Texas Roadhouse
Middle Tennessee-Down to two.
Never mind it looks like they are in the process of opening a new location in Spring Hill, TN.
Boston Market
0 in Tennessee
Schlotzsky's Deli
2 in Middle Tennessee
Golden Corral
3 in Middle Tennessee
Jack in the Box
Down to 4 in Middle Tennessee
Comebacks:
Whataburger left Middle Tennessee a very long time ago and it is on the way back in and in.
Kmart Australia versus the separate American company by the same name (it might as well be dead State side).
Target left Canada, but is still alive and well in the US.
Phillips 66 gas stations, I know there used to be some here in north GA, but I didn't know they still had locations in other states.
Harris Teeter, defunct in Atlanta but widely available in Charlotte
Quote from: ran4sh on September 22, 2022, 02:00:11 AM
Phillips 66 gas stations, I know there used to be some here in north GA, but I didn't know they still had locations in other states.
Harris Teeter, defunct in Atlanta but widely available in Charlotte
\
Same here Harris Teeter was in Middle Tennessee but is now gone. I think they didn't want to compete with Publix when Kroger took them over. Better to compete as Kroger than Harris Teeter.
Harris Teeter sold its Atlanta locations to Kroger about a decade before Kroger ended up acquiring Harris Teeter itself
Winn-Dixie once extended as far north as Virginia as recently as 2004.
Richmond had a few Safeway locations until the early 1990s. At least one became a Food Lion.
I know there was at least one Agip station in the area in the 90s. There don't seem to be any in the US now.
Whataburger opened and then closed in Central Florida leaving none in the Tampa Bay and Orlando markets. However elsewhere they've been are still alive.
Jacksonville and Tallahassee as well as Pensacola still have them and of course Texas. Georgia has one that I know that's in Thomasville.
Chesapeake Seafood House was a small chain in Northern VA with two in the Delaware Valley of PA. One outside of Oxford Valley Mall in Bucks County and the other in NE Philly on US 1. All but one location remained as a whole. The Potomac Mills store was the only to survive them all.
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 07:18:41 AM
....
Richmond had a few Safeway locations until the early 1990s. At least one became a Food Lion.
....
That was broader than just Richmond. They pulled out of "central Virginia" overall, including Charlottesville (which had several Safeways); I recall one of my college roommates was quite dismayed about it because he was loyal to Safeway as the chain he patronized at home in Connecticut. I distinctly remember his odd statement that he found it hard to "develop a shopping strategy" at the other Charlottesville-area grocery stores.
Shakey's Pizza is mainly forgotten in California due to current residents in the state. However Shakey's pizza is known for being inside of malls in the Philippines.
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 07:18:41 AM
Winn-Dixie once extended as far north as Virginia as recently as 2004.
Richmond had a few Safeway locations until the early 1990s. At least one became a Food Lion.
I know there was at least one Agip station in the area in the 90s. There don't seem to be any in the US now.
Safeway still exists in California mainly because it's the flagship supermarket in the Bay area and Sacramento areas.
I got another Fry's Supermarkets are defunct and forgotten in California but are well known in Arizona.
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 22, 2022, 08:08:17 AM
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 07:18:41 AM
....
Richmond had a few Safeway locations until the early 1990s. At least one became a Food Lion.
....
That was broader than just Richmond. They pulled out of "central Virginia" overall, including Charlottesville (which had several Safeways); I recall one of my college roommates was quite dismayed about it because he was loyal to Safeway as the chain he patronized at home in Connecticut. I distinctly remember his odd statement that he found it hard to "develop a shopping strategy" at the other Charlottesville-area grocery stores.
That is an odd statement. I only remember going to Safeway once or twice, because there were closer stores. The south side of town where we lived had a couple independent grocery stores that we frequented until they became victims of Wal-Mart building a supercenter. (As was the very briefly open "The Grocery Store" , an Aldi-like concept by Hampton Roads-based Farm Fresh.) North side of town had Food Lion, Ukrop's, and Winn-Dixie. The Food Lion is still around, Ukrop's is now Publix, and Winn-Dixie was a thrift store before it became an auto body shop.
Arby's - At least three Rochester-area locations have closed in the past decade and they're down to just three locations.
Friendly's - They're gone from western NY except for one in Olean and one or two in the the Syracuse area.
Quote from: webny99 on September 22, 2022, 11:19:32 AM
Arby's - At least three Rochester-area locations have closed in the past decade and they're down to just three locations.
It's the same deal in Massachusetts. The closest Arby's to my house is actually in New Hampshire up in Nashua. Otherwise, there's only two locations in Massachusetts. One in Auburn near the Auburn Mall and another one in Chicopee on MA 33. There used to be one at the Solomon Pond Mall, but doing a search on that reveals that it has closed. I guess that's due to the presence of several local roast beef sandwich shops in Greater Boston which are obviously better.
I mentioned this in another thread, but Krispy Kreme used to exist in very small numbers near Boston. I think there was one in Malden or Medford I forget which, but they're still thriving in the Southeastern states.
Both Piggly Wiggly and Winn Dixie were fairly common in this area several years ago.
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 11:05:18 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 22, 2022, 08:08:17 AM
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 07:18:41 AM
....
Richmond had a few Safeway locations until the early 1990s. At least one became a Food Lion.
....
That was broader than just Richmond. They pulled out of "central Virginia" overall, including Charlottesville (which had several Safeways); I recall one of my college roommates was quite dismayed about it because he was loyal to Safeway as the chain he patronized at home in Connecticut. I distinctly remember his odd statement that he found it hard to "develop a shopping strategy" at the other Charlottesville-area grocery stores.
That is an odd statement. I only remember going to Safeway once or twice, because there were closer stores. The south side of town where we lived had a couple independent grocery stores that we frequented until they became victims of Wal-Mart building a supercenter. (As was the very briefly open "The Grocery Store" , an Aldi-like concept by Hampton Roads-based Farm Fresh.) North side of town had Food Lion, Ukrop's, and Winn-Dixie. The Food Lion is still around, Ukrop's is now Publix, and Winn-Dixie was a thrift store before it became an auto body shop.
There is a Safeway a few minutes' walk from our house (0.3 of a mile walking, 1.5 miles driving). I hardly ever go there because, first, I prefer Wegmans and I do most of our shopping there and, second, when I want to go to one of the grocery stores nearest to us I prefer to go to the Giant at the other end of the shopping center where Safeway is. I just plain prefer Giant to Safeway–maybe because my mom preferred Giant when I was growing up and seldom went to Safeway. My wife seems to feel the opposite, incidentally; she just went to that Safeway yesterday for her covid booster.
I remember "The Grocery Store" opening in Charlottesville in the old Safeway location at Barracks Road Shopping Center, but it didn't last very long at all and I don't remember what it became after that store closed.
Quote from: bing101 on September 22, 2022, 10:03:48 AM
Shakey's Pizza is mainly forgotten in California due to current residents in the state. However Shakey's pizza is known for being inside of malls in the Philippines.
We have a Shakey's in Palm Springs. I was surprised to see it when I moved here since I thought they were long gone. I haven't eaten there and probably won't because even though I haven't had their pizza in 40 years I can't imagine it's gotten any better than the tasteless pizza-like substance they previously served.
White Castle started in Wichita, yet the nearest one is more than 300 miles away in another state.
Quote from: webny99 on September 22, 2022, 11:19:32 AM
Friendly's - They're gone from western NY except for one in Olean and one or two in the the Syracuse area.
Friendly's is not alive and well in any region, although they are still somewhat well represented in western MA. In most of MA there are more buildings that used to be Friendly's then there are current Friendly's.
Quote from: kphoger on September 22, 2022, 12:06:47 PM
White Castle started in Wichita, yet the nearest one is more than 300 miles away in another state.
That's a good one to delve into!
From my recollections, they seem to have pulled out of NE Ohio, and have reduced their Nashville-area footprint to maybe two or three locations (including one on the edge of downtown). And they have reduced their presence in the Northeast a good bit, but I have visited locations in NJ and PA along the I-78 corridor. But they seem to still be going strong in Central and SW Ohio, parts of KY, Indianapolis, Chicago, St. Louis, and I think the Twin Cities. And their newest markets appear to be Orlando, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
Correct me if I'm wrong about any of this!
Quote from: BlueOutback7 on September 22, 2022, 11:45:24 AM
Quote from: webny99 on September 22, 2022, 11:19:32 AM
Arby's - At least three Rochester-area locations have closed in the past decade and they're down to just three locations.
It's the same deal in Massachusetts. The closest Arby's to my house is actually in New Hampshire up in Nashua. Otherwise, there's only two locations in Massachusetts. One in Auburn near the Auburn Mall and another one in Chicopee on MA 33. There used to be one at the Solomon Pond Mall, but doing a search on that reveals that it has closed. I guess that's due to the presence of several local roast beef sandwich shops in Greater Boston which are obviously better.
I mentioned this in another thread, but Krispy Kreme used to exist in very small numbers near Boston. I think there was one in Malden or Medford I forget which, but they're still thriving in the Southeastern states.
There was one in Medford, which (ironic given the discussion) is a Kelly's Roast Beef.
https://www.pressherald.com/2016/02/18/maine-doughnut-makers-not-worried-about-krispy-kreme-expansion/
Even when they claim to expand into New England it becomes vaporware. Supposed to be a huge expansion into northern New England six years ago, and it never happened. To this point the only one in New England is in Mohegan Sun.
[After posting this, I found this, it appears the franchisee screwed Krispy Kreme here, https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/28157354/KRISPY_KREME_DOUGHNUT_CORP_V_NH_GLAZE_HOLDING,_LLC,_ET_AL]
Krispy Kreme, which largely retracted from the Midwest outside of a small handful of locations.
Quote from: spooky on September 22, 2022, 12:18:12 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 22, 2022, 11:19:32 AM
Friendly's - They're gone from western NY except for one in Olean and one or two in the the Syracuse area.
Friendly's is not alive and well in any region, although they are still somewhat well represented in western MA. In most of MA there are more buildings that used to be Friendly's then there are current Friendly's.
Friendly's just entered in the Middle Tennessee market.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 22, 2022, 01:22:11 PM
Quote from: spooky on September 22, 2022, 12:18:12 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 22, 2022, 11:19:32 AM
Friendly's - They're gone from western NY except for one in Olean and one or two in the the Syracuse area.
Friendly's is not alive and well in any region, although they are still somewhat well represented in western MA. In most of MA there are more buildings that used to be Friendly's then there are current Friendly's.
Friendly's just entered in the Middle Tennessee market.
You mentioned this before. Given that they seem to be about to go out of business:
You are referring to a sit-down restaurant that specializes in ice cream and not an entirely different business that coincidentally has the same name, right?
Quote from: 1 on September 22, 2022, 01:23:27 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 22, 2022, 01:22:11 PM
Quote from: spooky on September 22, 2022, 12:18:12 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 22, 2022, 11:19:32 AM
Friendly's - They're gone from western NY except for one in Olean and one or two in the the Syracuse area.
Friendly's is not alive and well in any region, although they are still somewhat well represented in western MA. In most of MA there are more buildings that used to be Friendly's then there are current Friendly's.
Friendly's just entered in the Middle Tennessee market.
You mentioned this before. Given that they seem to be about to go out of business:
You are referring to a sit-down restaurant that specializes in ice cream and not an entirely different business that coincidentally has the same name, right?
I mixed up Friendly's with Freddy's.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 22, 2022, 01:26:01 PM
Quote from: 1 on September 22, 2022, 01:23:27 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 22, 2022, 01:22:11 PM
Quote from: spooky on September 22, 2022, 12:18:12 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 22, 2022, 11:19:32 AM
Friendly's - They're gone from western NY except for one in Olean and one or two in the the Syracuse area.
Friendly's is not alive and well in any region, although they are still somewhat well represented in western MA. In most of MA there are more buildings that used to be Friendly's then there are current Friendly's.
Friendly's just entered in the Middle Tennessee market.
You mentioned this before. Given that they seem to be about to go out of business:
You are referring to a sit-down restaurant that specializes in ice cream and not an entirely different business that coincidentally has the same name, right?
I mixed up Friendly's with Freddy's.
Yeah, I provided the location map. Didn't make much sense.
Wawa: Used to have stores in CT (now Krauszer's), but is booming in the Mid Atlantic and Florida.
Cumberland Farms: Booming in New England and still in FL, but the stores in Delaware and the Mid Atlantic are gone.
Long John Silvers: Were quite a few in CT in the late 70's, then they disappeared. There are only 2 left in CT, both paired with Taco Bell. But there seems to be more elsewhere.
Roy Rogers: Totally gone from New England, but still quite a few in the Mid Atlantic
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 21, 2022, 11:55:30 PM
Jack in the Box
Down to 4 in Middle Tennessee
Jack in the Box thats big in California given that the main office is there.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 22, 2022, 01:38:53 PM
Cumberland Farms: Booming in New England and still in FL, but the stores in Delaware and the Mid Atlantic are gone.
Cumberland Farms got bought out (by EG of Great Britain) and it doesn't appear the quality of the stores has been the same. I used to compare them to Wawa, QuikChek or Sheetz for the quality of the coffee and selection (less so on the fresh food). Oddly enough, I am seeing Cumberland Farms brand coffee and snacks (such as candy bars) in many other gas stations and convenience stores.
Quote
Roy Rogers: Totally gone from New England, but still quite a few in the Mid Atlantic
This chain is slowly reopening where it once existed. There was for many decades a Roy Rogers outpost in Batavia, Ohio that had the original sign and storefront - and many faded photos and memorabilia of Roy Rogers inside. Their franchise was finally revoked and it reopened as... Roney's with an entirely new building.
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
I think Pizza Hut is better than Papa John's. I'm fine with both PH and Domino's. They're nothing special. I think of them as producers of pizza comfort food. It's like Taco Bell; you can eat there in a pinch but there are plenty of better Mexican places (which serve actual Mexican food).
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
Pizza Hut has my favorite fries anywhere.
Quote from: skluth on September 22, 2022, 06:31:59 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
I think Pizza Hut is better than Papa John's. I'm fine with both PH and Domino's. They're nothing special. I think of them as producers of pizza comfort food. It's like Taco Bell; you can eat there in a pinch but there are plenty of better Mexican places (which serve actual Mexican food).
Pizza comfort food is a good way to describe how I view it. It was the pizza my parents always ordered when I was a kid, so it's my go-to for "I want pizza that isn't frozen microwave pizza". I don't think it's the
best pizza (that title probably belongs to Sauced in Oklahoma City) but it's the pizza I
think of when I think of pizza.
I remember Little Caesar's being good in the late 70s - early 80s in Detroit.
Quality and taste went south with massive expansion and pizza-pizza. Spread 1 pizza worth of topping over 2 pies.
I LC I grew up with is now a Jet's Pizza. Appears the Franchisee switched all their stores around the same time.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
Um....you're comparing three types of poo.
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
Same thing in New York. The nearest to me is in the Dunkirk-Fredonia area, and I'm not sure if it's open anymore even. It actually had moved out of it's little hut building there years ago, but opened in a nearby shopping plaza. The Springville location is long gone, overall they are dying out.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 22, 2022, 01:38:53 PM
Roy Rogers: Totally gone from New England, but still quite a few in the Mid Atlantic
The only Roy Rogers I've ever seen are in Thruway service plazas. I'd say they are dying out in general.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 22, 2022, 11:49:54 AM
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 11:05:18 AM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 22, 2022, 08:08:17 AM
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 07:18:41 AM
....
Richmond had a few Safeway locations until the early 1990s. At least one became a Food Lion.
....
That was broader than just Richmond. They pulled out of "central Virginia" overall, including Charlottesville (which had several Safeways); I recall one of my college roommates was quite dismayed about it because he was loyal to Safeway as the chain he patronized at home in Connecticut. I distinctly remember his odd statement that he found it hard to "develop a shopping strategy" at the other Charlottesville-area grocery stores.
That is an odd statement. I only remember going to Safeway once or twice, because there were closer stores. The south side of town where we lived had a couple independent grocery stores that we frequented until they became victims of Wal-Mart building a supercenter. (As was the very briefly open "The Grocery Store" , an Aldi-like concept by Hampton Roads-based Farm Fresh.) North side of town had Food Lion, Ukrop's, and Winn-Dixie. The Food Lion is still around, Ukrop's is now Publix, and Winn-Dixie was a thrift store before it became an auto body shop.
There is a Safeway a few minutes' walk from our house (0.3 of a mile walking, 1.5 miles driving). I hardly ever go there because, first, I prefer Wegmans and I do most of our shopping there and, second, when I want to go to one of the grocery stores nearest to us I prefer to go to the Giant at the other end of the shopping center where Safeway is. I just plain prefer Giant to Safeway–maybe because my mom preferred Giant when I was growing up and seldom went to Safeway. My wife seems to feel the opposite, incidentally; she just went to that Safeway yesterday for her covid booster.
I remember "The Grocery Store" opening in Charlottesville in the old Safeway location at Barracks Road Shopping Center, but it didn't last very long at all and I don't remember what it became after that store closed.
The two Richmond-area Wegmans are far enough away that I never go to them unless I'm doing something else nearby and either want to get something from a grocery store at that time or am walking off a buzz.
Giant/Martin's is another one that's gone from Richmond. When Ahold (Giant) and Delhaize (Food Lion) merged, they closed a lot of overlapping stores and the Food Lion brand has been established in the area longer. Martin's had entered when they bought Ukrop's and had been around the area for maybe a decade then. About half the shuttered Martin's stores became Publix, and the others are either still vacant or have been redeveloped into other retail.
I didn't know Farm Fresh/The Grocery Store had ever expanded that far west. Nowadays they only have one store in Richmond (though in a very lucrative area as it's right in the middle of Shockoe Bottom) and have been stably hovering around 3 Hampton Roads locations for years now. According to a 1988 Petersburg directory I have, they had a store in Petersburg at one point.
Friendly's also pulled out of the area in the past few years. The most recent one to close was Chester, and that location is now a Zaxby's.
Quote from: kirbykart on September 22, 2022, 07:52:08 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 22, 2022, 01:38:53 PM
Roy Rogers: Totally gone from New England, but still quite a few in the Mid Atlantic
The only Roy Rogers I've ever seen are in Thruway service plazas. I'd say they are dying out in general.
I ate at a Roy Rogers in a shopping center about two miles from home this past weekend. There are two others within about a 15-minute drive from us; I can think of a number of other locations that are not in service plazas. The botched sale to Hardee's in the early 1990s very nearly killed them, but at least the locations near us are doing pretty well, anyway.
Sonic olny lasted about a year in Green Bay.
Quote from: skluth on September 22, 2022, 06:31:59 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
I think Pizza Hut is better than Papa John's. I'm fine with both PH and Domino's. They're nothing special. I think of them as producers of pizza comfort food. It's like Taco Bell; you can eat there in a pinch but there are plenty of better Mexican places (which serve actual Mexican food).
I had some of the best Pizza Hut pizza in the middle-of-nowhere Nebraska on US 20 one day. I was driving through and I was getting hungry. I was looking for a local restaurant but all I could see was Subway and Pizza Hut and nothing else in town. The pizza was the best I had at a pizza hut in a very long time. Looking at the map at Gordon, NE now it appears that if I would have gone North on NE SR 27 there may have been some local options.
Miller's Ale House was making a significant nationwide push for expansion, but they appeared to pull back on much of that expansion except in the South. They're not closing existing restaurants, but they're not complimenting them with more regional stores either.
Pizzeria Uno had some locations in Virginia about 20 years ago. It was there that I discovered my distaste for Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
I mentioned Kenny Rogers Roasters in another thread, but it fits here: 0 US locations left, but common in the Philippines urban/suburban areas and in other parts of Asia.
Lawson convenience stores (originally from the midwest, now a Japanese staple and with a few Philippines locations too plus one Hawaii outpost) fits the discussion as well
A technicality: when CVS bought out Longs Drugs years ago, they retained the brand in Hawaii where the company is a local cultural staple.
Quote from: seicer on September 22, 2022, 03:40:50 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 22, 2022, 01:38:53 PM
Cumberland Farms: Booming in New England and still in FL, but the stores in Delaware and the Mid Atlantic are gone.
Cumberland Farms got bought out (by EG of Great Britain) and it doesn't appear the quality of the stores has been the same. I used to compare them to Wawa, QuikChek or Sheetz for the quality of the coffee and selection (less so on the fresh food). Oddly enough, I am seeing Cumberland Farms brand coffee and snacks (such as candy bars) in many other gas stations and convenience stores.
Quote
Roy Rogers: Totally gone from New England, but still quite a few in the Mid Atlantic
This chain is slowly reopening where it once existed. There was for many decades a Roy Rogers outpost in Batavia, Ohio that had the original sign and storefront - and many faded photos and memorabilia of Roy Rogers inside. Their franchise was finally revoked and it reopened as... Roney's with an entirely new building.
I thought I saw some of those Cumberland Farms in DE on the Delmarva peninsula not far from the Lewes Beach/Cape May Ferry.
Quote from: TheStranger on September 23, 2022, 12:11:44 AM
I mentioned Kenny Rogers Roasters in another thread, but it fits here: 0 US locations left, but common in the Philippines urban/suburban areas and in other parts of Asia.
Lawson convenience stores (originally from the midwest, now a Japanese staple and with a few Philippines locations too plus one Hawaii outpost) fits the discussion as well
Wimpy is another one. Gone from the US for decades, but one of the most popular restaurants in South Africa, with some locations in the UK.
Quote from: Big John on September 22, 2022, 10:12:34 PM
Sonic olny lasted about a year in Green Bay.
Just as Checkers had a single location in CT for about that long.
Applebee's is down to 2 locations in the Charleston area, Summerville and Moncks Corner. I remember them having over 10 locations at one time in the early 2000s.
Burger King completely pulled out of the West Ashley/Charleston/Mount Pleasant/James Island areas, but they still have locations in North Charleston and Summerville. They used to have a lot more stores though.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 22, 2022, 10:03:22 PM
Quote from: kirbykart on September 22, 2022, 07:52:08 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 22, 2022, 01:38:53 PM
Roy Rogers: Totally gone from New England, but still quite a few in the Mid Atlantic
The only Roy Rogers I've ever seen are in Thruway service plazas. I'd say they are dying out in general.
I ate at a Roy Rogers in a shopping center about two miles from home this past weekend. There are two others within about a 15-minute drive from us; I can think of a number of other locations that are not in service plazas. The botched sale to Hardee's in the early 1990s very nearly killed them, but at least the locations near us are doing pretty well, anyway.
Certainly a fair number of Roy Rogers restaurants in the MD/VA/DC area. They seem to be a pretty resilient chain. As 1995hoo pointed out, the botched sale to Hardee's almost killed them but not quite. Then they has a second resurgence around the year 2000. For me, it's one the best fast food restaurants (and their roast beef sandwich >> Arby's IMHO)
Denny's is another one. They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida. I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2022, 07:46:27 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
Um....you're comparing three types of poo.
I live in
Oklahoma, sir.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 23, 2022, 03:04:59 AM
Denny's is another one. They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida. I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.
Hm. I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 07:02:39 AM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 23, 2022, 03:04:59 AM
Denny's is another one. They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida. I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.
Hm. I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).
Pretty sure half the posts on this forum are anecdotal.
Is anyone using this information for franchise investment purposes?
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 11:26:23 PM
Pizzeria Uno had some locations in Virginia about 20 years ago. It was there that I discovered my distaste for Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
They still do. There's one about a five- to ten-minute walk from my house (same shopping center as the Safeway mentioned earlier), although they call it "Uno Chicago Grill" now. I have to say that the pizza I've had at the franchised Uno locations was nowhere near the same as the pizza I had at their original location in Chicago–the latter was much better. I presume the franchised locations probably use some sort of shortcuts in the process that might make a difference. We have not been to Uno in a long time; I think the last time I had their pizza was on a trip to visit my late sister-in-law in Viera, Florida. There is, or at least was, an Uno on Wickham Road in Melbourne and another visiting relative went down there to pick up a carry-out order. We never do that at home because if we order pizza, we will almost always order delivery with one exception (that being if we place a pick-up order with a local Italian place and I get pizza while my wife gets something else).
The reference to Uno made me think of another Italian chain, Brio. There used to be a number of them in Northern Virginia, but we're down to one (at Fair Oaks Mall). The state with the most locations (7) is Florida and that's where we first ate at a Brio (and have eaten there the most times) at the Pembroke Pines location because it's our niece's favorite restaurant. The former location at Tysons Corner Center in Virginia was never as good as the one in Pembroke Pines, either.
....and speaking of Tysons Corner makes me think of Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants. We used to have a good number of them around here, but they've all closed other than one in Annapolis. The one downtown near Verizon Center did an absolutely booming business on game and concert nights given that it was a block away from the arena (technically two blocks, but they're closer to "half-blocks" relative to surrounding blocks). I had suspected that maybe their lease was up for renewal and they couldn't agree to new terms, but when all the other locations closed as well it made me figure something else was going on. We used to meet our hockey season-ticket group at Gordon Biersch at Tysons every year for our ticket draft because the location was ideal. Now we go to World of Beer instead.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
Personally I don't hate it, because of the stuffed crust pizza. I was pointing out that in Massachusetts a national pizza chain is going to struggle. The only one that appears to thrive is Domino's.
When it comes to pizza, its all mom and pop places that rule. Chain pizzas are all right, but some of the mom and pops have the best. In Seaside Park, NJ its none other than Saw Mill on the Boardwalk ( that is the only business to survive the boardwalk fire there a few years back) for best pizza in Ocean County, NJ. Further south in Wildwood it was Snow White Pizza and in my hometown of Clark it was Pompei's Pizzeria. On US 22 between Somerville and Newark its the Pizza Town in the center aisle in Springfield, NJ. In fact being in the median of US 22 makes both directions very accessible to it.
Quote from: roadman65 on September 23, 2022, 11:09:18 AM
When it comes to pizza, its all mom and pop places that rule. Chain pizzas are all right, but some of the mom and pops have the best. In Seaside Park, NJ its none other than Saw Mill on the Boardwalk ( that is the only business to survive the boardwalk fire there a few years back) for best pizza in Ocean County, NJ. Further south in Wildwood it was Snow White Pizza and in my hometown of Clark it was Pompei's Pizzeria. On US 22 between Somerville and Newark its the Pizza Town in the center aisle in Springfield, NJ. In fact being in the median of US 22 makes both directions very accessible to it.
Of course, there are mom and pop places that do not rule.
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
Quote from: Takumi on September 23, 2022, 12:48:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
Huh. They're a lot larger chain than I thought.
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2022, 07:46:27 PM
If you like food that I don't like, then you have objectively worse taste than I have. This is not up for debate.
edited for clarity
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 07:02:39 AM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 23, 2022, 03:04:59 AM
Denny's is another one. They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida. I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.
Hm. I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).
Denny's exited Middle Tennessee in the 90s. They just made a one restaurant return to a gas station on the fringes of a county that happens to be cut off from the majority of the rest of the county and West of Nashville. Certainly not in the realms of the market it was once in. Nashville had like 3 or 4 Denny's back in the 90s and now they have none.
Quote from: Takumi on September 23, 2022, 12:48:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
I second that. I hate that the closest is 300 miles from me, with the others over 400.
Quote from: SectorZ on September 23, 2022, 08:44:47 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
Personally I don't hate it, because of the stuffed crust pizza. I was pointing out that in Massachusetts a national pizza chain is going to struggle. The only one that appears to thrive is Domino's.
It fascinates me that there's a market where that's true.
Meanwhile, in Norman, it's the precise opposite–we absolutely cannot keep a local pizza place open here. Sauced on Main (how I found out about the still-extant Sauced on Paseo in OKC), Pryor's (relocated to Goldsby of all places), Notorious P.I.E., Pizza King...and those are just the ones I have managed to try before they went down the tubes. The only local place that sees constant success is Pizza Shuttle, and their business model is basically "here, we melted cheese to this piece of cardboard for you and will sell it to you for dirt cheap because you won't care about the taste when you're drunk". They have awesome sandwiches, though.
I'm not really sure if it being a college town works for or against the chains' favor.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 23, 2022, 07:06:09 PM
(relocated to Goldsby of all places)
Poised to be the next trendy area.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 23, 2022, 07:06:09 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 23, 2022, 08:44:47 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
Personally I don't hate it, because of the stuffed crust pizza. I was pointing out that in Massachusetts a national pizza chain is going to struggle. The only one that appears to thrive is Domino's.
It fascinates me that there's a market where that's true.
Meanwhile, in Norman, it's the precise opposite–we absolutely cannot keep a local pizza place open here. Sauced on Main (how I found out about the still-extant Sauced on Paseo in OKC), Pryor's (relocated to Goldsby of all places), Notorious P.I.E., Pizza King...and those are just the ones I have managed to try before they went down the tubes. The only local place that sees constant success is Pizza Shuttle, and their business model is basically "here, we melted cheese to this piece of cardboard for you and will sell it to you for dirt cheap because you won't care about the taste when you're drunk". They have awesome sandwiches, though.
I'm not really sure if it being a college town works for or against the chains' favor.
No idea on why Norman can't get a decent pizza joint. As someone said above, the best are mom and pop shops but I miss Pi in St Louis, a local chain but owned by locals dissatisfied with the flavorless St Louis chains of Imo's, Elicia's, and Cecil Whittaker's. If you're the entrepreneurial type, maybe consider opening a local pizza place (or see if someone is trying to crowdsource one).
Quote from: SectorZ on September 23, 2022, 06:01:15 PM
Quote from: Takumi on September 23, 2022, 12:48:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
I second that. I hate that the closest is 300 miles from me, with the others over 400.
A Mellow Mushroom opened in St Louis not long before I moved but never went there. Just looked at the Mellow Mushroom locations. Looks like they're inching closer to Oklahoma with outlets in the DFW and NWA areas. The closest to me is Phoenix.
Jewel Osco is defunct in the Milwaukee area but it is alive and well in Chicagoland and the Quad Cities.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 23, 2022, 05:30:42 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 07:02:39 AM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 23, 2022, 03:04:59 AM
Denny's is another one. They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida. I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.
Hm. I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).
Denny's exited Middle Tennessee in the 90s. They just made a one restaurant return to a gas station on the fringes of a county that happens to be cut off from the majority of the rest of the county and West of Nashville. Certainly not in the realms of the market it was once in. Nashville had like 3 or 4 Denny's back in the 90s and now they have none.
That particular Denny's is a different situation. When Pilot bought Flying J back in the 00's, they discontinued all of Flying J's in-house restaurants and started a Denny's franchise to use as replacements. Today, most Flying J's feature Denny's. All over the country.
Quote from: wriddle082 on September 23, 2022, 10:19:59 PM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 23, 2022, 05:30:42 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 07:02:39 AM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 23, 2022, 03:04:59 AM
Denny's is another one. They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida. I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.
Hm. I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).
Denny's exited Middle Tennessee in the 90s. They just made a one restaurant return to a gas station on the fringes of a county that happens to be cut off from the majority of the rest of the county and West of Nashville. Certainly not in the realms of the market it was once in. Nashville had like 3 or 4 Denny's back in the 90s and now they have none.
That particular Denny's is a different situation. When Pilot bought Flying J back in the 00's, they discontinued all of Flying J's in-house restaurants and started a Denny's franchise to use as replacements. Today, most Flying J's feature Denny's. All over the country.
Thank you for the explanation.
Quote from: skluth on September 23, 2022, 07:58:32 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 23, 2022, 07:06:09 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 23, 2022, 08:44:47 AM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:32:00 PM
Quote from: SectorZ on September 22, 2022, 10:43:13 AM
Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.
I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).
Personally I don't hate it, because of the stuffed crust pizza. I was pointing out that in Massachusetts a national pizza chain is going to struggle. The only one that appears to thrive is Domino's.
It fascinates me that there's a market where that's true.
Meanwhile, in Norman, it's the precise opposite–we absolutely cannot keep a local pizza place open here. Sauced on Main (how I found out about the still-extant Sauced on Paseo in OKC), Pryor's (relocated to Goldsby of all places), Notorious P.I.E., Pizza King...and those are just the ones I have managed to try before they went down the tubes. The only local place that sees constant success is Pizza Shuttle, and their business model is basically "here, we melted cheese to this piece of cardboard for you and will sell it to you for dirt cheap because you won't care about the taste when you're drunk". They have awesome sandwiches, though.
I'm not really sure if it being a college town works for or against the chains' favor.
No idea on why Norman can't get a decent pizza joint. As someone said above, the best are mom and pop shops but I miss Pi in St Louis, a local chain but owned by locals dissatisfied with the flavorless St Louis chains of Imo's, Elicia's, and Cecil Whittaker's. If you're the entrepreneurial type, maybe consider opening a local pizza place (or see if someone is trying to crowdsource one).
Quote from: SectorZ on September 23, 2022, 06:01:15 PM
Quote from: Takumi on September 23, 2022, 12:48:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
I second that. I hate that the closest is 300 miles from me, with the others over 400.
A Mellow Mushroom opened in St Louis not long before I moved but never went there. Just looked at the Mellow Mushroom locations. Looks like they're inching closer to Oklahoma with outlets in the DFW and NWA areas. The closest to me is Phoenix.
There were rumors a few years ago that a Mellow Mushroom location was supposed to be built in my town in CT. It never came to be, and we got a Popeyes instead. The nearest one is in Tom's River, NJ
Does Boston Market still exist anymore? I used to find several location in Texas, but not anymore. Did they go out of business?
Quote from: jgb191 on September 26, 2022, 01:55:27 AM
Does Boston Market still exist anymore? I used to find several location in Texas, but not anymore. Did they go out of business?
I know of 3 within 20 minutes of me in CT, plus 4 more within 30-40. They always look empty, but somehow are surviving.
Does Quincy's Steak House still exist? I know in Florida they closed em all, but I remembered Florence, SC had one off I-95, but that was decades ago.
Sonic used to have several stores in WI and MN for about 5-10 years then disappeared.
Currently, there are two (as far as I know) Carl's Jr locations in the DFW area (Rockwall and Anna), and about 32 locations in Texas. They tried opening up additional locations in 2010, but most were closed by 2018.
Well, today I learned there's a Stuckey's in Connecticut.
Quote from: Rothman on September 26, 2022, 02:36:27 PM
Well, today I learned there's a Stuckey's in Connecticut.
One still exists near Mappsville VA as well - one of the "old school" Stuckey's no less.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 26, 2022, 02:04:52 AM
Quote from: jgb191 on September 26, 2022, 01:55:27 AM
Does Boston Market still exist anymore? I used to find several location in Texas, but not anymore. Did they go out of business?
I know of 3 within 20 minutes of me in CT, plus 4 more within 30-40. They always look empty, but somehow are surviving.
I ate at one in the San Fernando Valley (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.2009886,-118.4488824,3a,37.8y,93.26h,94.69t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sJ9OfhoBhiaZ5sDWobm822g!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DJ9OfhoBhiaZ5sDWobm822g%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D190.20255%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en) last month. I was shocked as I thought they were only in the frozen food business these days. I stopped to get dinner there and brought it to back to my hotel. It was as salty and bland as I remember them from before, but BM was always a comfort food place.
Quote from: dlsterner on September 26, 2022, 06:06:13 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 26, 2022, 02:36:27 PM
Well, today I learned there's a Stuckey's in Connecticut.
One still exists near Mappsville VA as well - one of the "old school" Stuckey's no less.
Yeah, everyone knows that one that takes the CBBT. :)
Quote from: Rothman on September 26, 2022, 08:28:44 PM
Quote from: dlsterner on September 26, 2022, 06:06:13 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 26, 2022, 02:36:27 PM
Well, today I learned there's a Stuckey's in Connecticut.
One still exists near Mappsville VA as well - one of the "old school" Stuckey's no less.
Yeah, everyone knows that one that takes the CBBT. :)
Believe it's in the Pilot on CT 216 in North Stonington. Only a few hundred feet from the RI line.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 26, 2022, 02:04:52 AM
Quote from: jgb191 on September 26, 2022, 01:55:27 AM
Does Boston Market still exist anymore? I used to find several location in Texas, but not anymore. Did they go out of business?
I know of 3 within 20 minutes of me in CT, plus 4 more within 30-40. They always look empty, but somehow are surviving.
I saw one in Winter Haven, FL.
Quote from: roadman65 on September 26, 2022, 02:25:13 AM
Does Quincy's Steak House still exist? I know in Florida they closed em all, but I remembered Florence, SC had one off I-95, but that was decades ago.
They are dead.
No more big fat yeast rolls.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 26, 2022, 10:52:46 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 26, 2022, 02:04:52 AM
Quote from: jgb191 on September 26, 2022, 01:55:27 AM
Does Boston Market still exist anymore? I used to find several location in Texas, but not anymore. Did they go out of business?
I know of 3 within 20 minutes of me in CT, plus 4 more within 30-40. They always look empty, but somehow are surviving.
I saw one in Winter Haven, FL.
Heh. Stuckey's is far from dead, with a whole lot of locations in the southeast still -- although a faint shadow of the one-at-every-exit days of yore.
CT is a definite geographic outlier.
One Italian chain that seems to be a shell of its former self is Johnny Carino's. They had a big expansion back in the early 2000s, but then closed a lot of locations and continues to shutter many of their locations. They did file for bankruptcy both in 2014 and 2016.
Shoney's
Bojangles Chicken.
Quote from: roadman65 on September 28, 2022, 06:43:45 PM
Bojangles Chicken.
They put a bunch of Bojangles Chicken outlets up in Middle Tennessee in the past 10 years.
Bojangles put several locations in central Kentucky. Then closed several quickly. Same in West Virginia I think.
SM-G996U
Haggen was a grocery chain that existed throughout the Seattle/Puget Sound area, especially under their other name Top Food. Then they seemed to close most of the Top Foods or change them back to Haggen. I wondered what was going on, and it turned out they were doing this to accommodate the Safeway/Albertson's merger. Where there were too many Safeways or Albertsons close together, one of them would be converted to a Haggen. I went to some of those stores. The large conversions from Safeway seemed sparse and empty. They put up faux old-fashioned decorations on the walls, which were electronically printed. It seemed they cleared out the old stores to put up new shelves as Haggen, but I know the opposite became true. Haggen was being supplied by Safeway/Albertsons, and soon they complained that the larger company wasn't treating them fair. Haggen soon went out of business as an independent company, and the stores were converted back to the brand they once were. I got a look inside the Safeway I mentioned earlier because they kept the in-store bank branch open during the reconversion. The place was cleared out once again to put up new shelves again. But Haggen still had a strong presence in Bellingham, from whence they originated, and I wondered what would happen there. All the Bellingham locations still seem to be open, and it turns out Safeway/Albertsons bought out Haggen and have kept them open in Bellingham and some other locations. Oak Harbor still has one Haggen in an old Safeway (next to a Safeway gas station) while the new Safeway is open on the hill behind them. Haggen seems to exist as the luxury/import brand to Safeway, like QFC does to Fred Meyer.
Quote from: ibthebigd on September 29, 2022, 05:04:24 AM
Bojangles put several locations in central Kentucky. Then closed several quickly. Same in West Virginia I think.
SM-G996U
Yes, the one in Mt. Sterling didn't last long.
Popeye's did the same thing 20-something years ago. They built one in Winchester but it didn't stay open very long at all.
Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2022, 02:49:15 PM
Quote from: ibthebigd on September 29, 2022, 05:04:24 AM
Bojangles put several locations in central Kentucky. Then closed several quickly. Same in West Virginia I think.
SM-G996U
Yes, the one in Mt. Sterling didn't last long.
Popeye's did the same thing 20-something years ago. They built one in Winchester but it didn't stay open very long at all.
Popeye's did open up on Middle Tennessee as well. They did seem to put up a franchise in the same towns as the Bojangles but just not on the same side of town. They seem to still be around. They have very slow drive-thru times, never have the lobby open and then they close early.
Middle Tennessee's about to get invaded by Isengard and Mordor.
I swear, every third restaurant chain that's mentioned anywhere on this forum gets a "recently opened up in middle Tennessee" reply. Has anyone else noticed this trend? I'm starting to wonder if there are any chains left that haven't moved into middle Tennessee.
Quote from: kphoger on September 30, 2022, 09:50:21 PM
I swear, every third restaurant chain that's mentioned anywhere on this forum gets a "recently opened up in middle Tennessee" reply. Has anyone else noticed this trend? I'm starting to wonder if there are any chains left that haven't moved into middle Tennessee.
Well, there's definitely some that I wouldn't believe moved there only
recently, like Waffle House, Cracker Barrel, and Chick-Fil-A... and probably McD's and Burger King, for that matter.
Church's Fried Chicken and Lee's Famous Recipe Fried Chicken used to have quite a few locations in CT. Now the nearest Church's locations are in Philly and South Jersey, with the nearest Lee's Famous in Richmond, VA (Lee's is alive and well mostly along the I-75 corridor and in Indiana).
Surprised no one brought up the couple of Hardee's (later rebranded as Carl's Jr) in the Hudson Valley that came and went in about 5 years. They were supposed to move into New England, but it never happened. Now the nearest Hardee's is in Bear, DE
Quote from: kphoger on September 30, 2022, 09:50:21 PM
I swear, every third restaurant chain that's mentioned anywhere on this forum gets a "recently opened up in middle Tennessee" reply. Has anyone else noticed this trend? I'm starting to wonder if there are any chains left that haven't moved into middle Tennessee.
Well I did have Middle Tennessee in mind when I originally posted this topic.
Indianapolis is starting to get A lot of chains
Zaxbys
Raising Canes
Swansons
"Chicago Pizza"
Portillo's
Jaggers
I've seen articles of several other chains I just don't remember them.
Tim Hortons came for less than 6 months.
SM-G996U
Heh. That reminds me of Cold Stone trying to open a location in Northampton, MA and failing due to the number of high quality ice cream places in the area, including Herrell's, which invented the "smoosh-in" practice of using a cold slab to mash stuff into ice cream flavors.
Flayvors, in nearby Hadley, is even better.
Quote from: Rothman on October 01, 2022, 08:12:33 PM
Heh. That reminds me of Cold Stone trying to open a location in Northampton, MA and failing due to the number of high quality ice cream places in the area, including Herrell's, which invented the "smoosh-in" practice of using a cold slab to mash stuff into ice cream flavors.
Flayvors, in nearby Hadley, is even better.
And speaking of Cold Stone (yes, Herrell's is a must when I visit Northampton) and Tim Horton's: they tried moving into Southern New England by taking over many former Bess Eaton locations, as well as building new locations, but all pulled out within a year or two because they couldn't compete on Dunkin's home turf. Incidentally, Bess Eaton has been resurrected with a couple of locations in the Westerly, RI/Pawcatuck, CT area.
And then there's the story of Krispy Kreme. Opened a few locations, had lines 2 miles down the street when they first opened, the fad wore off, and now save for a location at Mohegan Sun casino, they're gone from New England.
Krisy Kreme in Clarks Summit, PA now says they don't serve warm donuts any longer.
I really miss Quiznos Subs. That was my all-time favorite chain ever! I don't know if they even exist anywhere else anymore.
Quote from: jgb191 on October 02, 2022, 12:33:37 AM
I really miss Quiznos Subs. That was my all-time favorite chain ever! I don't know if they even exist anywhere else anymore.
Heh. My wife and I got a Quizno's gift card as a gift...and there were no locations to use it at.
Quote from: jgb191 on October 02, 2022, 12:33:37 AM
I really miss Quiznos Subs. That was my all-time favorite chain ever! I don't know if they even exist anywhere else anymore.
Had it once once or twice. Sending a hoagie thru the oven with the lettuce already on it will always remind me me why hoagies are supposed to be served cold.
Quote from: kphoger on September 30, 2022, 09:50:21 PM
I swear, every third restaurant chain that's mentioned anywhere on this forum gets a "recently opened up in middle Tennessee" reply. Has anyone else noticed this trend? I'm starting to wonder if there are any chains left that haven't moved into middle Tennessee.
I recall one of my college roommates, who was from somewhere near Nashville, used to rant about the lack of pro sports franchises there because, quote, "Middle Tennessee is the largest untapped pro sports market in the United States" (he really went berserk when the NBA announced expansion teams in Toronto and Vancouver). Perhaps he was onto something such that middle Tennessee is the largest untapped chain restaurant market in the United States?
Quote from: jgb191 on October 02, 2022, 12:33:37 AM
I really miss Quiznos Subs. That was my all-time favorite chain ever! I don't know if they even exist anywhere else anymore.
There are still some in the Midwest (the one that always catches my eye is the one in Camp Douglas, WI)
Quote from: BlueOutback7 on September 22, 2022, 11:45:24 AM
Quote from: webny99 on September 22, 2022, 11:19:32 AM
Arby's - At least three Rochester-area locations have closed in the past decade and they're down to just three locations.
It's the same deal in Massachusetts. The closest Arby's to my house is actually in New Hampshire up in Nashua. Otherwise, there's only two locations in Massachusetts. One in Auburn near the Auburn Mall and another one in Chicopee on MA 33. There used to be one at the Solomon Pond Mall, but doing a search on that reveals that it has closed. I guess that's due to the presence of several local roast beef sandwich shops in Greater Boston which are obviously better.
I mentioned this in another thread, but Krispy Kreme used to exist in very small numbers near Boston. I think there was one in Malden or Medford I forget which, but they're still thriving in the Southeastern states.
And I think it's both Vermont and Rhode Island that have none.
Quote from: Rothman on October 02, 2022, 11:08:58 AM
Quote from: jgb191 on October 02, 2022, 12:33:37 AM
I really miss Quiznos Subs. That was my all-time favorite chain ever! I don't know if they even exist anywhere else anymore.
Heh. My wife and I got a Quizno's gift card as a gift...and there were no locations to use it at.
You think that's bad, my grandma got me a Kmart gift card once. (There was one right down the street from her at the time, but we never had one in the OKC area.)
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 30, 2022, 11:19:05 PM
Church's Fried Chicken and Lee's Famous Recipe Fried Chicken used to have quite a few locations in CT. Now the nearest Church's locations are in Philly and South Jersey, with the nearest Lee's Famous in Richmond, VA (Lee's is alive and well mostly along the I-75 corridor and in Indiana).
Surprised no one brought up the couple of Hardee's (later rebranded as Carl's Jr) in the Hudson Valley that came and went in about 5 years. They were supposed to move into New England, but it never happened. Now the nearest Hardee's is in Bear, DE
I never knew Lee's was that widespread. They seem to be concentrated in Kentucky, although a few locations have closed in recent years. I'm a big fan of their food.
Quote from: hbelkins on October 02, 2022, 07:44:49 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 30, 2022, 11:19:05 PM
Church's Fried Chicken and Lee's Famous Recipe Fried Chicken used to have quite a few locations in CT. Now the nearest Church's locations are in Philly and South Jersey, with the nearest Lee's Famous in Richmond, VA (Lee's is alive and well mostly along the I-75 corridor and in Indiana).
Surprised no one brought up the couple of Hardee's (later rebranded as Carl's Jr) in the Hudson Valley that came and went in about 5 years. They were supposed to move into New England, but it never happened. Now the nearest Hardee's is in Bear, DE
I never knew Lee's was that widespread. They seem to be concentrated in Kentucky, although a few locations have closed in recent years. I'm a big fan of their food.
H.B. has the Lee's in your area switched from boxes to styrofoam containers?
Quote from: XamotCGC on October 02, 2022, 11:42:03 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 02, 2022, 07:44:49 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 30, 2022, 11:19:05 PM
Church's Fried Chicken and Lee's Famous Recipe Fried Chicken used to have quite a few locations in CT. Now the nearest Church's locations are in Philly and South Jersey, with the nearest Lee's Famous in Richmond, VA (Lee's is alive and well mostly along the I-75 corridor and in Indiana).
Surprised no one brought up the couple of Hardee's (later rebranded as Carl's Jr) in the Hudson Valley that came and went in about 5 years. They were supposed to move into New England, but it never happened. Now the nearest Hardee's is in Bear, DE
I never knew Lee's was that widespread. They seem to be concentrated in Kentucky, although a few locations have closed in recent years. I'm a big fan of their food.
H.B. has the Lee's in your area switched from boxes to styrofoam containers?
Some have, some haven't. Last Lee's I got was from Morehead, and it was in a box.
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 02, 2022, 05:03:36 PM
Quote from: Rothman on October 02, 2022, 11:08:58 AM
Quote from: jgb191 on October 02, 2022, 12:33:37 AM
I really miss Quiznos Subs. That was my all-time favorite chain ever! I don't know if they even exist anywhere else anymore.
Heh. My wife and I got a Quizno's gift card as a gift...and there were no locations to use it at.
You think that's bad, my grandma got me a Kmart gift card once. (There was one right down the street from her at the time, but we never had one in the OKC area.)
You think that's bad? My sister gave us a gift card to a steakhouse for Christmas, but there was only like a dollar or two on the card. Which we didn't find out until we'd already gone out for dinner there and were ready to pay for the meal. Our best guess is that her job keeps a bunch of them for taking clients out to dinner, and she gave us one of those, not realizing it had already been used but not thrown away.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on October 02, 2022, 04:23:58 PM
Quote from: jgb191 on October 02, 2022, 12:33:37 AM
I really miss Quiznos Subs. That was my all-time favorite chain ever! I don't know if they even exist anywhere else anymore.
There are still some in the Midwest (the one that always catches my eye is the one in Camp Douglas, WI)
I thought Quznos was dead. Didn't realize they are still in business.
Quote from: jgb191 on October 02, 2022, 12:33:37 AM
I really miss Quiznos Subs. That was my all-time favorite chain ever! I don't know if they even exist anywhere else anymore.
According to this video, Quiznos corporate got into the company store mentality. Instead of just helping the franchisees do well to help the corporation do well, they overcharged on the supplies they sold. I myself noticed something strange when I went to the Quiznos near my Washington DC hotel. I wanted something sugar-free and caffeine-free to drink with my sub so I could get to sleep at night, so I selected a bottled Sprite Zero from the cold case. Even though there was nothing else appropriate, the clerk tried to steer me to a fountain drink, twice. (There's more of a markup for fountain drinks.) When I worked for McDonald's, you could suggestive sell or up-sell once. After that, you're being too pushy. The Quiznos clerk didn't get the memo, and I suspect he had to do what he had to do to survive.
Quote from: hbelkins on October 02, 2022, 07:44:49 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 30, 2022, 11:19:05 PM
Church's Fried Chicken and Lee's Famous Recipe Fried Chicken used to have quite a few locations in CT. Now the nearest Church's locations are in Philly and South Jersey, with the nearest Lee's Famous in Richmond, VA (Lee's is alive and well mostly along the I-75 corridor and in Indiana).
Surprised no one brought up the couple of Hardee's (later rebranded as Carl's Jr) in the Hudson Valley that came and went in about 5 years. They were supposed to move into New England, but it never happened. Now the nearest Hardee's is in Bear, DE
I never knew Lee's was that widespread. They seem to be concentrated in Kentucky, although a few locations have closed in recent years. I'm a big fan of their food.
I had no idea either! Apparently the Richmond location is the only one in Virginia. They also have three locations in British Columbia, interestingly enough.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 23, 2022, 08:18:16 AM
Quote from: Takumi on September 22, 2022, 11:26:23 PM
Pizzeria Uno had some locations in Virginia about 20 years ago. It was there that I discovered my distaste for Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
They still do. There's one about a five- to ten-minute walk from my house (same shopping center as the Safeway mentioned earlier), although they call it "Uno Chicago Grill" now. I have to say that the pizza I've had at the franchised Uno locations was nowhere near the same as the pizza I had at their original location in Chicago–the latter was much better. I presume the franchised locations probably use some sort of shortcuts in the process that might make a difference. We have not been to Uno in a long time; I think the last time I had their pizza was on a trip to visit my late sister-in-law in Viera, Florida. There is, or at least was, an Uno on Wickham Road in Melbourne and another visiting relative went down there to pick up a carry-out order. We never do that at home because if we order pizza, we will almost always order delivery with one exception (that being if we place a pick-up order with a local Italian place and I get pizza while my wife gets something else).
There were at least two locations in DC, one at Wisconsin and M and one up in that strip mall adjacent to the Cleveland Park Metro stop, but they're both closed. They served their purpose when the nearest Chicago-style pizza was in, well, Chicago, but then Alberto's opened and their deep dish pizza was to die for.
Quote from: Takumi on September 23, 2022, 12:48:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
I loved MM when I lived in Georgia, but the pizza at the location in Adams Morgan in DC bordered on inedible, and the location I went to in Phoenix was nothing to write home about.
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 04, 2022, 11:24:45 AM
Quote from: Takumi on September 23, 2022, 12:48:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
I loved MM when I lived in Georgia, but the pizza at the location in Adams Morgan in DC bordered on inedible, and the location I went to in Phoenix was nothing to write home about.
That's a shame. There are three in Richmond, and I've had consistently good food and drink every time I've gone to any of them. But they're also the only three I've been to.
Quote from: WillWeaverRVA on October 04, 2022, 10:16:25 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on October 02, 2022, 07:44:49 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 30, 2022, 11:19:05 PM
Church's Fried Chicken and Lee's Famous Recipe Fried Chicken used to have quite a few locations in CT. Now the nearest Church's locations are in Philly and South Jersey, with the nearest Lee's Famous in Richmond, VA (Lee's is alive and well mostly along the I-75 corridor and in Indiana).
Surprised no one brought up the couple of Hardee's (later rebranded as Carl's Jr) in the Hudson Valley that came and went in about 5 years. They were supposed to move into New England, but it never happened. Now the nearest Hardee's is in Bear, DE
I never knew Lee's was that widespread. They seem to be concentrated in Kentucky, although a few locations have closed in recent years. I'm a big fan of their food.
I had no idea either! Apparently the Richmond location is the only one in Virginia. They also have three locations in British Columbia, interestingly enough.
Lee's exited Middle Tennessee in the 90s or maybe the early 2000s. They had a couple things I liked that weren't available at the other chicken outlets. I think they competed with Mrs. Winners in the market. Mrs. Winners also exited the market as well.
Noticed yesterday: A new Popeye's in Winchester, Ky. Within spittin' distance of where the old one was that closed years ago.
If a chain becomes defunct in one region, then comes back to it, does that make it refunct?
Quote from: Scott5114 on October 05, 2022, 06:53:50 PM
If a chain becomes defunct in one region, then comes back to it, does that make it refunct?
Good question, I've been reading this all along as "chains that had a national presence at one time, but are regional now" (see, e.g. Big Boy).
Quote from: Takumi on October 04, 2022, 11:45:56 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 04, 2022, 11:24:45 AM
Quote from: Takumi on September 23, 2022, 12:48:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
I loved MM when I lived in Georgia, but the pizza at the location in Adams Morgan in DC bordered on inedible, and the location I went to in Phoenix was nothing to write home about.
That's a shame. There are three in Richmond, and I've had consistently good food and drink every time I've gone to any of them. But they're also the only three I've been to.
Mellow Mushroom is a strong contender for best chain pizza restaurant IMO. I've never had a bad experience there, but my experience has indeed been with restaurants in the Southeast (such as Georgia and Tennessee), so I can't speak for the locations in states farther away. But I love the food there, it's definitely in a higher league than the main popular chains, although I enjoy those as well.
Quote from: hbelkins on October 05, 2022, 03:32:26 PM
Noticed yesterday: A new Popeye's in Winchester, Ky. Within spittin' distance of where the old one was that closed years ago.
When I was down there for the solar eclipse, Winchester was a food desert. Frisch's was really the only option. :D
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on October 05, 2022, 07:46:22 PM
Quote from: Takumi on October 04, 2022, 11:45:56 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on October 04, 2022, 11:24:45 AM
Quote from: Takumi on September 23, 2022, 12:48:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 23, 2022, 11:12:18 AM
I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be. I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s. Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.
Mellow Mushroom and it's not close.
I loved MM when I lived in Georgia, but the pizza at the location in Adams Morgan in DC bordered on inedible, and the location I went to in Phoenix was nothing to write home about.
That's a shame. There are three in Richmond, and I've had consistently good food and drink every time I've gone to any of them. But they're also the only three I've been to.
Mellow Mushroom is a strong contender for best chain pizza restaurant IMO. I've never had a bad experience there, but my experience has indeed been with restaurants in the Southeast (such as Georgia and Tennessee), so I can't speak for the locations in states farther away. But I love the food there, it's definitely in a higher league than the main popular chains, although I enjoy those as well.
I will also say that Mellow Mushroom is good in the Southeast as well. Same experience with locations in Tennessee and Georgia.
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
A&W seems to be rare in the U.S., but it's everywhere in Canada.
Quote from: Big John on September 22, 2022, 10:12:34 PM
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.
A&W opened a few locations in Wisconsin inside gas stations
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
Quote from: planxtymcgillicuddy on May 07, 2023, 12:39:27 PM
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.
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 07, 2023, 02:35:45 PM
Quote from: planxtymcgillicuddy on May 07, 2023, 12:39:27 PM
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.
Quote from: Big John on May 07, 2023, 01:24:57 PM
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).
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 07, 2023, 04:11:52 PM
Quote from: Big John on May 07, 2023, 01:24:57 PM
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.
Quote from: algorerhythms on May 07, 2023, 01:20:44 PM
A&W seems to be rare in the U.S., but it's everywhere in Canada.
Quote from: Big John on September 22, 2022, 10:12:34 PM
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.
Quote from: algorerhythms on May 07, 2023, 01:20:44 PM
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.
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.
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.
I don't believe A&W is owned by PepsiCo.
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.
Quote from: Road Hog on May 08, 2023, 12:50:08 AMA&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.
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.
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
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.
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).
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
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 15, 2023, 03:35:44 PM
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/
Quote from: catch22 on May 15, 2023, 03:58:31 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on May 15, 2023, 03:35:44 PM
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.
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.
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.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 17, 2023, 10:41:52 PM
* 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.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 17, 2023, 10:41:52 PM* 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.
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.
Quote from: SP Cook on May 18, 2023, 01:22:38 PM
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.
They spun them off and then bought them?
Quote from: Rothman on May 18, 2023, 01:26:43 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on May 18, 2023, 01:22:38 PM
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.
They spun them off and then bought them?
2002, sorry.
A few more American concepts that are alive and well in the Philippines but not really present here:
Italianni's - one or two locations left in the US, something like 35+ in PH
Magoo's Pizza - one revived location in Hawaii, but three local branches in Metro Manila (with no connection to the current Hawaii version of this)
Shakey's Pizza - the US chain is around but nowhere as much as it was in the 1970s and 1980s, notably the original Sacramento location closed about 2 decades ago. In the Philippines they are one of the major fast-casual pizza chains in the country, due to an initial influx of franchising by San Miguel in the 1970s - their locations can be found in many malls, and I've eaten at a standalone attached to a Shell station in Makati, as well as a kiosk at the Enchanted Kingdom theme park. I also remember driving by them in medium-sized cities and in some random residential Manila suburbs (i.e. the BF Homes subdivision in Paranaque).
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf - retrenched in America the last five years, including their San Francisco locations. The brand is now owned by Jollibee (the Filipino burger conglomerate) so they have a much healthier presence in PH compared to the US, with tons of locations in Makati and Bonifacio Global City.
Weirder is the recent trend of Los Angeles-specific brands to open up outposts out there: Pink's Hot Dogs and Randy's Donuts being the two that come to mind. (Randy's actually imports their donuts from Los Angeles to Metro Manila)
Quote from: SP Cook on May 18, 2023, 01:22:38 PMA 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.
I assumed exactly that.
Quote from: SP Cook on May 18, 2023, 01:22:38 PM
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.
While that's true, there is still a very healthy relationship, beyond simply serving Pepsi beverages. There have been some food crossovers like the Beefy Fritos Burrito and the wildly successful Doritos Locos Taco at Taco Bell. Taco Bell also used to literally serve bags of Doritos in some combos (they no longer do). Also some exclusive soda flavors like Mtn Dew Baja Blast (also wildly successful) at Taco Bell and Mtn Dew Sweet Lightning at KFC. I'm probably missing some more examples. Easy to see why a lot of people would think they're still part of the same company.
I've been to KFC in the Philippines once (April 2019 in a mall location in San Pablo, Laguna) and was taken aback that they served Coca-Cola beverages! Wonder if that would have even been possible say 20-30 years ago.
Quote from: SP Cook on May 18, 2023, 02:07:23 PM
Quote from: Rothman on May 18, 2023, 01:26:43 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on May 18, 2023, 01:22:38 PM
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.
They spun them off and then bought them?
2002, sorry.
Nine years before saying, "These are deadwood."
Quote from: ibthebigd on May 09, 2023, 05:03:48 PM
Did Lee's Famous Recipe used to be bigger? All over Central Kentucky and I know New Castle Indiana has one.
SM-G996U
Yes. I remember a Lee's Famous Recipe on US 280 here in Birmingham when I was a kid.
Quote from: abefroman329 on May 18, 2023, 11:48:43 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on May 17, 2023, 10:41:52 PM* 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.
It's funny too, despite the reputation they may (or may not) have in the United States, the reputation they have here in Japan is of it being a pretty nice restaurant. I've been three times to the one near me, and every time I've been thoroughly impressed.
Quote from: jakeroot on May 17, 2023, 10:41:52 PM
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.
In the light of the preceding conversation, I think it's worth noting a fifth item:
* A&W (
standalone restaurants)
A&W is a big deal here in Okinawa. The chain ceased existing in the mainland 40+ years ago, but has remained popular here in Okinawa. There are at least a couple dozen across the island. NHK even did a story a few months back (in English):
https://youtu.be/5hEmvcAVnRE
Technically I can get A&W back home in Washington State, but its menu is a shell of what it once was. I don't even count the modern shared A&W restaurants as true A&Ws. The closest true A&Ws, to me, were always in Canada.