We've gone around and around on rhe slow death of Sears/Kmart as well as a few restaurant chains and how they are just a slim fraction of what they once were.
What about other dominant national chains in other retail categories that are barely holding on?
The one chain that got me thinking of this thread is Midas. At one time they were the king of replacement mufflers (along with Tuffy and Speedy). The Midas in my town looks dilapidated and not well maintained and I believe they are now even closed on weekends. It is located at a very busy intersection, but you'd be lucky to see any cars parked in the lot.
Other once dominant businesses???
The Price Chopper in my town, created in 2004 from a former KMart, already looks outdated and empty inside. They have yet to be converted to a Market 32.
Bed Bath & Beyond ain't what it used to be. And Friendly's is about 10% of the footprint it once was. Quiznos came and went and is almost nonexistent now.
Fry's supermarkets apparently have 123 locations still open, in Arizona mainly.
The spinoff Fry's Electronics dominated the southwest (mainly CA and TX) until the Internet took off. Peaked at 34 locations, took many years to die, with empty shelves, "sold on TV" nonsense and toys and other random stuff.
Even at its peak, there was controversy about customer service and financials and whatnot, but in the 90s it was a fun place to visit, and in the 10s it was an interesting place to watch fading away.
The history would make a good documentary IMHO.
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 09, 2022, 07:56:00 PM
The Price Chopper in my town, created in 2004 from a former KMart, already looks outdated and empty inside. They have yet to be converted to a Market 32.
Not quite a national chain–Price Chopper of Kansas City is an entirely unrelated chain that happens to have the same name. That chain is still going strong (they even recently expanded to Des Moines).
So many of the casual restaurant chains come to mind
Applebee's
Ruby Tuesday
TGI Fridays
Logans Roadhouse
SM-G996U
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2022, 10:26:09 PM
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.
Yep, my mom used to get groceries at the one in Hopewell from time to time.
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2022, 10:26:09 PM
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.
I think at one point in the iOS, Winn-Dixie actually had stores in the Cincinnati area.
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 10, 2022, 06:57:02 PM
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2022, 10:26:09 PM
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.
I think at one point in the iOS, Winn-Dixie actually had stores in the Cincinnati area.
For a time in the mid 70s, Winn-Dixie had a store in Princeton, IN (Southwestern IN). That didn't last too long. They also built a store in Owensboro, KY in the 80s, and its gone as well.
Quote from: ibthebigd on August 10, 2022, 06:33:43 PM
So many of the casual restaurant chains come to mind
Applebee's
Ruby Tuesday
TGI Fridays
Logans Roadhouse
SM-G996U
I don't know the last one, but on Applebee's and Fridays absolutely. The Ruby Tuesday locations around me were still good but now they're all gone, though I contend they were better when they were more of an Applebee's-style restaurant before their pseudo upscale attempts.
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 10, 2022, 06:57:02 PM
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2022, 10:26:09 PM
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.
I think at one point in the iOS, Winn-Dixie actually had stores in the Cincinnati area.
I meant the 90s.
Bennigan's. I guess there are still some around and they're looking to open more internationally.
Shakey's pizza. Once national but now only in California and some international locations.
Quote from: Big John on August 11, 2022, 12:31:24 PM
Shakey's pizza. Once national but now only in California and some international locations.
Two in Washington too.
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.
It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:47:57 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.
It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.
It's not that they're not good–Chili's is perfectly fine–but that's just it, it's
perfectly fine. I can make perfectly fine at home for way cheaper and not have to play the social interaction game with the waiter and wait for the food to arrive.
To justify spending money on a meal, it either needs to be way faster and easier than cooking (fast food restaurants fall into this bucket), something impractical to make at home (I don't have a smoker, so barbecue falls into this bucket for me), or it needs to be way better than what I can do at home. A lot of the casual chain restaurants fall into the gap between those buckets for me, so I've stopped spending money at them.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 11, 2022, 04:00:26 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:47:57 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.
It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.
It's not that they're not good–Chili's is perfectly fine–but that's just it, it's perfectly fine. I can make perfectly fine at home for way cheaper and not have to play the social interaction game with the waiter and wait for the food to arrive.
To justify spending money on a meal, it either needs to be way faster and easier than cooking (fast food restaurants fall into this bucket), something impractical to make at home (I don't have a smoker, so barbecue falls into this bucket for me), or it needs to be way better than what I can do at home. A lot of the casual chain restaurants fall into the gap between those buckets for me, so I've stopped spending money at them.
Exactly. Why go out for a club sandwich, grilled salmon with veggies, etc.? Way easier to do better at home for much less money.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 04:19:17 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 11, 2022, 04:00:26 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:47:57 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.
It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.
It's not that they're not good–Chili's is perfectly fine–but that's just it, it's perfectly fine. I can make perfectly fine at home for way cheaper and not have to play the social interaction game with the waiter and wait for the food to arrive.
To justify spending money on a meal, it either needs to be way faster and easier than cooking (fast food restaurants fall into this bucket), something impractical to make at home (I don't have a smoker, so barbecue falls into this bucket for me), or it needs to be way better than what I can do at home. A lot of the casual chain restaurants fall into the gap between those buckets for me, so I've stopped spending money at them.
Exactly. Why go out for a club sandwich, grilled salmon with veggies, etc.? Way easier to do better at home for much less money.
Plus, in many areas of the country, there are many local restaurants that do a better job than the chains restaurants. For instance, there are any number of Italian and Seafood restaurants in New England that are worth going to instead of Olive Garden or Red Lobster.
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 07:40:13 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 04:19:17 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 11, 2022, 04:00:26 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:47:57 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.
It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.
It's not that they're not good–Chili's is perfectly fine–but that's just it, it's perfectly fine. I can make perfectly fine at home for way cheaper and not have to play the social interaction game with the waiter and wait for the food to arrive.
To justify spending money on a meal, it either needs to be way faster and easier than cooking (fast food restaurants fall into this bucket), something impractical to make at home (I don't have a smoker, so barbecue falls into this bucket for me), or it needs to be way better than what I can do at home. A lot of the casual chain restaurants fall into the gap between those buckets for me, so I've stopped spending money at them.
Exactly. Why go out for a club sandwich, grilled salmon with veggies, etc.? Way easier to do better at home for much less money.
Plus, in many areas of the country, there are many local restaurants that do a better job than the chains restaurants. For instance, there are any number of Italian and Seafood restaurants in New England that are worth going instead of Olive Garden or Red Lobster.
Red Lobster was fine when I was in St Louis but few locals would go to Olive Garden when there were plenty of excellent local Italian restaurants. The opposite was true when I was in Tidewater where I never found a really good Italian restaurant but plenty of better (and cheaper) options than Red Lobster for seafood.
Olive Garden is for those that have no taste.
Quote from: Rothman on August 11, 2022, 08:45:37 PM
Olive Garden is for those that have no taste.
At some point I'm going to give a speech about Interstate Maintenance funding at an Olive Garden on a county route. Just for you.
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 11, 2022, 08:59:36 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 11, 2022, 08:45:37 PM
Olive Garden is for those that have no taste.
At some point I'm going to give a speech about Interstate Maintenance funding at an Olive Garden on a county route. Just for you.
You madman.
Quote from: Rothman on August 11, 2022, 08:45:37 PM
Olive Garden is for those that have no taste.
Olive Garden became a shell of their former self when they quit putting enough olives in their "All You Can Eat Salad" about 35 years ago or so. Falsetto advertising.
Olive Garden microwaves pasta. Enough said.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 12, 2022, 06:49:48 AM
Olive Garden microwaves pasta. Enough said.
Do you'all know if Olive Garden (or any other Italian chain) uses pre-packaged pasta for microwave heating? I won't reveal the chain, but a big name entity that used to sell individual portions of pasta had a process where the various noodles were prepared fresh, then were drained and packaged in the restaurant. The cooling process was essential to achieve the proper consistency, which was important as pasta cooking was not a mainstay of this chain. They did not, however, microwave the pasta to reheat. I've used to utilize this technique at home, and yes, I was able to cook really good pasta by using the microwave. It takes a while to get the entire process down pat, so I wouldn't recommend it for serving to company (or picky eaters).
Quote from: Dirt Roads on August 12, 2022, 10:50:18 AM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 12, 2022, 06:49:48 AM
Olive Garden microwaves pasta. Enough said.
Do you'all know if Olive Garden (or any other Italian chain) uses pre-packaged pasta for microwave heating? I won't reveal the chain, but a big name entity that used to sell individual portions of pasta had a process where the various noodles were prepared fresh, then were drained and packaged in the restaurant. The cooling process was essential to achieve the proper consistency, which was important as pasta cooking was not a mainstay of this chain. They did not, however, microwave the pasta to reheat. I've used to utilize this technique at home, and yes, I was able to cook really good pasta by using the microwave. It takes a while to get the entire process down pat, so I wouldn't recommend it for serving to company (or picky eaters).
100% the pasta at Olive Garden comes in packaged and some of the different varieties, they microwave. (At least they used to when I worked for Darden way back in the day, because I read their training materials.)
One of the more prominent barbecue restaurants in KC finishes their meats in the microwave too, but I'm less opposed to that since it was obviously originally cooked in the pit.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 12, 2022, 11:15:46 AM
Quote from: Dirt Roads on August 12, 2022, 10:50:18 AM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 12, 2022, 06:49:48 AM
Olive Garden microwaves pasta. Enough said.
Do you'all know if Olive Garden (or any other Italian chain) uses pre-packaged pasta for microwave heating? I won't reveal the chain, but a big name entity that used to sell individual portions of pasta had a process where the various noodles were prepared fresh, then were drained and packaged in the restaurant. The cooling process was essential to achieve the proper consistency, which was important as pasta cooking was not a mainstay of this chain. They did not, however, microwave the pasta to reheat. I've used to utilize this technique at home, and yes, I was able to cook really good pasta by using the microwave. It takes a while to get the entire process down pat, so I wouldn't recommend it for serving to company (or picky eaters).
100% the pasta at Olive Garden comes in packaged and some of the different varieties, they microwave. (At least they used to when I worked for Darden way back in the day, because I read their training materials.)
One of the more prominent barbecue restaurants in KC finishes their meats in the microwave too, but I'm less opposed to that since it was obviously originally cooked in the pit.
The best way to cook pork chops is to grill them and then finish cooking them in the microwave. It's difficult to completely cook thick pork chops on the grill and microwaving cooks food from the inside out so the two processes complement one another. Sure beats getting trichinosis.
Ramada Inns used to be pretty high on the list of quality hotels. Now they're one of those hit-or-miss Wyndham brands that can be very luxurious, or below Super 8 or Days Inn standards.
Piccadilly's has declined precipitously from its heyday. There are now just 33 locations in various cities in Louisiana, Jackson MS, Memphis area, Atlanta area, and a few isolated stragglers elsewhere in the south. Of course cafeteria chains in general have had it hard in recent decades.
It seems that chain restaurants never truly die completely since there are often a few franchisees left that will stick with a dying/defunct brand long after its prime. In contrast, most retailers that fail usually liquidate all their remaining stores at once leaving no stragglers. (Of course Sears/Kmart is the great exception. :ded:)
Another chain that shrank substantially after a 2018 bankruptcy is Fallas Stores (formerly National Stores). Recently I heard they were closing all stores.
Quote from: hbelkins on August 12, 2022, 09:52:26 PM
Ramada Inns used to be pretty high on the list of quality hotels. Now they're one of those hit-or-miss Wyndham brands that can be very luxurious, or below Super 8 or Days Inn standards.
Wyndham ownership has just been terrible to the Howard Johnson brand. Talk about a chain that is a shell of its former self...
AARoads: come for complains about I-99, stay for the rants about Olive Garden.
Quote from: formulanone on August 13, 2022, 09:04:33 PM
AARoads: come for complains about I-99, stay for the rants about Olive Garden.
:popcorn:
Quote from: kurumi on August 09, 2022, 09:57:58 PM
Fry's supermarkets apparently have 123 locations still open, in Arizona mainly.
The spinoff Fry's Electronics dominated the southwest (mainly CA and TX) until the Internet took off. Peaked at 34 locations, took many years to die, with empty shelves, "sold on TV" nonsense and toys and other random stuff.
Even at its peak, there was controversy about customer service and financials and whatnot, but in the 90s it was a fun place to visit, and in the 10s it was an interesting place to watch fading away.
The history would make a good documentary IMHO.
I would love to see a documentary on Fry's.
One really cool thing about Fry's was the stores. Most had a really cool theme. Burbank, CA and its alien theme was super neat.
As it relates to the stores, Fry's also deserves credit for saving quite a few of the
very short-lived Incredible Universe electronics store chain. Seven were converted to Fry's (six initially, followed by another in Fishers, IN) and maintained Incredible Universe's large rotunda entry, which of course was done to save money, but also maintained that visual connection to the original chain. I think that's pretty neat, as Incredible Universe was quite a cool place. I supposedly visited the Auburn, WA location as a very small child, though I don't remember it.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:35:33 PM
Quote from: Big John on August 11, 2022, 12:31:24 PM
Shakey's pizza. Once national but now only in California and some international locations.
Two in Washington too.
The one in Renton, WA isn't too far from me. I keep meaning to go to it. I don't think I realized it was a national chain. My family used to rave about it.
I'm sad to see that attempts to resurrect the Farrell's ice cream chain have been unsuccessful. Last one closed 2019.
Quote from: kkt on August 20, 2022, 05:26:26 PM
Quote from: formulanone on August 13, 2022, 09:04:33 PM
AARoads: come for complains about I-99, stay for the rants about Olive Garden.
:popcorn:
Speaking of Olive Garden...
https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article264688999.html#wgt=trending
Quote from: kkt on August 20, 2022, 09:04:45 PM
I'm sad to see that attempts to resurrect the Farrell's ice cream chain have been unsuccessful. Last one closed 2019.
A recent attempt to bring Circuit City back from the dead didn't pan out, either.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 09, 2022, 07:56:00 PM
Bed Bath & Beyond ain't what it used to be.
I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/bed-bath-and-beyond-stock-news-bankruptcy-outlook-analysis-rcna43938 (https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/bed-bath-and-beyond-stock-news-bankruptcy-outlook-analysis-rcna43938)
Quote from: skluth on August 12, 2022, 01:29:57 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 12, 2022, 11:15:46 AM
Quote from: Dirt Roads on August 12, 2022, 10:50:18 AM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 12, 2022, 06:49:48 AM
Olive Garden microwaves pasta. Enough said.
Do you'all know if Olive Garden (or any other Italian chain) uses pre-packaged pasta for microwave heating? I won't reveal the chain, but a big name entity that used to sell individual portions of pasta had a process where the various noodles were prepared fresh, then were drained and packaged in the restaurant. The cooling process was essential to achieve the proper consistency, which was important as pasta cooking was not a mainstay of this chain. They did not, however, microwave the pasta to reheat. I've used to utilize this technique at home, and yes, I was able to cook really good pasta by using the microwave. It takes a while to get the entire process down pat, so I wouldn't recommend it for serving to company (or picky eaters).
100% the pasta at Olive Garden comes in packaged and some of the different varieties, they microwave. (At least they used to when I worked for Darden way back in the day, because I read their training materials.)
One of the more prominent barbecue restaurants in KC finishes their meats in the microwave too, but I'm less opposed to that since it was obviously originally cooked in the pit.
The best way to cook pork chops is to grill them and then finish cooking them in the microwave. It's difficult to completely cook thick pork chops on the grill and microwaving cooks food from the inside out so the two processes complement one another. Sure beats getting trichinosis.
There have been three total cases of trichinosis in the U.S. since 1975. The official health recommendation for cooking pork is no longer well done. I cook my pork chops to medium. No need to microwave.
Quote from: hbelkins on August 20, 2022, 11:14:56 PM
Quote from: kkt on August 20, 2022, 05:26:26 PM
Quote from: formulanone on August 13, 2022, 09:04:33 PM
AARoads: come for complains about I-99, stay for the rants about Olive Garden.
:popcorn:
Speaking of Olive Garden...
https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article264688999.html#wgt=trending
Is it mandatory that every song in a TikTok be ear assault?
Quote from: SectorZ on August 21, 2022, 11:51:53 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on August 20, 2022, 11:14:56 PM
Quote from: kkt on August 20, 2022, 05:26:26 PM
Quote from: formulanone on August 13, 2022, 09:04:33 PM
AARoads: come for complains about I-99, stay for the rants about Olive Garden.
:popcorn:
Speaking of Olive Garden...
https://www.kentucky.com/news/nation-world/national/article264688999.html#wgt=trending
Is it mandatory that every song in a TikTok be ear assault?
Worse. There's a satellite radio station just devoted to TikTok music.
Quote from: LM117 on August 21, 2022, 07:58:39 AM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 09, 2022, 07:56:00 PM
Bed Bath & Beyond ain't what it used to be.
I'd say that's a pretty fair assessment.
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/bed-bath-and-beyond-stock-news-bankruptcy-outlook-analysis-rcna43938 (https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/bed-bath-and-beyond-stock-news-bankruptcy-outlook-analysis-rcna43938)
...aaaannnd the CFO just jumped from the 18th floor.
https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/bed-bath-beyond-cfo-gustavo-arnal-jumps-from-manhattan-new-york-tower-to-his-death-14645821.htm
Perkins is so much smaller than it used to be. The location in Foster Brook, PA closed recently, and that felt like one of the last ones near me. I'm doubtful even the Olean, NY location is still open today.
Quote from: kirbykart on September 10, 2022, 11:23:10 AM
Perkins is so much smaller than it used to be. The location in Foster Brook, PA closed recently, and that felt like one of the last ones near me. I'm doubtful even the Olean, NY location is still open today.
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Quote from: kirbykart on September 10, 2022, 11:23:10 AM
Perkins is so much smaller than it used to be. The location in Foster Brook, PA closed recently, and that felt like one of the last ones near me. I'm doubtful even the Olean, NY location is still open today.
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
One of the Perkins restaurants in Johnson County, Kansas at a very busy intersection closed during the pandemic and was torn down and replaced with a QuikTrip. I ate there a few years ago, and the food was fine, but the décor and furnishings (brass lamps, heavy oak, dark greens) felt 30 years old, and I think their demographic is aging and shrinking fast.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 12, 2022, 11:15:46 AM
One of the more prominent barbecue restaurants in KC finishes their meats in the microwave too, but I'm less opposed to that since it was obviously originally cooked in the pit.
Which one!?
Makes me wonder how much longer the Perkins in Cortland, NY will hang on.
There's also still a Perkins in Mansfield, PA. That along with Olean (still open, according to Google) and Cortland are the only ones I know of around here.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Quote from: kirbykart on September 10, 2022, 11:23:10 AM
Perkins is so much smaller than it used to be. The location in Foster Brook, PA closed recently, and that felt like one of the last ones near me. I'm doubtful even the Olean, NY location is still open today.
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
Both Denver and Colorado Springs' Perkins are still going strong; in fact, both have had recent remodels.
Quote from: webny99 on September 10, 2022, 03:07:50 PM
There's also still a Perkins in Mansfield, PA. That along with Olean (still open, according to Google) and Cortland are the only ones I know of around here.
The one in Newburgh (and the closest one to me in CT) looks like it's still open.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 10, 2022, 04:56:42 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 10, 2022, 03:07:50 PM
There's also still a Perkins in Mansfield, PA. That along with Olean (still open, according to Google) and Cortland are the only ones I know of around here.
The one in Newburgh (and the closest one to me in CT) looks like it's still open.
Isn't there one in Wappingers Falls?
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Quote from: kirbykart on September 10, 2022, 11:23:10 AM
Perkins is so much smaller than it used to be. The location in Foster Brook, PA closed recently, and that felt like one of the last ones near me. I'm doubtful even the Olean, NY location is still open today.
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
All the ones in SD/WY I've been to are still thriving; we would eat there on high school trips because they took meal vouchers and I can still go in and order the same thing and sit at the same table as when I was traveling for cross/track meets.
We used to stop at a Perkins in Butte, MT when our cross-country trips involved I-90. (There wasn't really another place to stop.) Last time we were there (in 2016) we were grossed out.
There's still one in Newark, DE.
Speaking of places that seem to be going downhill - Newark, DE no longer has a Friendly's. I worked at the one on Elkton Road from 1988-90 (I refuse to call it South Main) and at the time, Hershey had just sold Friendly's to what was then the majority owner of Perkins. We all wondered if a merger was in the works, but it never happened.
Not a business on it's own, but here's a significant company that is becoming harder to find -- NTN/Buzztime Trivia.
A live trivia game that used to be plentiful in many bars and restaurants where you could play live vs. The rest of North America. NTN/Buzztime and Buffalo Wild Wings (one of NTN's largest customers) recently dissolved their relationship after nearly 30 years and seems to have lost a lot of other independent and chain establishments as well.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:35:33 PM
Quote from: Big John on August 11, 2022, 12:31:24 PM
Shakey's pizza. Once national but now only in California and some international locations.
Two in Washington too.
The one place where Shakey's is super prevalent is the Philippines where they are pretty common in most sizeable cities.
There are some other US chains that have more Philippines presence now than out here - Italianni's (one location left in Texas), the Hawaiian-originated Magoos Pizza, Kenny Rogers Roasters which no longer has a single US location.
---
In San Francisco, the original Swensen's ice cream parlor has operated continuously for decades; however, the national chain that sprung up from it is gone (while there are some locations franchised out in Asia).
Quote from: TheStranger on September 10, 2022, 10:02:38 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:35:33 PM
Quote from: Big John on August 11, 2022, 12:31:24 PM
Shakey's pizza. Once national but now only in California and some international locations.
Two in Washington too.
The one place where Shakey's is super prevalent is the Philippines where they are pretty common in most sizeable cities.
There are some other US chains that have more Philippines presence now than out here - Italianni's (one location left in Texas), the Hawaiian-originated Magoos Pizza, Kenny Rogers Roasters which no longer has a single US location.
---
In San Francisco, the original Swensen's ice cream parlor has operated continuously for decades; however, the national chain that sprung up from it is gone (while there are some locations franchised out in Asia).
Shakey's that pizza chain was born in Sacramento, CA originally meant for a different crowd. It was originally meant to be a hangout place for the Downtown and Sac State crowds. But the first time I went to Shakey oddly enough was inside one of the malls in the Philippines. It is a major pizza chain in Philippine malls. Shakey's original location in Sacramento became something else.
https://web.archive.org/web/20091126002459/http://www.shakeyspizza.ph/about_us.asp
Robinsons mall was originally from Los Angeles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._W._Robinson%27s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinsons-May
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinsons_Malls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_%26_Co.
https://asyadesign.com.ph/projects/robinsons-galleria-xiamen/
But the Robinsons name have taken on a legendary status in the Philippines, Thailand and China.
The Robinsons that was born in Los Angeles and was a part of Southland Malls became rebranded as Macy's.
Makes me wonder how recipes have changed in the lingering Asian franchises.
Quote from: bing101 on September 10, 2022, 10:31:51 PM
Robinsons mall was originally from Los Angeles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._W._Robinson%27s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinsons-May
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinsons_Malls
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_%26_Co.
https://asyadesign.com.ph/projects/robinsons-galleria-xiamen/
But the Robinsons name have taken on a legendary status in the Philippines, Thailand and China.
The Robinsons that was born in Los Angeles and was a part of Southland Malls became rebranded as Macy's.
The Robinsons that was founded in Asia has nothing to do at all with the California Robinsons-May. It is a name variant of parent company Universal Robina Corporation-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Robina
Quote from: Rothman on September 11, 2022, 12:08:41 AM
Makes me wonder how recipes have changed in the lingering Asian franchises.
With Shakey's, the Mojo Potato wedges are pretty much the same as the ones here. I think the spaghetti they serve in the Philippines location is catering to the sweet-sauce Filipino pasta style (similar to that of Jollibee).
As for the two Magoo's Pizza entities (the revived Hawaii one and the older spinoff in PH) - here's their websites to compare.
https://www.originalmagoospizza.com/
https://magoos.com/
---
Another brand with US roots that has become entirely defunct in America yet prevalent in the Philippines: the originally-from-Oakland paint company Boysen.
In that same vein, the popular Asian convenience store chain Lawson originally started out as an Ohio-based chain, before becoming more entrenched in Japan with some Philippines outposts (i.e. in Makati and Manila). I think Lawson does have a US location in Hawaii in more recent years.
Wimpy has been gone from the US for decades, but is still around in the UK and, primarily, South Africa.
Quote from: TheStranger on September 11, 2022, 01:57:31 AM
Quote from: bing101 on September 10, 2022, 10:31:51 PM
Robinsons mall was originally from Los Angeles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._W._Robinson%27s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._W._Robinson%27s)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinsons-May (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinsons-May)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinsons_Malls (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinsons_Malls)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_%26_Co (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson_%26_Co).
https://asyadesign.com.ph/projects/robinsons-galleria-xiamen/ (https://asyadesign.com.ph/projects/robinsons-galleria-xiamen/)
But the Robinsons name have taken on a legendary status in the Philippines, Thailand and China.
The Robinsons that was born in Los Angeles and was a part of Southland Malls became rebranded as Macy's.
The Robinsons that was founded in Asia has nothing to do at all with the California Robinsons-May. It is a name variant of parent company Universal Robina Corporation-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Robina (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Robina)
Quote from: Rothman on September 11, 2022, 12:08:41 AM
Makes me wonder how recipes have changed in the lingering Asian franchises.
With Shakey's, the Mojo Potato wedges are pretty much the same as the ones here. I think the spaghetti they serve in the Philippines location is catering to the sweet-sauce Filipino pasta style (similar to that of Jollibee).
As for the two Magoo's Pizza entities (the revived Hawaii one and the older spinoff in PH) - here's their websites to compare.
https://www.originalmagoospizza.com/ (https://www.originalmagoospizza.com/)
https://magoos.com/ (https://magoos.com/)
---
Another brand with US roots that has become entirely defunct in America yet prevalent in the Philippines: the originally-from-Oakland paint company Boysen.
In that same vein, the popular Asian convenience store chain Lawson originally started out as an Ohio-based chain, before becoming more entrenched in Japan with some Philippines outposts (i.e. in Makati and Manila). I think Lawson does have a US location in Hawaii in more recent years.
I'm shocked that Shakey's US management never thought about placing their pizza chain in known Filipino neighborhoods in California like South San Francisco/Daly City area, Vallejo, and yes it's birthplace Sacramento area. I mean Jollibee taking, or Seafood City getting the franchise rights to Shakey's in the USA. Also I never thought that Universal Robina is the parent name for Robinsons malls.
It would be interesting of Robinsons Malls came to California but that's not possible given how Amazon, Walmart, Target and eBay are big here in the USA.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JG_Summit_Holdings
Turns out that Robinsons Mall is owned by an investment company called JG Summit Holdings.
Companies like San Miguel, Ayala, SM Corporation and JG Summit are viewed in the Philippines as the biggest conglomerates and are considered as pillars of the Philippine economy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM_Investments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kmart_Australia
Kmart it used to exist in the USA but that store name has taken on legendary status in Australia. However here in the USA Kmart has been labeled as stale and outdated before they went bankrupt in the USA because of Sears Management.
Note Kmart is managed by an investment group in Australia called Wesfarmers inc.
https://www.kmart.com.au/
https://www.kmart.co.nz/
https://wesfarmers.com.au/our-businesses/kmart-group
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesfarmers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkshire_Hathaway
Wesfarmers is the Australian version of Berkshire Hathaway.
Quote from: bing101 on September 11, 2022, 10:01:56 AM
I'm shocked that Shakey's US management never thought about placing their pizza chain in known Filipino neighborhoods in California like South San Francisco/Daly City area, Vallejo, and yes it's birthplace Sacramento area. I mean Jollibee taking, or Seafood City getting the franchise rights to Shakey's in the USA.
Shakey's still exists in California (as a skeleton of what it was pre-2000), the only Northern California location left is in Oroville near Chico. They did have a location in Daly City at Junipero Serra and 87th, in what is now an IHOP - I went to it during its Shakey's era in 2001, then a couple of times after that in its IHOP iteration.
Quote from: bing101 on September 11, 2022, 10:01:56 AM
It would be interesting of Robinsons Malls came to California but that's not possible given how Amazon, Walmart, Target and eBay are big here in the USA.
The climate difference between the Philippines (hot/humid or stormy) vs. most of the USA (only hot in summers) partially explains why indoor malls have way more staying power in PH than here.
There are a few PH malls that have been demolished (Uniwide Coastal Mart in Paranaque, A.venue Mall in Makate, Harrison Plaza in Manila) but of the three I just listed, two of them (Uniwide and Harrison) are slated to be replaced with new commercial developments in the near future. Compare to the Bay Area where the Vallco mall has literally been cut down to just Benihana and a bowling alley, the Fashion Island mall was entirely replaced with big box development, and the Macarthur-Broadway mall in Oakland was demolished to make way for a Kaiser hospital. (Hilltop is on its last legs and Tanforan's future is likely a full scale replacement with a business park).
Quote from: Rothman on September 10, 2022, 07:10:13 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 10, 2022, 04:56:42 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 10, 2022, 03:07:50 PM
There's also still a Perkins in Mansfield, PA. That along with Olean (still open, according to Google) and Cortland are the only ones I know of around here.
The one in Newburgh (and the closest one to me in CT) looks like it's still open.
Isn't there one in Wappingers Falls?
Looks like there is one there, and one in Matamoras, PA (right near the NY line at Port Jervis).
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
Village Inn has also downsized, as they've dropped from six Des Moines-area locations to just two within the past half-decade.
A dish that is becoming harder to find recently is veal parmigiana. Animal cruelty issues as well as COVID-19 are leading to the dish's demise, making it hard for Italian restaurants to keep it on their menus. It's mainly the more upscale, non-chain Italian restaurants that still have it on their menus.
A&W is a hard one to find in the original drive-in format. In my region only two of that style remain. One is in Florence OR and the other is in Myrtle Point OR.
Rick
There was a small hamburger chain called Ku-Ku Drive-In, which only has one location left,
Quote from: TheStranger on September 11, 2022, 12:27:50 PM
Quote from: bing101 on September 11, 2022, 10:01:56 AM
I'm shocked that Shakey's US management never thought about placing their pizza chain in known Filipino neighborhoods in California like South San Francisco/Daly City area, Vallejo, and yes it's birthplace Sacramento area. I mean Jollibee taking, or Seafood City getting the franchise rights to Shakey's in the USA.
Shakey's still exists in California (as a skeleton of what it was pre-2000), the only Northern California location left is in Oroville near Chico. They did have a location in Daly City at Junipero Serra and 87th, in what is now an IHOP - I went to it during its Shakey's era in 2001, then a couple of times after that in its IHOP iteration.
Quote from: bing101 on September 11, 2022, 10:01:56 AM
It would be interesting of Robinsons Malls came to California but that's not possible given how Amazon, Walmart, Target and eBay are big here in the USA.
The climate difference between the Philippines (hot/humid or stormy) vs. most of the USA (only hot in summers) partially explains why indoor malls have way more staying power in PH than here.
There are a few PH malls that have been demolished (Uniwide Coastal Mart in Paranaque, A.venue Mall in Makate, Harrison Plaza in Manila) but of the three I just listed, two of them (Uniwide and Harrison) are slated to be replaced with new commercial developments in the near future. Compare to the Bay Area where the Vallco mall has literally been cut down to just Benihana and a bowling alley, the Fashion Island mall was entirely replaced with big box development, and the Macarthur-Broadway mall in Oakland was demolished to make way for a Kaiser hospital. (Hilltop is on its last legs and Tanforan's future is likely a full scale replacement with a business park).
https://abc7news.com/the-shops-at-tanforan-mall-closing-news-san-bruno/11554272/
There's another one Tanforan mall in San Bruno, CA is going to be converted into an industrial park.
There was a similar one in Sacramento where the Downtown mall was demolished to make way for the now known Golden 1 Arena for the Sacramento Kings as a ploy to keep the Kings in the Valley and to keep certain lobbyists and SuperPac staff members interested in staying in Downtown Sacramento.
Quote from: bing101 on September 12, 2022, 12:56:21 PM
There's another one Tanforan mall in San Bruno, CA is going to be converted into an industrial park.
I already referred to that in my post. No closure date for the mall has been announced yet, nor has there been word of if any of the existing tenants will get to stay.
Quote from: bing101 on September 12, 2022, 12:56:21 PM
There was a similar one in Sacramento where the Downtown mall was demolished to make way for the now known Golden 1 Arena for the Sacramento Kings as a ploy to keep the Kings in the Valley and to keep certain lobbyists and SuperPac staff members interested in staying in Downtown Sacramento.
Half of that shopping complex was retained even after the arena was built, and renamed Downtown Commons.
A much better example of an indoor mall being completely removed in the Sacramento area is Florin Mall, which started to lose shops in the 90s and finally was converted to the big-box Florin Town Center ca. 2009.
Quote from: iowahighways on September 11, 2022, 10:50:11 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
Village Inn has also downsized, as they've dropped from six Des Moines-area locations to just two within the past half-decade.
I could see a future where many of these greasy spoon chain diners become 6-3 type places, severely reducing or even entirely dropping the dinner menu that likely doesn't make a lot of sales compared to the breakfast and lunch offerings. IHOP has infamously tried for decades to sell themselves as more than just an all-day breakfast hub, but that's just what people want when they go to places like that.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 12, 2022, 01:58:32 PM
Quote from: iowahighways on September 11, 2022, 10:50:11 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
Village Inn has also downsized, as they've dropped from six Des Moines-area locations to just two within the past half-decade.
I could see a future where many of these greasy spoon chain diners become 6-3 type places, severely reducing or even entirely dropping the dinner menu that likely doesn't make a lot of sales compared to the breakfast and lunch offerings. IHOP has infamously tried for decades to sell themselves as more than just an all-day breakfast hub, but that's just what people want when they go to places like that.
Pie.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 12, 2022, 01:58:32 PM
Quote from: iowahighways on September 11, 2022, 10:50:11 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
Village Inn has also downsized, as they've dropped from six Des Moines-area locations to just two within the past half-decade.
I could see a future where many of these greasy spoon chain diners become 6-3 type places, severely reducing or even entirely dropping the dinner menu that likely doesn't make a lot of sales compared to the breakfast and lunch offerings. IHOP has infamously tried for decades to sell themselves as more than just an all-day breakfast hub, but that's just what people want when they go to places like that.
You mean IHOB?
Quote from: Rothman on September 12, 2022, 02:59:16 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 12, 2022, 01:58:32 PM
Quote from: iowahighways on September 11, 2022, 10:50:11 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
Village Inn has also downsized, as they've dropped from six Des Moines-area locations to just two within the past half-decade.
I could see a future where many of these greasy spoon chain diners become 6-3 type places, severely reducing or even entirely dropping the dinner menu that likely doesn't make a lot of sales compared to the breakfast and lunch offerings. IHOP has infamously tried for decades to sell themselves as more than just an all-day breakfast hub, but that's just what people want when they go to places like that.
Pie.
What about it? You can get it any time of day, not just after 3 PM. Or take it home and eat it later. Pie on its own won't keep the lights on at night.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 12, 2022, 05:20:44 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 12, 2022, 02:59:16 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 12, 2022, 01:58:32 PM
Quote from: iowahighways on September 11, 2022, 10:50:11 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
Village Inn has also downsized, as they've dropped from six Des Moines-area locations to just two within the past half-decade.
I could see a future where many of these greasy spoon chain diners become 6-3 type places, severely reducing or even entirely dropping the dinner menu that likely doesn't make a lot of sales compared to the breakfast and lunch offerings. IHOP has infamously tried for decades to sell themselves as more than just an all-day breakfast hub, but that's just what people want when they go to places like that.
Pie.
What about it? You can get it any time of day, not just after 3 PM. Or take it home and eat it later. Pie on its own won't keep the lights on at night.
Nope. Pie keeps Village Inn alive.
Quote from: nexus73 on September 12, 2022, 10:24:39 AM
A&W is a hard one to find in the original drive-in format. In my region only two of that style remain. One is in Florence OR and the other is in Myrtle Point OR.
Cortland, NY, which came up earlier in regards to Perkins, also still has an
old style drive-in A&W (https://goo.gl/maps/FjthcPjn26cFuGDz8).
Quote from: webny99 on September 12, 2022, 10:27:31 PM
Quote from: nexus73 on September 12, 2022, 10:24:39 AM
A&W is a hard one to find in the original drive-in format. In my region only two of that style remain. One is in Florence OR and the other is in Myrtle Point OR.
Cortland, NY, which came up earlier in regards to Perkins, also still has an old style drive-in A&W (https://goo.gl/maps/FjthcPjn26cFuGDz8).
MN has a few drive-in operations still remaining, including two I've personally used in Faribault and Pine City.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 12, 2022, 09:54:15 AM
A dish that is becoming harder to find recently is veal parmigiana. Animal cruelty issues as well as COVID-19 are leading to the dish's demise, making it hard for Italian restaurants to keep it on their menus. It's mainly the more upscale, non-chain Italian restaurants that still have it on their menus.
Cows don't give milk until they give birth, so veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. I was surprised walking down a road to see veal crates (https://goo.gl/maps/N6gLjJodRnoLdmvPA) being used. Even if it's not fashionable to buy veal, young calves are still being separated from their mothers to keep them from drinking up the product.
York Steak House once had around 200 locations. Now only one remains in Columbus, Ohio. I was just in there recently and it looks like it hasn't changed one bit.
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on September 13, 2022, 11:07:52 PM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 12, 2022, 09:54:15 AM
A dish that is becoming harder to find recently is veal parmigiana. Animal cruelty issues as well as COVID-19 are leading to the dish's demise, making it hard for Italian restaurants to keep it on their menus. It's mainly the more upscale, non-chain Italian restaurants that still have it on their menus.
Cows don't give milk until they give birth, so veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. I was surprised walking down a road to see veal crates (https://goo.gl/maps/N6gLjJodRnoLdmvPA) being used. Even if it's not fashionable to buy veal, young calves are still being separated from their mothers to keep them from drinking up the product.
Yeah, "separating calves" is going to be a thing, whether people are eating veal or not.
Quote from: kphoger on September 15, 2022, 09:18:40 AM
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on September 13, 2022, 11:07:52 PM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 12, 2022, 09:54:15 AM
A dish that is becoming harder to find recently is veal parmigiana. Animal cruelty issues as well as COVID-19 are leading to the dish's demise, making it hard for Italian restaurants to keep it on their menus. It's mainly the more upscale, non-chain Italian restaurants that still have it on their menus.
Cows don't give milk until they give birth, so veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. I was surprised walking down a road to see veal crates (https://goo.gl/maps/N6gLjJodRnoLdmvPA) being used. Even if it's not fashionable to buy veal, young calves are still being separated from their mothers to keep them from drinking up the product.
Yeah, "separating calves" is going to be a thing, whether people are eating veal or not.
BTW, contrary to popular belief, veal parmigiana is not the traditional Italian version of the dish and does not exist in Italy. The only traditional Italian version of the dish is eggplant parmigiana, while chicken and veal parmigiana are Italian-American creations.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 15, 2022, 11:51:45 AM
Quote from: kphoger on September 15, 2022, 09:18:40 AM
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on September 13, 2022, 11:07:52 PM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 12, 2022, 09:54:15 AM
A dish that is becoming harder to find recently is veal parmigiana. Animal cruelty issues as well as COVID-19 are leading to the dish's demise, making it hard for Italian restaurants to keep it on their menus. It's mainly the more upscale, non-chain Italian restaurants that still have it on their menus.
Cows don't give milk until they give birth, so veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. I was surprised walking down a road to see veal crates (https://goo.gl/maps/N6gLjJodRnoLdmvPA) being used. Even if it's not fashionable to buy veal, young calves are still being separated from their mothers to keep them from drinking up the product.
Yeah, "separating calves" is going to be a thing, whether people are eating veal or not.
BTW, contrary to popular belief, veal parmigiana is not the traditional Italian version of the dish and does not exist in Italy. The only traditional Italian version of the dish is eggplant parmigiana, while chicken and veal parmigiana are Italian-American creations.
Thank goodness. Eggplant is mushy yuckiness.
Quote from: Rothman on September 15, 2022, 02:29:20 PM
Thank goodness. Eggplant is mushy yuckiness.
Mmmm... moussaka.
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 15, 2022, 11:51:45 AM
Quote from: kphoger on September 15, 2022, 09:18:40 AM
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on September 13, 2022, 11:07:52 PM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 12, 2022, 09:54:15 AM
A dish that is becoming harder to find recently is veal parmigiana. Animal cruelty issues as well as COVID-19 are leading to the dish's demise, making it hard for Italian restaurants to keep it on their menus. It's mainly the more upscale, non-chain Italian restaurants that still have it on their menus.
Cows don't give milk until they give birth, so veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. I was surprised walking down a road to see veal crates (https://goo.gl/maps/N6gLjJodRnoLdmvPA) being used. Even if it's not fashionable to buy veal, young calves are still being separated from their mothers to keep them from drinking up the product.
Yeah, "separating calves" is going to be a thing, whether people are eating veal or not.
BTW, contrary to popular belief, veal parmigiana is not the traditional Italian version of the dish and does not exist in Italy. The only traditional Italian version of the dish is eggplant parmigiana, while chicken and veal parmigiana are Italian-American creations.
You think that's bad, research the parmo. It was introduced to England by an American military cook after WWII, and it replaces the mozzarella with bechamel or cheddar, omits the marinara entirely, and is served on a bed of French fries.
The U.S. Supreme Court.
Quote from: NE2 on September 15, 2022, 06:53:03 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court.
For it to be considered a chain, there has to be more than one location.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 15, 2022, 06:58:30 PM
Quote from: NE2 on September 15, 2022, 06:53:03 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court.
For it to be considered a chain, there has to be more than one location.
Also, compared to when?
Ben Franklin Stores.
Or, better yet, V&S Variety Stores.
Quote from: abefroman329 on September 15, 2022, 08:25:32 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 15, 2022, 06:58:30 PM
Quote from: NE2 on September 15, 2022, 06:53:03 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court.
For it to be considered a chain, there has to be more than one location.
Also, compared to when?
It's NE2. The answer probably has something to do with xenophobic tushy jesters.
Quote from: kphoger on September 15, 2022, 08:30:20 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on September 15, 2022, 08:25:32 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 15, 2022, 06:58:30 PM
Quote from: NE2 on September 15, 2022, 06:53:03 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court.
For it to be considered a chain, there has to be more than one location.
Also, compared to when?
It's NE2. The answer probably has something to do with xenophobic tushy jesters.
I mean, I'm not gonna say this court hasn't handed down some awful opinions, but, like, so were
Plessy v. Ferguson,
Korematsu, hell,
Citizens United and
Kelo, if you want to get more recent.
Quote from: abefroman329 on September 16, 2022, 02:20:39 PM
I mean, I'm not gonna say this court hasn't handed down some awful opinions, but, like, so were Plessy v. Ferguson, Korematsu, hell, Citizens United and Kelo, if you want to get more recent.
Besides which, "this court" has only been an entity for eleven weeks...
Quote from: kphoger on September 16, 2022, 02:23:30 PM
Quote from: abefroman329 on September 16, 2022, 02:20:39 PM
I mean, I'm not gonna say this court hasn't handed down some awful opinions, but, like, so were Plessy v. Ferguson, Korematsu, hell, Citizens United and Kelo, if you want to get more recent.
Besides which, "this court" has only been an entity for eleven weeks...
And have already managed to make "court" need to be in quotes...
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 15, 2022, 06:58:30 PM
Quote from: NE2 on September 15, 2022, 06:53:03 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court.
For it to be considered a chain, there has to be more than one location.
There's an entire circuit of tennis courts, and to a lesser extent, racquetball courts.
Then there's the entirely separate jurisdiction of food courts, which all judgement is handed down by a system of trays.
Hardee's is it's former self but they just got dragged into being a witness to an FBI investigation involving a very political person in Minnesota a few days ago. Just a few days ago I saw an article with an image with their logo attached to a political person and I thought why is the Carl's Jr Logo being used for an incident in a Minnesota Hardee's.
https://www.fox9.com/news/mypillow-exec-mike-lindell-says-fbi-agents-seized-his-cellphone
Then I realized that Carl's Jr is basically Hardee's in California. Carl's Jr for decades have been a major sponsor for MLB teams in California like Giants, A's, Dodgers, Angels, and Padres. Basically Hardee's is facing a PR problem at the moment.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/the-odd-reason-hardees-is-mocking-mypillow-ceo-mike-lindell/ar-AA11RwC2
https://www.mashed.com/919290/the-humble-origin-of-carls-jr/
Heh. Bit behind the times on Hardee's/Carl's Jr. :D
If anything, the cell phone of the Mr. Pillow guy being picked up at Hardee's has been a PR boon for them.
Quote from: Rothman on September 17, 2022, 11:16:25 AM
Heh. Bit behind the times on Hardee's/Carl's Jr. :D
If anything, the cell phone of the Mr. Pillow guy being picked up at Hardee's has been a PR boon for them.
True I only know them for their edgy ads in California at halftime or between innings on TV here under the Carl's Jr name.
My first experience at a Carl's Jr. was last year in Burlington, Colo. I was surprised at the differences between the menu there and the things I'm used to seeing at Hardee's in this region.
Oklahoma was one of the markets that shifted from Hardee's to Carl's Jr back in like the 90s or so. I'm not quite sure why they feel like this area would do better under the Carl's Jr. name and menu than Hardee's (when Kansas and Missouri both have Hardee's and aren't too meaningfully different from Oklahoma in many respects).
The Carl's Jr. in Purcell, OK (https://www.google.com/maps/@35.0138801,-97.3660906,3a,27.3y,315.26h,90.79t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sM2SA9IrEhXIlPqg5ecd1YQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DM2SA9IrEhXIlPqg5ecd1YQ%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D317.09424%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656) still has a sign out front using the classic Hardee's logo, from before the Carl's Jr. star was added to Hardee's branding.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 17, 2022, 08:10:09 PM
I'm not quite sure why they feel like this area would do better under the Carl's Jr. name and menu than Hardee's
Because Oklahoma wants to be like Texas.
Quote from: kphoger on September 19, 2022, 01:56:44 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 17, 2022, 08:10:09 PM
I'm not quite sure why they feel like this area would do better under the Carl's Jr. name and menu than Hardee's
Because Oklahoma wants to be like Texas.
I thought those two states had a war.
Quote from: kphoger on September 19, 2022, 01:56:44 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 17, 2022, 08:10:09 PM
I'm not quite sure why they feel like this area would do better under the Carl's Jr. name and menu than Hardee's
Because Oklahoma wants to be like Texas.
Not again we mentioned this in other places and California gets dragged in the rants about Texas for obvious reasons. But back to this one sure Hardee's and Carl's Jr. Will unwittingly find they way to become an advertiser in the political talk channels. Initially when we talk about Carl's Jr ads it's because they appeared on regional sports channels like Bally's sports and NBC Sports local edition.
Dog n Suds
I think Arkansas has only one left.
Quote from: kphoger on September 19, 2022, 01:56:44 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 17, 2022, 08:10:09 PM
I'm not quite sure why they feel like this area would do better under the Carl's Jr. name and menu than Hardee's
Because Oklahoma wants to be like Texas.
"Texas wants Oklahoma to be like Texas" is probably more accurate. Oklahoma generally wants to be its own thing, although it's too incoherent to clearly articulate what that thing is.
Oklahoma. It's not Texas, but it's OK!
Oklahoma: Because No One Wrote A Musical Called Texas!
Economically, Texas is actually doing a decent job for a red Southern state. They aren't lacking funding, they have a lot of growth, and their education system isn't one of the bottom few. Businesses are moving there.
Oklahoma, as well as Mississippi and Alabama, are near the bottom in everything. (So is New Mexico for some reason, despite leaning blue.) Oklahoma would be better off if it was like Texas.
Quote from: 1 on September 20, 2022, 01:37:04 PM
Oklahoma, as well as Mississippi and Alabama, are near the bottom in everything. (So is New Mexico for some reason, despite leaning blue.) Oklahoma would be better off if it was like Texas.
Being "like Texas" would mean being a huge state big enough to be its own country with many large, booming population centers. There's not much Oklahoma, or any other state, can do to be like that.
(And I don't think the red/blue distinction is that strongly correlated with how a state is performing economically; AL, MS and NM are very poor, while TX is very wealthy.)
Quote from: 1 on September 20, 2022, 01:37:04 PM
(So is New Mexico for some reason, despite leaning blue.)
Unfortunately centuries-long mistreatment of Native Americans (of which New Mexico has one of the largest populations in the country) belongs to both political parties.
Quote from: Rothman on September 15, 2022, 02:29:20 PM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 15, 2022, 11:51:45 AM
Quote from: kphoger on September 15, 2022, 09:18:40 AM
Quote from: ErmineNotyours on September 13, 2022, 11:07:52 PM
Quote from: Pink Jazz on September 12, 2022, 09:54:15 AM
A dish that is becoming harder to find recently is veal parmigiana. Animal cruelty issues as well as COVID-19 are leading to the dish's demise, making it hard for Italian restaurants to keep it on their menus. It's mainly the more upscale, non-chain Italian restaurants that still have it on their menus.
Cows don't give milk until they give birth, so veal is a byproduct of the dairy industry. I was surprised walking down a road to see veal crates (https://goo.gl/maps/N6gLjJodRnoLdmvPA) being used. Even if it's not fashionable to buy veal, young calves are still being separated from their mothers to keep them from drinking up the product.
Yeah, "separating calves" is going to be a thing, whether people are eating veal or not.
BTW, contrary to popular belief, veal parmigiana is not the traditional Italian version of the dish and does not exist in Italy. The only traditional Italian version of the dish is eggplant parmigiana, while chicken and veal parmigiana are Italian-American creations.
Thank goodness. Eggplant is mushy yuckiness.
I like eggplant. If it's mushy, you've severely overcooked it.
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 09, 2022, 07:56:00 PM
The Price Chopper in my town, created in 2004 from a former KMart, already looks outdated and empty inside. They have yet to be converted to a Market 32.
Bed Bath & Beyond ain't what it used to be. And Friendly's is about 10% of the footprint it once was. Quiznos came and went and is almost nonexistent now.
Friendly's just entered the Middle Tennessee market.
Quote from: SD Mapman on September 10, 2022, 07:53:32 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 10, 2022, 12:01:28 PM
Quote from: kirbykart on September 10, 2022, 11:23:10 AM
Perkins is so much smaller than it used to be. The location in Foster Brook, PA closed recently, and that felt like one of the last ones near me. I'm doubtful even the Olean, NY location is still open today.
Still has a sizable presence in the Midwest, although they have not been invincible here either. Many were retreating from their 24/7 presence before COVID, which finished that job.
All the ones in SD/WY I've been to are still thriving; we would eat there on high school trips because they took meal vouchers and I can still go in and order the same thing and sit at the same table as when I was traveling for cross/track meets.
We used to have them all over Tennessee. Now they are gone out Tennessee. I ate at a couple in South Dakota recently.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 21, 2022, 11:56:21 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 09, 2022, 07:56:00 PM
The Price Chopper in my town, created in 2004 from a former KMart, already looks outdated and empty inside. They have yet to be converted to a Market 32.
Bed Bath & Beyond ain't what it used to be. And Friendly's is about 10% of the footprint it once was. Quiznos came and went and is almost nonexistent now.
Friendly's just entered the Middle Tennessee market.
Wut.
http://locations.friendlysrestaurants.com/site-map/US
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2022, 06:48:39 AM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 21, 2022, 11:56:21 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 09, 2022, 07:56:00 PM
The Price Chopper in my town, created in 2004 from a former KMart, already looks outdated and empty inside. They have yet to be converted to a Market 32.
Bed Bath & Beyond ain't what it used to be. And Friendly's is about 10% of the footprint it once was. Quiznos came and went and is almost nonexistent now.
Friendly's just entered the Middle Tennessee market.
Wut.
http://locations.friendlysrestaurants.com/site-map/US
Never mind I mixed up Freddy's with Friendly's.
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 22, 2022, 01:25:26 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 22, 2022, 06:48:39 AM
Quote from: Avalanchez71 on September 21, 2022, 11:56:21 PM
Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 09, 2022, 07:56:00 PM
The Price Chopper in my town, created in 2004 from a former KMart, already looks outdated and empty inside. They have yet to be converted to a Market 32.
Bed Bath & Beyond ain’t what it used to be. And Friendly’s is about 10% of the footprint it once was. Quiznos came and went and is almost nonexistent now.
Friendly's just entered the Middle Tennessee market.
Wut.
http://locations.friendlysrestaurants.com/site-map/US
Never mind I mixed up Freddy's with Friendly's.
hehheheehehe
Freddy's just opened an outlet here in the Appleton, WI area, too. Are they also developing a case of 'growing too fast fever'?
:-P
Mike
I miss Friendly's. Also Farrell's.
Godfather's Pizza. Was the #3 pizza chain in 1985 according to Wikipedia.
Quote from: JayhawkCO on September 22, 2022, 05:27:24 PM
Godfather's Pizza. Was the #3 pizza chain in 1985 according to Wikipedia.
Even into the mid-2000s they were still fairly prevalent. I was surprised to see an extant location in Baudette, MN in the spring. They did ink a deal with Holiday stores to sell pizza.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 22, 2022, 05:34:03 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on September 22, 2022, 05:27:24 PM
Godfather's Pizza. Was the #3 pizza chain in 1985 according to Wikipedia.
Even into the mid-2000s they were still fairly prevalent. I was surprised to see an extant location in Baudette, MN in the spring. They did ink a deal with Holiday stores to sell pizza.
Around these parts, they exist pretty much exclusively in Love's gas stations.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 22, 2022, 05:39:25 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on September 22, 2022, 05:34:03 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on September 22, 2022, 05:27:24 PM
Godfather's Pizza. Was the #3 pizza chain in 1985 according to Wikipedia.
Even into the mid-2000s they were still fairly prevalent. I was surprised to see an extant location in Baudette, MN in the spring. They did ink a deal with Holiday stores to sell pizza.
Around these parts, they exist pretty much exclusively in Love's gas stations.
When I Googled it earlier looking for info, I was amazed that there's one within 5 miles of me -- one of two in the Denver metro. They're both "free standing" insofar as not being in gas stations.
There appears to be just a single standalone Godfathers in the Seattle region, in the Spanaway area south of Tacoma. There is also one in a Loves Truck Stop in Fife. Three other locations also existed (Port Orchard, Federal Way, Auburn) but all have closed.
Back in the 80s, Godfather's was the better of the two large pizza places in Seattle's University District. Sic transit gloria mundi.
Quote from: kkt on September 30, 2022, 01:16:35 PM
Back in the 80s, Godfather's was the better of the two large pizza places in Seattle's University District. Sic transit gloria mundi.
I worked at one circa 1985. Lately, their quality seems to have suffered :(
Friendly's is somehow still around.
The Ground Round pulled out of CT when it when bankrupt and now only has 15 stores.
There is still a Godfather's Pizza in Myrtle Beach. Their website doesn't appear to have a store locator, which is mildly odd.
Quote from: RobbieL2415 on October 05, 2022, 03:26:32 PM
Friendly's is somehow still around.
The Ground Round pulled out of CT when it when bankrupt and now only has 15 stores.
Thr Ground Round actually was completely defunct. Several franchisees bought the rights to the name and menu and opened (or reopened) several locations.
Quote from: kkt on September 22, 2022, 03:10:31 PM
I miss Friendly's. Also Farrell's.
I miss Farrell's for sure.
Hardee's and Carl's Jr. have the same owner, and the two menus generally aligned when Carl's Jr. bought out Hardee's around 1999. But the menu options are a little different, especially breakfast. Carl's Jr. has the breakfast burritos and Hardee's has the omelet biscuits and sammiches. Each is good in their own right.
Maybe it is because I'm not a kid, but Baskin-Robbins seems a shadow of its former self too.
Quote from: Road Hog on October 06, 2022, 11:11:34 PM
Maybe it is because I'm not a kid, but Baskin-Robbins seems a shadow of its former self too.
Heh. The long-standing one in my hometown closed decades ago. I'd say BR has had two declines: One in its original 31 flavors configuration and since with the BR franchising reboot.
Quote from: Road Hog on October 06, 2022, 11:11:34 PM
Maybe it is because I'm not a kid, but Baskin-Robbins seems a shadow of its former self too.
The one near my closed a couple of years ago. Replacing it is a 4-story assisted living facility.
Sad.
We had a BR near my childhood home. It closed/lost the franchise and became a local ice cream shop which lasted a few years and then I think the whole site was torn down and turned into office space.
There is a Baskin-Robbins that just opened this summer in Platteville, WI. The exisiting Dunkin' was remodeled and the Baskin-Robbins is tied to the Dunkin' store. Had the ice cream once, tastes like ice cream I can get anywhere.
https://goo.gl/maps/qBZBB3zFKZ12GHUY7
West side of Appleton, WI, it's been there for a few years now, too. They did have an outlet on the NW edge of the downtown area when I was a kid.
Mike
BR pulled out of Green Bay, but recently opened 2 locations at gas stations.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pak%27nSave[/font]
[/size]https://www.paknsave.co.nz/[/font]
Pak N' Save was born in Northern California before they were relabeled as Safeway. However the name Pak 'N Save lives on in New Zealand.
[/size]https://www.flickriver.com/photos/romleys/2520449344/[/font]
[/size]https://www.flickr.com/photos/romleys/2519630995/[/font]
[/size]https://local.safeway.com/pak-n-save/ca.html
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