, who also ran specials with The Record Shops at TSS (Times Square Stores).

TSS, which was once popular in NYC that is long gone.

[snowc]

Sam Goody.   That was a national record store we bought our Albums (later cd's) before the internet made it possible to get music on demand, to you younger people.


In the New York City area there was Record World, who also ran specials with The Record Shops at TSS (Times Square Stores).

TSS, which was once popular in NYC that is long gone.

We had one in Dunn, now replaced by Gamestop.
Also, Mailboxes Etc, became UPS Store, closed in 2009 in Dunn.
Hallmark in Dunn.
Bryce

[D-Dey65]

Sam Goody.   That was a national record store we bought our Albums (later cd's) before the internet made it possible to get music on demand, to you younger people.


In the New York City area there was Record World, who also ran specials with The Record Shops at TSS (Times Square Stores).

TSS, which was once popular in NYC that is long gone.

TSS also bought a lot of White's department stores, even after they merged with Modell's.

I remember the radio commercials for Record World and The Record Shops at TSS. But originally, I thought they were singing "Stop the music" at the end, rather than "Shop the music."

Okay, now I'm looking for a YouTube Poop of those commercials, where they actually sing "Stop the Music."

[Stephane Dumas]

Seems then Burger Chef had once some locations in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) from what I read on that blog post.
https://torontoist.com/2012/10/vintage-toronto-ads-burger-chefs-monstrous-opening/

And some ex-Burger Chef restaurants was converted into Crock & Block restaurant like that one in Barrie.
https://www.barriearchive.ca/2017/02/25/crock-block-says-goodnight/

[Ted$8roadFan]

When i lived in the Philadelphia area, i used to shop at Genuardi's, a regional grocery store. They were bought out by Safeway and then closed. I miss them.

[elsmere241]

When i lived in the Philadelphia area, i used to shop at Genuardi's, a regional grocery store. They were bought out by Safeway and then closed. I miss them.

One of my temp jobs in 2002 was to help "Safeway-ize" a Genuardi's near Kennett Square.  Apparently they undid it with the "Genuardi's is back" campaign not much later.

[1995hoo]

Sam Goody.   That was a national record store we bought our Albums (later cd's) before the internet made it possible to get music on demand, to you younger people.

....

CDs are albums, except for the rare instance of CD singles (including the old 3-inch CDs that never really succeeded). Abbey Road is still an album regardless of whether it's on LP, CD, cassette, 8-track, download, boxed set, whatever.

Your comment prompts me to remember Waxie Maxie's, another record store that around here was not located in shopping malls (unlike Sam Goody), as well as some of the mall-centered bookstore chains like B. Dalton and Waldenbooks (and later Brentano's, which was a spiffier version of Waldenbooks).

[formulanone]

...except for the rare instance of CD singles (including the old 3-inch CDs that never really succeeded).

About once a year, I fumble through my desk drawers, and bump into that Nine Inch Nails mini-CD that hasn't been played since 1992.

[bulldog1979]

Sam Goody.   That was a national record store we bought our Albums (later cd's) before the internet made it possible to get music on demand, to you younger people.

....

CDs are albums, except for the rare instance of CD singles (including the old 3-inch CDs that never really succeeded). Abbey Road is still an album regardless of whether it's on LP, CD, cassette, 8-track, download, boxed set, whatever.

Your comment prompts me to remember Waxie Maxie's, another record store that around here was not located in shopping malls (unlike Sam Goody), as well as some of the mall-centered bookstore chains like B. Dalton and Waldenbooks (and later Brentano's, which was a spiffier version of Waldenbooks).

For those of us with connections to northeast Wisconsin, we can no longer "say with me, The Exclusive Company". That music store chain in the state announced in April that it is shutting down after the death of its founder last year.

[kirbykart]

This was probably already mentioned, but Howard Johnson's was a big chain that was reduced to one location in Lake George, NY. But not long ago that location closed as well.
Near me, an extremely local chain, Brooks Market. It had like 4 or 5 locations at its peak. It had long been reduced to just two (Cattaraugus and Little Valley). Someone bought out the LV one and renamed it Cornerstone Market, but that shut down not long after. The Cattaraugus location was the last to go, sometime during the early stages of the pandemic if I remember correctly.

[Stephane Dumas]

The guys of WatchMojo did a top 20 about fast food chains that don't exist anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nB5H3Lx2_4

[thenetwork]

The guys of WatchMojo did a top 20 about fast food chains that don't exist anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nB5H3Lx2_4

And I always thought Red Barn was just an Ohio/Michigan area restaurant.  I never knew how widespread they were in their heyday.

That is definitely a chain that could've still been around today if the corporate mergers back then didn't ultimately kill them.

[hbelkins]

I loved Burger Chef. In my mind, Burger King is the successor to that chain, based on the taste of the burgers.

[Big John]

I loved Burger Chef. In my mind, Burger King is the successor to that chain, based on the taste of the burgers.

Hardee's bought up Burger Chef in 1981.

[Dirt Roads]

I loved Burger Chef. In my mind, Burger King is the successor to that chain, based on the taste of the burgers.

Ouch.  The main draw of Burger Chef was the Fixin's Bar.  Two cheap cheeseburgers could be made into a double decker with 4 or 5 inches of stuff piled high (ergo, a Dagwood Burger).  Plus, their hamburger relish was as good as homemade variation that I've ever had (some stores had a good hotdog relish that was tasty on burgers also).  Nobody that I knew ever used the drive thru because you were going to unwrap a "to-go" burger and fix it up the way you wanted it.  I don't remember ever paying more than 37 cents for a cheeseburger there.  My folks surmised that I was the main reason they couldn't stay in business.

[Rushmeister]

I loved Burger Chef.

Me, too.  From the late '60s through the early '80s, Burger Chef locations in Lafayette, Indiana, were a regular stop on my family's shopping trips.  Over time, we visited all six of the Lafayette-area Burger Chefs -- the US 52 Bypass East and Greenbush St locations probably got the most traffic from us.  Man, I could sure go for a Big Shef right now!

Long after the Hardee's take-over, a stubborn franchisee remained in operation in Danville, Illinois.  We used to make road trips from Lafayette to Danville to savor its culinary delights and revel in the nostalgia of it all.  That lasted until sometime in the '90s when upon one visit to Danville, we found that the last-remaining Burger Chef was, indeed, gone for good.  Almost lost the will to live right then and there.

[Stephane Dumas]

I loved Burger Chef.

Me, too.  From the late '60s through the early '80s, Burger Chef locations in Lafayette, Indiana, were a regular stop on my family's shopping trips.  Over time, we visited all six of the Lafayette-area Burger Chefs -- the US 52 Bypass East and Greenbush St locations probably got the most traffic from us.  Man, I could sure go for a Big Shef right now!

Long after the Hardee's take-over, a stubborn franchisee remained in operation in Danville, Illinois.  We used to make road trips from Lafayette to Danville to savor its culinary delights and revel in the nostalgia of it all.  That lasted until sometime in the '90s when upon one visit to Danville, we found that the last-remaining Burger Chef was, indeed, gone for good.  Almost lost the will to live right then and there.

From what I read on these blogs, there's was another stubborn franchisee who remained in operation in Tennessee until 1996.
http://www.brokenchains.blog/2018/07/burger-chef-lives-and-her-name-is-suzi.html
https://burgerbeast.com/burger-chef/

We got to give some kudos to the producers of the tv show Mad Men to revive Burger Chef for one episode.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObzdhnQzPy0

[skluth]

Sam Goody.   That was a national record store we bought our Albums (later cd's) before the internet made it possible to get music on demand, to you younger people.

....

CDs are albums, except for the rare instance of CD singles (including the old 3-inch CDs that never really succeeded). Abbey Road is still an album regardless of whether it's on LP, CD, cassette, 8-track, download, boxed set, whatever.

Your comment prompts me to remember Waxie Maxie's, another record store that around here was not located in shopping malls (unlike Sam Goody), as well as some of the mall-centered bookstore chains like B. Dalton and Waldenbooks (and later Brentano's, which was a spiffier version of Waldenbooks).

For those of us with connections to northeast Wisconsin, we can no longer "say with me, The Exclusive Company". That music store chain in the state announced in April that it is shutting down after the death of its founder last year.

That's sad news. I remember when they were Pipedreams in Green Bay before they became (or were absorbed) by the Exclusive Company. Really cool store that several artists visited when they toured through Green Bay. My cousin went to see Ozzy when he was in town promoting his latest in the early 80s.

[D-Dey65]

If I'm not mistaken, there might still be some Thunderbird Inns and Motels around. I know of two former ones near Florence, South Carolina;

and Bel Alton, Maryland;

I knew there used to be one somewhere along US 301 in northern Georgia, because I spotted it on Google Street View years ago when I was doing research for the Wikipedia article on US 301.

[GCrites]

Oh man, drive your Thunderbird there and have a bottle or two of Thunderbird wine in the back.

[wriddle082]

There is a Thunderbird Inn on W. Oglethorpe near Downtown Savannah.  Very close to the off-ramp from the Talmadge Bridge.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/fFtS7Go4dcuMUrGH8?g_st=ic
This one has been restored and is quite a treat to stay at if you're a nostalgia buff.

[roadman65]

https://www.wideopencountry.com/bonanza-steakhouse/
Bonanza Steakhouse.

Interesting find. According to this article the late Bonanza star Dan Blocker opened that chain's first store.

[roadman65]

If I'm not mistaken, there might still be some Thunderbird Inns and Motels around. I know of two former ones near Florence, South Carolina;

and Bel Alton, Maryland;

I knew there used to be one somewhere along US 301 in northern Georgia, because I spotted it on Google Street View years ago when I was doing research for the Wikipedia article on US 301.

A popular resort on Treasure Island near St. Pete, FL is named that.  However, don't know if it's the same chain.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ghvj1x6dyWLd2wyUA

There was a Thunderbird in Fitchburg, MA in the seventies my family stayed there as the nearby Leominster Holiday was out of rooms. In those days, Holiday Inn would find you another motel ( preferably their own, but cross the line if the property was isolated from the rest) if the location was sold out as part of their promise.  They booked us there with you needing a room key to open the door to the pool.

Again it might be that Thunderbird is a cool name and not part of a chain and, of course, names aren't patented in business use. Only their logos are.