Defunct restaurant chains and retailers

[TheHighwayMan3561]

As of last year there was still a Bonanza in St. Cloud. I haven't checked on its latest status but it was in a good location and seemed busy enough.

[briantroutman]

Regarding the quality of stores (Rite Aid vs. CVS vs. Walgreens):

Perhaps my experience is skewed having generally lived closer to the home territories of Rite Aid and CVS (and therefore, some of their older stores). But it seems that both of those chains are far less aggressive than Walgreens in terms of weeding out or renovating older locations. I've seen plenty of tired, small CVSes and Rite Aids still hanging on in declining strip malls, but it seems every Walgreens I've encountered (except in downtown areas) is a fairly new superstore-type of location.

[JJBers]

Regarding the quality of stores (Rite Aid vs. CVS vs. Walgreens):

Perhaps my experience is skewed having generally lived closer to the home territories of Rite Aid and CVS (and therefore, some of their older stores). But it seems that both of those chains are far less aggressive than Walgreens in terms of weeding out or renovating older locations. I've seen plenty of tired, small CVSes and Rite Aids still hanging on in declining strip malls, but it seems every Walgreens I've encountered (except in downtown areas) is a fairly new superstore-type of location.

Huh, my CVS is the same, if not newer than my Walgreens

[roadman65]

Pappy Pizza in Northern Delaware and South Central PA are one that had good pizza!  They still have one left, according to the internet, but its in Johnstown, PA.

Another chain that condensed to only one store was Chesapeake Seafood House, now located in Potomac Mills in Northern VA.  They used to be in Fairfax County in various locations and had two in PA, one on Roosevelt Blvd. in Philly and the other in Langhorne, PA next to Oxford Valley Mall.

[inkyatari]

Who remembers Borden Burger?  I recall one in Orlando somewhere near Disney way back in the 70's

[JJBers]

Who remembers Borden Burger?  I recall one in Orlando somewhere near Disney way back in the 70's

69 cents for a burger!

[sparker]

Back in the late '80's and through most of the '90's there was a very unusual chain of electronic stores in Northern California called Sound Goods.  They stocked the usual cross-section of consumer electronics (portables, some smaller TV's -- this was before flat-screen -- and video cameras) but also had several lines of high-end (mostly vacuum tube) electronics -- and they advertised discounts (not too deep) on these normally non-discounted lines, a practice discouraged by most specialty audio manufacturers.  This, and the fact that they had a dozen or so stores scattered around the Bay Area as well as Sacramento, allowed them to grab a substantial chunk of the audio-store market (this was after the demise of most of the "mainstream" chains like Pacific Stereo as well as the decline of latter-day equivalents like Good Guys).  They saw the "writing on the wall" early regarding the decline of the "brick & mortar" audio store, so they broadened their appeal by moving upscale.  Unfortunately, the changing of consumer tastes toward "convenience" products and the advances of mail-order (and later, web-based) retailing doomed Sound Goods; they couldn't make up for losses at the entry-level by supplying high-end stuff, even at discounted prices.  Also, the competence of their sales force seemed to vary drastically, with knowledgeable staff functioning along with functional voids who couldn't sell a higher-end product if their life (and that of the chain!) depended upon it.  They had a "fire sale" about 1998 in order to get rid of inventory; I was living in Anaheim at the time but almost came up to see if I could get a bargain on some VTL tube amps, one of their main product lines -- but when I called to check if they had any inventory left of that stuff, they said they had moved most of that product sideways to other dealers. 

It was a good broad-based business model.....provided they had a customer base that was interested in higher-quality sound reproduction -- and wanted a place to audition such.  When that dissipated in the late '90's, they just couldn't compete with mass marketing whether in the form of a physical store or mail-order/net based.   

[doorknob60]

Regarding the quality of stores (Rite Aid vs. CVS vs. Walgreens):

Perhaps my experience is skewed having generally lived closer to the home territories of Rite Aid and CVS (and therefore, some of their older stores). But it seems that both of those chains are far less aggressive than Walgreens in terms of weeding out or renovating older locations. I’ve seen plenty of tired, small CVSes and Rite Aids still hanging on in declining strip malls, but it seems every Walgreens I’ve encountered (except in downtown areas) is a fairly new superstore-type of location.

That seems to be the biggest issue with Rite Aid's image. Almost every Walgreens around here looks about the same. They all look pretty new, they're all in standalone buildings with similar, familiar, pretty good looking design. Rite Aid does have some locations like that. A new Rite Aid just opened about a mile from where I live, and it's very nice. One the outside, it looks like, well, Walgreens haha. But they have a lot of older locations. One near downtown Boise is in an old marina-style Safeway building. The one in downtown Meridian is in an ugly looking strip mall. The ones in Bend, OR are in older strip malls.

That said, a lot of these older locations have received interior redesigns that make them look and feel just as nice as the newer locations, on the inside. But you'd never know unless you went inside (which a lot of people probably just don't bother, especially if there is a Walgreens in a new building a few blocks away, which there often is).

In terms of customer service, prices, selection, etc., I have no preference towards Walgreens or Rite Aid, they both seem the same (we don't have CVS here so can't compare to that).

[inkyatari]

Regarding the quality of stores (Rite Aid vs. CVS vs. Walgreens):

Perhaps my experience is skewed having generally lived closer to the home territories of Rite Aid and CVS (and therefore, some of their older stores). But it seems that both of those chains are far less aggressive than Walgreens in terms of weeding out or renovating older locations. I've seen plenty of tired, small CVSes and Rite Aids still hanging on in declining strip malls, but it seems every Walgreens I've encountered (except in downtown areas) is a fairly new superstore-type of location.

That seems to be the biggest issue with Rite Aid's image. Almost every Walgreens around here looks about the same. They all look pretty new, they're all in standalone buildings with similar, familiar, pretty good looking design. Rite Aid does have some locations like that. A new Rite Aid just opened about a mile from where I live, and it's very nice. One the outside, it looks like, well, Walgreens haha. But they have a lot of older locations. One near downtown Boise is in an old marina-style Safeway building. The one in downtown Meridian is in an ugly looking strip mall. The ones in Bend, OR are in older strip malls.

That said, a lot of these older locations have received interior redesigns that make them look and feel just as nice as the newer locations, on the inside. But you'd never know unless you went inside (which a lot of people probably just don't bother, especially if there is a Walgreens in a new building a few blocks away, which there often is).

In terms of customer service, prices, selection, etc., I have no preference towards Walgreens or Rite Aid, they both seem the same (we don't have CVS here so can't compare to that).

I could say something about this, but NDA's and all...

[Mr_Northside]

Pappy Pizza in Northern Delaware and South Central PA are one that had good pizza!  They still have one left, according to the internet, but its in Johnstown, PA.

The Johnston area has a "Pappy's Family Pub" that I ate at in the mid '90s (and totally forgot about until reading your sentence).  Couldn't tell you what I had, and I don't recall ever seeing another one.
And according to street view it is still there and open as of 2015

https://goo.gl/maps/9rqnAKA3HtK2

[Roadgeekteen]

Pappy Pizza in Northern Delaware and South Central PA are one that had good pizza!  They still have one left, according to the internet, but its in Johnstown, PA.

The Johnston area has a "Pappy's Family Pub" that I ate at in the mid '90s (and totally forgot about until reading your sentence).  Couldn't tell you what I had, and I don't recall ever seeing another one.
And according to street view it is still there and open as of 2015

https://goo.gl/maps/9rqnAKA3HtK2

this sounds like a kiddie tv show.

[cjk374]

The Rite-Aids here used to be K & B Drugstores when I was a kid. The one near me in Ruston was in an older strip mall in the 80s & 90s. They built their own place in the mid to late 90s, then the strip mall was destroyed 10 years later.

It was only a few years later that Wal-Greens built their new location right across the street from Rite-Aid.

What keeps both places going? The "hospital" (I use quotes because we all call that place "the place you go to try to die") is nearby.

[JJBers]

Pappy Pizza in Northern Delaware and South Central PA are one that had good pizza!  They still have one left, according to the internet, but its in Johnstown, PA.

The Johnston area has a "Pappy's Family Pub" that I ate at in the mid '90s (and totally forgot about until reading your sentence).  Couldn't tell you what I had, and I don't recall ever seeing another one.
And according to street view it is still there and open as of 2015

https://goo.gl/maps/9rqnAKA3HtK2

this sounds like a kiddie tv show.

Because alcohol and bars are a kid-friendly topic

[JJBers]

The Rite-Aids here used to be K & B Drugstores when I was a kid. The one near me in Ruston was in an older strip mall in the 80s & 90s. They built their own place in the mid to late 90s, then the strip mall was destroyed 10 years later.

It was only a few years later that Wal-Greens built their new location right across the street from Rite-Aid.

What keeps both places going? The "hospital" (I use quotes because we all call that place "the place you go to try to die") is nearby.

The Walgreen's in my town is a stones-throw away from the local hospital

[slorydn1]

The Rite-Aids here used to be K & B Drugstores when I was a kid. The one near me in Ruston was in an older strip mall in the 80s & 90s. They built their own place in the mid to late 90s, then the strip mall was destroyed 10 years later.

It was only a few years later that Wal-Greens built their new location right across the street from Rite-Aid.

What keeps both places going? The "hospital" (I use quotes because we all call that place "the place you go to try to die") is nearby.

The Walgreen's in my town is a stones-throw away from the local hospital

Same here. Walgreens is directly across the street from the hospital.

[noelbotevera]

The Rite-Aids here used to be K & B Drugstores when I was a kid. The one near me in Ruston was in an older strip mall in the 80s & 90s. They built their own place in the mid to late 90s, then the strip mall was destroyed 10 years later.

It was only a few years later that Wal-Greens built their new location right across the street from Rite-Aid.

What keeps both places going? The "hospital" (I use quotes because we all call that place "the place you go to try to die") is nearby.

The Walgreen's in my town is a stones-throw away from the local hospital

Same here. Walgreens is directly across the street from the hospital.

Also the same here. It's just separated by a Taco Bell, a neighborhood street, and the hospital parking lot, but aside from that it's adjacent to the hospital.

[DJStephens]

Zayre's.  A defunct New England chain.
Diary Queen.  There used to be three in las Cruces, down to one, but it is popular, probably because it is the last one, and customers are loyal to it.   

[SP Cook]

Diary Queen.

Far from defunct.  Belongs to that POS Warren Buffett.  According to its website, it has over 6000 outlets in 20 countries. 

Trivia.  Unlike most franchises, whatever DQ had when a particular franchisee bought in is all he has the rights to.  Anything new has to be bought.  There are some old time franchisees who bought only the ice cream and either have their own food (which they must put in generic wrappers) or just the ice cream.  The state of Texas was sold all at once and has its own food and its own website different from the rest of the USA.  Also each restaurant can make its own soda deal, and DQ corporate produces menu boards and stock photos with both Coke and the imitator.

[1995hoo]

I've never been to a "Diary Queen." As to Dairy Queen, there's one half a mile from our house that always seems quite busy.

[JJBers]

I've never been to a "Diary Queen." As to Dairy Queen, there's one half a mile from our house that always seems quite busy.

Classic book store, based mostly in New Mexico, though they've been doing poorly thanks to e-sales in the last decade

[thenetwork]

I've never been to a "Diary Queen." As to Dairy Queen, there's one half a mile from our house that always seems quite busy.

Classic book store, based mostly in New Mexico, though they've been doing poorly thanks to e-sales in the last decade

Tried to go to the one in Farmington, but there was a leather strap and lock around the door handles.  Probably could have easily picked the lock to get inside, but I respect their privacy.

[cpzilliacus]

Another chain that condensed to only one store was Chesapeake Seafood House, now located in Potomac Mills in Northern VA.  They used to be in Fairfax County in various locations and had two in PA, one on Roosevelt Blvd. in Philly and the other in Langhorne, PA next to Oxford Valley Mall.

There were several of them in various  places in Maryland too.

[cpzilliacus]

Zayre's.  A defunct New England chain.

Zayre's existed as far south as Virginia. 

IMO never very good, reminded me a lot of E. J. Korvette (also not that great).

[hbelkins]

Diary Queen.

Far from defunct.  Belongs to that POS Warren Buffett.  According to its website, it has over 6000 outlets in 20 countries. 

Trivia.  Unlike most franchises, whatever DQ had when a particular franchisee bought in is all he has the rights to.  Anything new has to be bought.  There are some old time franchisees who bought only the ice cream and either have their own food (which they must put in generic wrappers) or just the ice cream.  The state of Texas was sold all at once and has its own food and its own website different from the rest of the USA.  Also each restaurant can make its own soda deal, and DQ corporate produces menu boards and stock photos with both Coke and the imitator.

I've been by that old-timey one on US 50 near Grafton. Wonder what it has on the menu?

[JJBers]

Diary Queen.

Far from defunct.  Belongs to that POS Warren Buffett.  According to its website, it has over 6000 outlets in 20 countries. 

Trivia.  Unlike most franchises, whatever DQ had when a particular franchisee bought in is all he has the rights to.  Anything new has to be bought.  There are some old time franchisees who bought only the ice cream and either have their own food (which they must put in generic wrappers) or just the ice cream.  The state of Texas was sold all at once and has its own food and its own website different from the rest of the USA.  Also each restaurant can make its own soda deal, and DQ corporate produces menu boards and stock photos with both Coke and the imitator.

I've been by that old-timey one on US 50 near Grafton. Wonder what it has on the menu?

Ice cream, Blizzards, Sundaes , and at least a BBQ Pork Sandwich or Hot Dogs.
It really varies by location, but those are the most common items.
And I have another oldish (late-60's-early 70's) location in Willimantic on CT 66.