Chains Defunct in One Region Only to be Alive and Well in Others

[Big John]

A&W opened a few locations in Wisconsin inside gas stations

[roadman65]

I see one of the defunct businesses that closed on the east coast will be making a comeback in one of its former markets.

Jack In The Box will soon open up, since 1980, in Orlando/ Disney area.
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/food-drink/jack-in-the-box-will-make-a-return-to-florida-with-new-orlando-locations-33700345

[abefroman329]

Bojangles had a number of locations in Florida, but yanked most of them in the 90s. But they are slowly but surely making a comeback in the Sunshine State

The company also recently announced that they're opening three restaurants in Chicagoland.

[roadman65]

Bojangles had a number of locations in Florida, but yanked most of them in the 90s. But they are slowly but surely making a comeback in the Sunshine State

The company also recently announced that they're opening three restaurants in Chicagoland.

They're in Ocala/ Gainesville but were short lived along the I-4 corridor in a recent comeback.

Whataburger made a brief one year appearance in Orlando, but the company closed them despite them doin well.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

A&W opened a few locations in Wisconsin inside gas stations

I think A&W is still fairly common in the rural Midwest. Keep in mind A&W Canada and A&W US split off decades ago (many insist the former is light years superior, but I can't say for myself).

[Rothman]

A&W opened a few locations in Wisconsin inside gas stations

I think A&W is still fairly common in the rural Midwest. Keep in mind A&W Canada and A&W US split off decades ago (many insist the former is light years superior, but I can't say for myself).

It's really too bad.  Have to say that I generally find A&W franchises in the U.S. limping along, with a few notable exceptions.  In Canada, they're everywhere and standards seem to be kept higher.

[Rothman]

A&W seems to be rare in the U.S., but it's everywhere in Canada.

Sonic olny lasted about a year in Green Bay.

The worst Sonic I ever had the displeasure of going to (I can't say I ate there, because I never received my order) was in Middleton, Wisconsin. It didn't stay open long.

I don't know if Sonic doesn't manage their franchises well or what, but in general I avoid Sonic outside of Oklahoma, because despite being okay there, they're usually bad elsewhere.

The disparity between Sonic franchises has caused me to frequent them much less.  The one that opened in Latham, NY five years ago or so seemed well-run.  The ones in the Syracuse area are terrible.

[Scott5114]

I don't know if Sonic doesn't manage their franchises well or what, but in general I avoid Sonic outside of Oklahoma, because despite being okay there, they're usually bad elsewhere.

Sonic has gone downhill, even in Oklahoma, in the last 5 years or so. It's gotten to the point that I've started avoiding their chicken strips (which used to be my go-to) since they're frequently overcooked.

At least the limeades are still excellent.

[hbelkins]

OTOH, I've never had a bad Sonic meal, although I eat there much, much less often because prices have skyrocketed unless you can find a good deal in the app.

[roadman65]

Sonics I very rarely frequent,  but the few times I have been wasn’t bad.

A & W in Florida are usually paired with LongJohn Silvers in the same manner some Taco Bell’s are paired in one store with KFC.  Those all are under one parent company, a subsidiary of a Pepsi Cola investment, so they create two express stores to become one normal size store of two brand names they operate for convenience.

Never seen a solo A & W here in Florida.

[Rothman]

I don't believe A&W is owned by PepsiCo.

[Road Hog]

A&W used to be a Yum Brands joint. Often paired with Long John Silver's in a combination A&W and Long John Silver's. (Much like KFC and Taco Bell being paired in a combination KFC and Taco Bell. Same company.) Except the former two brands were spun off.

Yum now owns The Habit, which I'd love to see expanded past the West Coast like A&W did the Midwest.

[abefroman329]

A&W used to be a Yum Brands joint. Often paired with Long John Silver's in a combination A&W and Long John Silver's. (Much like KFC and Taco Bell being paired in a combination KFC and Taco Bell. Same company.) Except the former two brands were spun off.

I didn't know that.  That might explain why the combination LJS/A&W in Chesterton, IN closed a few years ago.

[Pete from Boston]

Probably been covered, but Long John Silver's was all over the Northeast 35 years ago and then vanished from it entirely. I was surprised some years back to discover it still exists in abundance elsewhere. In recent years it has trickled back into the Northeast as part of the Yum Brands pairings, but it seems like those outlets really deemphasize the LJS side of things, and in fact the last time I tried to go to one, they only did Taco Bell products on weekends.

[ibthebigd]

Long John Silvers has closed a lot of locations around the Lexington Kentucky area.

Did Lee's Famous Recipe used to be bigger? All over Central Kentucky and I know New Castle Indiana has one.

SM-G996U

[JoePCool14]

I can't speak for most A&W's, but the one off 41/94 in Racine County is a relatively new location and usually has a good amount of customers. I'm a fan of their food and the service, both are high quality, similar to Culver's.

[JayhawkCO]

I just looked and realized that Bennigan's has more international brick & mortar locations than domestic ones (which are all either in the Midwest or Texas).

[Flint1979]

Long John Silver's closed a couple of locations one in Saginaw (Shields) and one in Bay City. The one in Shields was recently demolished and the Burger King that was located next door has closed as well. Burger King still has a presence in the area but has closed many locations.

Here's a GSV of the BK in Shields with the closed LJS.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4158388,-84.0678394,3a,39.6y,309.39h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdmqpOOqkjXQkMpuZ0TBbw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

[catch22]

Long John Silver's closed a couple of locations one in Saginaw (Shields) and one in Bay City. The one in Shields was recently demolished and the Burger King that was located next door has closed as well. Burger King still has a presence in the area but has closed many locations.

Here's a GSV of the BK in Shields with the closed LJS.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4158388,-84.0678394,3a,39.6y,309.39h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdmqpOOqkjXQkMpuZ0TBbw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Speaking of Burger King, a BK franchisee that had a lot of SE Michigan locations closed 26 locations a few weeks ago, including the one closest to my house that's been there since the early 1970s.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/03/27/26-burger-king-closures-in-metro-detroit-to-cause-hundreds-of-layoffs/

[Flint1979]

Long John Silver's closed a couple of locations one in Saginaw (Shields) and one in Bay City. The one in Shields was recently demolished and the Burger King that was located next door has closed as well. Burger King still has a presence in the area but has closed many locations.

Here's a GSV of the BK in Shields with the closed LJS.
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.4158388,-84.0678394,3a,39.6y,309.39h,90t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSdmqpOOqkjXQkMpuZ0TBbw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Speaking of Burger King, a BK franchisee that had a lot of SE Michigan locations closed 26 locations a few weeks ago, including the one closest to my house that's been there since the early 1970s.

https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/local/2023/03/27/26-burger-king-closures-in-metro-detroit-to-cause-hundreds-of-layoffs/

Wow 12 of them in the city alone plus 2 in Flint. I'm surprised the one on Fort and Trumbull hasn't closed yet.

[roadman65]

Long John Silvers used to be everywhere in Florida. Now you're lucky to find one.

As far as Burger King goes I heard in a recent business report stated, they're planning to close over 400 stores nationwide.  It's sad to hear as they along with McDonalds were the two largest dominant burger chains in America.

Then again look at Sears, who would think of them in the seventies being almost defunct in this decade.  Plus their catalog was the precursor to Amazon.  If they only innovated and went along with progress they would be Amazon and not in trouble.

[jakeroot]

There are at least four restaurant chains that have all gone defunct in Washington State, that I now enjoy in Japan:

* TGI Friday's
* Chili's (Kadena AB)
* Dunkin Donuts (also Kadena AB)
* Tony Roma's

There are also many Shakey's Pizza restaurants here, though there are still two locations in WA (still a shell of what it used to be).

While defunct as a brand in the US, Japan also still has Kinko's.

[formulanone]

* Tony Roma's

Similarly, Swiss Chalet is still plentiful in the Toronto area (it started there), but pulled out of Florida in the late-1990s. Later, all operations in the US disappeared.

We used to visit one or the other a few times a year. I remember getting ribs at either one as a kid, and that was a treat.

[abefroman329]

* Tony Roma's

I ate at the one in Akasaka about fifteen years ago.  It was a nice treat after two weeks of seafood for lunch and dinner.

[SP Cook]

PepsiCo spun off YUM Brands in 1997, it has no role in the company since then.  A lot of people think that PepsiCo still owns or has some control over the three core YUM brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell) because they are among the few fast food chains that serve Pepsi, but this is not so.  Pepsi signed YUM to a long term deal back then and then spun it off.

A&W USA is a privately owned company.  YUM Brands spun off Long John Silvers and A&W in 2011, having bought the two chains in 2022.

A&W the root beer brand is a part of Keurig-Dr Pepper, everywhere but Canada.

A&W Canada is a totally separate private company.  A&W USA sold it off in 1972.   It owns both the restaurant and root beer trademarks in Canada.  A&W is bottled in Canada by Coca-Cola.

The three A&W companies have no relationship except for a shared ownership of the trademark.