Restaurant Chains that closed some markets and are much alive in others

[doorknob60]

There was a random Chick-fil-A in the Western Washington University student union in Bellingham until a couple years ago. Now the closest Chick-fil-A to Bellingham is in Boise.

The only one in Boise right now is in the student union of BSU, actually. But they are building a few real locations around the area right now, not sure when they're supposed to open.

[corco]

OK I wasn't sure- I haven't been in Boise since June and wasn't sure if the one on Broadway where Perkins was had opened yet

[mgk920]

The Sonic in Green Bay, WI just closed a few days ago and their attempt at cracking into the Appleton, WI area with two outlets failed a couple of years ago.

Also, O'Charleys opened an outlet in the Appleton area in the early double-aughts and it closed earlier this year.

Krispy Kreme had a HUGE flameout with an attempt at two outlets in NE Wisconsin (Appleton and Green Bay) a few years back, too.

Mike

[mp_quadrillion]

Taco Cabana - the few I've seen do really well and I think they're still growing in the area and in other parts of TX.  The one nearest me just got a nice remodel.  It's a rare 24/7 dine-in and drive-thru which is a nice choice if you work or are up odd hours like me.

Braum's - regional chain from OK that has a presence in north/NE TX and the panhandle.  Even though they're not the only game in town, I don't see them going away any time soon.  Most all their food originates from their OK farms (lots of dairy cows--all their own herd, they make their own ice creams, cones and some other items), plus they have a separate "fresh market" section (produce, meats, breads, etc) which really is a departure from most fast food places.

Luby's - cafeteria chain that has *dramatically* scaled back in north TX and corporately in recent years.  Still around, but not as easy to find.

Furr's - another cafeteria that has shrunk but is still around.  Some newer and remodeled ones have popped up in north TX in recent years with the "Fresh Buffet" tagline (I guess to try to not sound like a cafeteria).

Thank you for a thorough restaurant rundown! I spent a few months in Texas a few years ago and these are the ones I remember most (besides Whataburger, of course).

------

I don't know if Arctic Circle fits the description, but it's my first stop in Utah.. in my travels, some of their farther-flung locations were listed on the Web but shuttered-on-arrival. Hard to say if they're growing or not outside of Utah.

For the Pennsylvanians in the crowd: Tastykake tried selling their pastries widely on the West Coast in the early 2000s. The market didn't bite and so now you can only get them at Philly-specific joints.

[bugo]

You can get Tastykake in Tulsa.

[hbelkins]

A comment about Tastykakes being available in Texas recently scrolled across my Facebook feed, complete with photo.

They are also occasionally available in Kentucky.

[corco]

I don't know if Arctic Circle fits the description, but it's my first stop in Utah.. in my travels, some of their farther-flung locations were listed on the Web but shuttered-on-arrival. Hard to say if they're growing or not outside of Utah.

Oh, man, really? Arctic Circle in Idaho is considered to be shittier than McDonald's- every one I've been in has been dirty and disgusting, burgers tasting like they're fresh out of the microwave.

But yeah, there's a bunch in Idaho but I don't know how they stay in business.

[agentsteel53]

Tastykakes

Krispy Kreme

what is up with businesses using that form of spelling?  I know what comes to mind when I think about this kind of thing.

[formulanone]

Tastykakes

Krispy Kreme

what is up with businesses using that form of spelling?  I know what comes to mind when I think about this kind of thing.

Turbochargers, naturally.

[kphoger]

Tastykakes

Krispy Kreme

what is up with businesses using that form of spelling?  I know what comes to mind when I think about this kind of thing.

Kwik Trip?

[cpzilliacus]

The Sonic in Green Bay, WI just closed a few days ago and their attempt at cracking into the Appleton, WI area with two outlets failed a couple of years ago.

Several new Sonics have opened in Maryland in the past year, and they seem to be doing pretty well here.

[Takumi]

Tastykakes

Krispy Kreme

what is up with businesses using that form of spelling?  I know what comes to mind when I think about this kind of thing.

Turbochargers, naturally.

I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of my 680 HP engine.*

*Exploding into pieces.

[Scott5114]

Tastykakes

Krispy Kreme

what is up with businesses using that form of spelling?  I know what comes to mind when I think about this kind of thing.

It's a trademark/marketing thing. If you just named it "Crispy Cream" the odds are somewhat good that at some point you'll run into another business calling itself that, and the courts might find that they also have the right to the name since it's just two English words. (Something along these lines happened to Burger King; they ran into a local restaurant in Illinois that independently came up with the name Burger King and the courts let the smaller restaurant also use the name.) If you change the spelling to Krispy Kreme suddenly you're unique and it's a lot easier to protect your trademark. If you're Berger Quing and you run into a small restaurant also using that name, it's a lot easier to challenge because while it's plausible that they named themselves "Burger King" since that is just two standard English words, it is less plausible that they would have come up with the exact same Sili Spelling. It looks more like they are copying.  As an added bonus the Sili Spelling helps you out on Google searches; if your customers are searching for "Krispy Kreme" they are less likely to have to wade through pages of things that are either crispy or creamy.

It's not much worse than companies simply make up names out of whole cloth, like "Verizon" or "Cingular" or "Qdoba" or "Denexa" (okay, that last one is my company, so I'm guilty of this too).

[agentsteel53]

I'm suddenly imagining a company called Intynashnyl Byznyz Mashyyynz. 

[kphoger]

I'm imaginging cream that's crispy, and it's not sounding all that appetizing.

Colby, KS, has (or had:  I haven't been there in a while) the Deep Rock Café.  They had billboards on I-70 until Hard Rock Café threatened to sue them.  How pathetic, considering how far away the nearest Hard Rock Café was.

[agentsteel53]

ya know, I can only think of one context in which "hard" and "deep" are approximately synonymous.

[BamaZeus]

A comment about Tastykakes being available in Texas recently scrolled across my Facebook feed, complete with photo.

They are also occasionally available in Kentucky.

Within the last 12 months, Publix and Walmart in Alabama have begun selling Tastykakes

[BamaZeus]

We stayed at Venetian in Las Vegas about 4 years ago, and I was stunned to see Arthur Treacher's in the food court as part of Nathan's.  I used to eat there all the time as a child in CT, but hadn't seen one since.  I knew Nathan's had bought them out, but had no clue they would randomly be located in Vegas.

On a rare trip back to CT 6 years ago, I stopped for an early dinner on the Jersey Turnpike, just to ensure that my brother and I could eat at Roy Rogers' Restaurant one more time before they all go away permanently. 

Alabama is supposed to be getting Del Taco back in the market starting next year.  They were apparently here in the 70's/80's and left. 

Dunkin is also expanding all over the state, and we're getting our first stand-alone location in 2013 here in town, to go with 2 smaller stores already open, one on campus, one in a truck stop/gas station.

[txstateends]

The Sonic in Green Bay, WI just closed a few days ago and their attempt at cracking into the Appleton, WI area with two outlets failed a couple of years ago.

Several new Sonics have opened in Maryland in the past year, and they seem to be doing pretty well here.

I remember seeing a Myspace page a while back about a Sonic in NJ (claiming to be the first in the state) that opened, and people drove from *3 to 4 hours* away just to go there.

[txstateends]

Taco Cabana - the few I've seen do really well and I think they're still growing in the area and in other parts of TX.  The one nearest me just got a nice remodel.  It's a rare 24/7 dine-in and drive-thru which is a nice choice if you work or are up odd hours like me.

Braum's - regional chain from OK that has a presence in north/NE TX and the panhandle.  Even though they're not the only game in town, I don't see them going away any time soon.  Most all their food originates from their OK farms (lots of dairy cows--all their own herd, they make their own ice creams, cones and some other items), plus they have a separate "fresh market" section (produce, meats, breads, etc) which really is a departure from most fast food places.

Luby's - cafeteria chain that has *dramatically* scaled back in north TX and corporately in recent years.  Still around, but not as easy to find.

Furr's - another cafeteria that has shrunk but is still around.  Some newer and remodeled ones have popped up in north TX in recent years with the "Fresh Buffet" tagline (I guess to try to not sound like a cafeteria).

Thank you for a thorough restaurant rundown! I spent a few months in Texas a few years ago and these are the ones I remember most (besides Whataburger, of course).

As RoadHog already alluded to, I could have gone on for a while longer and not have covered all that you can find in north TX.  In Addison alone, there are at least 120 restaurants (Wikipedia claims 170+) but the town only takes up 4.4 square miles.  The new check-ins I get at my job at night make me laugh: "What's there to eat around here?"  When I show them the more-than-legal-size sheet with the list (which is also at http://www.addisontexas.net/where_to_eat/restaurants/ ), their eyes get big with surprise.  So, definitely no reason to go hungry around here.

[SP Cook]

We stayed at Venetian in Las Vegas about 4 years ago, and I was stunned to see Arthur Treacher's in the food court as part of Nathan's.  I used to eat there all the time as a child in CT, but hadn't seen one since.  I knew Nathan's had bought them out, but had no clue they would randomly be located in Vegas.

Random pet LV theory, semi-OT.

- All LV strip casinos are pretty interchangable. 
- Most people who visit LV, especially those from outside the In N Out footprint, do so via air, and do not rent cars while there.
- Being interchangable, casinos compete at the margins with "attractions", which can be shows, shops, themes, and high-end restaurants.
- While certainly not high-end, In N Out has a cultic (and well deserved, IMHO) status.
- The nearest In N Outs to the Strip are too far to walk.

Therefore, if I were trying to attract people to my casino, I would have an In N Out in my food court.

[NYYPhil777]

We stayed at Venetian in Las Vegas about 4 years ago, and I was stunned to see Arthur Treacher's in the food court as part of Nathan's.  I used to eat there all the time as a child in CT, but hadn't seen one since.  I knew Nathan's had bought them out, but had no clue they would randomly be located in Vegas.

On a rare trip back to CT 6 years ago, I stopped for an early dinner on the Jersey Turnpike, just to ensure that my brother and I could eat at Roy Rogers' Restaurant one more time before they all go away permanently. 

Alabama is supposed to be getting Del Taco back in the market starting next year.  They were apparently here in the 70's/80's and left. 

Dunkin is also expanding all over the state, and we're getting our first stand-alone location in 2013 here in town, to go with 2 smaller stores already open, one on campus, one in a truck stop/gas station.

That's surprising Del Taco will probably come back to Alabama. You won't find any Del Tacos around St. Louis anymore, St. Louis used to be a big market. Gosh, I remember driving I-70 eastbound towards downtown STL and looking straight ahead at the exit for Natural Bridge Rd. (MO-115) there was that huge Del Taco sign.

[1995hoo]

There's an Arthur Treacher's standalone location in Fairfax, Virginia, just northeast of Fairfax Circle on US-29. It's been there for years. I won't eat there because it simply looks a little too seedy, not terribly well-kept.

Regarding Tim Hortons, there are several in the Dayton area. My wife has never been to one so we may hit the one located around the corner for our hotel (just off I-70 at Exit 29) before we head home tomorrow. There's a Frisch's Big Boy at the same exit; that sign looked funny to me because I'd always seen Bob's Big Boy.

[US71]

We had Furr's "Fresh Buffet" open here a couple years ago, though it's generally not as good as Golden Corral.

Braum's is alive and well around here.

Luby's was in Fayetteville, AR many years ago then left. They came back years later, but left again.

Is Bowen's still around? They were another buffet place.

Used to be a lot of Godfather's Pizza, but many of them have disappeared. The c-store locations taste like garbage.

[NYYPhil777]

We had Furr's "Fresh Buffet" open here a couple years ago, though it's generally not as good as Golden Corral.

Braum's is alive and well around here.

Luby's was in Fayetteville, AR many years ago then left. They came back years later, but left again.

Is Bowen's still around? They were another buffet place.

Used to be a lot of Godfather's Pizza, but many of them have disappeared. The c-store locations taste like garbage.

I've seen Godfather's Pizza around St. Joseph (MO) and Omaha, but that was back in 2009.
Around St. Charles, Golden Corral is horrible. There used to be Ryan's around here, that closed down in 2008. From personal experience I could tell why- the place became unsanitary.