Hilarious chain knockoffs

[Alps]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alpsroads/8535009345/in/photostream

Grafton, WV, one right after the other. Even the logos are hilarious (especially if you're an adolescent boy).

[Takumi]

For years in Williamsburg, VA there was a sub shop called Subway Station. I didn't see it this past trip.

[lordsutch]

Forsyth, GA has the "Hilltop Garden Inn." [sic]  I can see how someone might end up there and be disappointed. http://www.hginn.com/

[corco]

In sunny Atwood, Kansas

[amroad17]

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

[Scott5114]

There's a car dealership chain called Car-Mart whose logo looks like a blocky version of the old Wal-Mart logo (before the asterisk and "Walmart" spelling were adopted). The shade of blue used is dead on.

[oscar]

Similarly, the tiny town of Hyder, Alaska had a "Val-Mart" when I visited in 1994.  (I took a photo, but I don't have it with me on the road.)  No attempt to imitate the old Wal-Mart logo.  Val-Mart was just a small general merchandise store for locals, and residents of adjacent Stewart BC looking for cheap American booze and tobacco to smuggle across the then-unguarded border.

[1995hoo]

If you want chain knockoffs, the following article about fried chicken chains in New York is an absolute must-read:

http://www.satanslaundromat.com/sl/archives/000453.html


This related article was posted the day before:

http://www.satanslaundromat.com/sl/archives/000452.html

[elsmere241]

There used to be one or two stores along US 301 in southern Maryland called "Blair's Video", with the Blockbuster color scheme inverted.

[kphoger]

In sunny Atwood, Kansas

That's the town I grew up in.  Back then, the motel wasn't called that.

[kphoger]

Just 30 miles south is/was the Deep Rock Cafe.

[agentsteel53]

In sunny Atwood, Kansas

That's the town I grew up in.  Back then, the motel wasn't called that.

must've been re-branded by Uncle Sam when they took it over.

[agentsteel53]

for some reason, KFC gets this more than any other brand I know.



more photos here:
http://www.satanslaundromat.com/sl/archives/000453.html

including Kennedy Fried Chicken, JFK Fried Chicken, etc.  no photo of a Louisiana Fried Chicken, but I know there is at least one of those.

[1995hoo]

Beat you to it on the chicken places by about three hours.  Scroll up to reply #7 in this thread. I also linked another posting from that same website about state-named chicken joints in New York. 

[Truvelo]

This is the best KFC knockoff. It's been in the local newspaper several times where KFC have tried on unsuccessful occasions to get it closed down or change the name.

[agentsteel53]

This is the best KFC knockoff. It's been in the local newspaper several times where KFC have tried on unsuccessful occasions to get it closed down or change the name.

on that note, I believe the simplest way to avoid ligitation is to have one's name legally changed to Ken Tucky.  At least in the US, there is legal precedent to having your own name be part of a business.  for example, there are various small McDonald's restaurants here and there that are owned by Lou McDonald, or Al McDonald, or what have you.

[djsinco]

This is not exactly on topic, but since similar business names are here... Many years ago, there was a Gibson's Discount Center store on the east frontage road south of Laramie, WY, just off of highway 287. The store closed, and a bingo parlor took over. The Gibson's store had individually back-lit letters over the front doors, G-I-B-S-O-N-S. The first time I drove past after the bingo parlor opened, they merely rearranged and altered a couple of the plastic letters to read $-B-I-N-G-O-$. That seemed way too clever for a bingo operator!

[Takumi]

Beat you to it on the chicken places by about three hours.  Scroll up to reply #7 in this thread. I also linked another posting from that same website about state-named chicken joints in New York. 

Because of that article, I now have a goal to eat at a KFC knockoff by the time I turn 30.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I think this is in China:

[RoadWarrior56]

When I was a kid, I remember there was a hamburger drive-in/fast food stand near Owensboro, KY named "Norman McDonalds".  This would had been in or around 1967.  Imagine if some local drive-in tried to use that name now, what the McDonalds lawyers would try to do to it?

[hbelkins]

There's a car dealership chain called Car-Mart whose logo looks like a blocky version of the old Wal-Mart logo (before the asterisk and "Walmart" spelling were adopted). The shade of blue used is dead on.

And I have seen more than a few of these located in old Walmart store buildings.

[Duke87]

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

[djsinco]

I have not been to the Keys 10 years, but I walked past a bar in Key West named the "Homo Depot." Not sure if it is still there.

[english si]

Penguins was a big knock off item - every main supermarket has its own brand, but most of them are now called something generic like "chocolate digestive bars"; but they used to have better names ('Skipper', IIRC, was Tesco's).

ADSA, however, has 'Puffins' (and had to change the original packaging) - ironically they were first to branch out into orange and mint flavours, and McVities then ripped them off with mint penguins. I guess other supermarkets realised they couldn't compete with the knock-off quality, so went to generic names.

Jaffa Cakes and Liquorice Allsorts, sadly, are the generic, so imitation ones can use the name and I end up with inferior products when I ask for them!

Incidentally, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes are called 'Frosties' here, and the generic is Frosted Flakes.

[Rushmeister]

Re:  the Dairy Queen photo linked to in the first post

I'm not so sure that's a knock-off.  It looks a lot like vintage Dairy Queen signage to me.


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