AARoads Forum

I as a kid grew up with Jack In the Box in New Jersey.  They were the first I have seen with the Drive Through window and the only place in North Jersey you could eat a Taco.  Then sometime in the late 1970s they closed them all down.

Then later on when I grew up and traveled to Southern California in 1988, I was suprised to see them again as they are quite popular in the LA and San Diego areas.  I was in awe to have their food once again!  I was actually upset with them for allowing other parts of the country to have their food and we cannot.

Then 9 years later I experienced them in Texas.  It seems that they are more popular in Texas than they were in California and saw them just days ago and ate at the one in Huntsville, TX.  I had to get one visit to them before I returned to Florida where we have NO Jack In the Box Restaurants either.  Rumor has it that Florida was once market to them as much as New Jersey, but closed at the same time.  I do not know if it is true, or not, but it would seem so as there are no Jack In the Box east of Charlotte and none from Maine to Florida as I have seen.  It makes me wonder.

The same for What-A-Burger as they are popular in Texas, parts of LA, MS, AL, and the FL Panhandle.  Yet earlier in 2000's they opened two stores in Orlando that were a success, yet a few years later they boarded both places up and left.  I think that was cruel of them to tease us that way.  Here have a What-A- Burger.  Now you cannot, but Tallahassee, and all parts of Texas can have them all they want. 

Are there any that are in your area of any type of store that you once had that now do not and see them elsewhere by the dozens. It could be any type of business either.  I realize that some places work in some markets and not at all in others, but many of us do like what was given to us and many could still wish we had them still.

A&W has resurged lately, but for a long time it was nearly non-existent in the US but has consistently been one of the major Canadian fast food chains. Canada A&W and the US A&W have been different companies for many years though.

Maid-Rite backed out of Denver several years ago, but they're back now.


Boise had the Denver-based Good Times chain for a while, but that has been closed, which sucks.

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.

CKE doesn't seem to know what it's doing in Wyoming- they opened several Carl's Jrs, giving Wyoming both Hardee's and Carl's Jr, but now it looks like all  but one of the Carl's Jrs have closed, leaving five Hardee's. It's weird- when I moved to Laramie they had just demolished the old Hardee's and built a new Carl's Jr. Now the Carl's Jr is closed and there is only one left in Cheyenne. This makes sense- actually, as Cheyenne is more Denver-markety, and Denver is Carl's. The other four are in Buffalo, Sheridan, and Casper, which align more with Billings, which is a Hardee's area.

Long John Silvers backed out of the Tucson market entirely when they were divested from Yum! - that's okay though because Long John Silvers is often pretty disgusting.


One thing that was weird when I moved to Tucson is we have a ton of Boston Markets and Bruegger's Bagels, which has completely backed out of the northwest where I started eating them.

GD Ritzy's - man, they had great fries and I think there are only three left somewhere in Indiana.  Rax roast beef could probably go there as well, there are a few in smaller towns around here but nothing like they used to have.

Roadman, Jack In The Box is opening a location in (I believe) Cincinnati soon, so I think they are making the slow march north.  I really don't know much about them, though.

And for all the hype about Columbus being a great test market and generally fast-food friendly, we have never had a Hardee's nor a Carl's Jr., a fact my CA-born wife sorely laments.

I wouldn't really say it's a "thriving" company, but Buffets Inc. (Old Country Buffet, Home Town Buffet, Ryan's Steakhouse) used to have a few locations in the Richmond area until about 10 years ago, now the nearest locations atr an hour or more away (and not really worth the trip, IMO). I also vaguely remember a Roy Rogers somewhere in Richmond, but this was probably around 1990.

Branching out to non-restaurant businesses, Safeway and Winn-Dixie both had local establishments during my childhood, but neither are in the area now (I believe Safeway has a presence in northern Virginia, but Winn-Dixie has shrunk tremendously in the past 10 years). Ames and Bradlees (both now defunct department stores) closed their local stores years before their national shutdowns, and of course Chevron and Texaco are no longer in the Mid-Atlantic.

Quote from: Takumi on September 28, 2012, 06:42:38 PMSafeway and Winn-Dixie both had local establishments during my childhood, but neither are in the area now (I believe Safeway has a presence in northern Virginia, but Winn-Dixie has shrunk tremendously in the past 10 years).

Safeway is an active brand in California, especially in the north.  Vons is the brand in the south which is owned by the same company.  (they take each other's membership cards)  I don't know who bought whom, offhand.

I've seen Safeway as far east as Sidney, Nebraska.

Idaho and Utah are weird for Safeway. There's only one in either state in Coeur d'Alene. All the surrounding states are pretty much dominated by Safeway and King Soopers/City Market/Fry's/Fred Meyer/whatever other thing Kroger wants to call itself.

Idaho was historically dominated by Albertson's. I'm not sure what Utah's deal is- I know there are a lot of Smith's which is another Kroger, and then like Idaho a lot of the rural communities have Associated Food Stores.

BTW, there are still two G.D. Ritzy's in Evansville, IN.  I can't speak for anywhere else, though.

BTW, one chain that was in the Atlanta area for a few years in the late 90's that I still miss to this day............Bertuccis.  They had the best Italian style pizzas and ceasar salads.  There was one a few miles from my house.  The chain is still strong in New England, but I certainally miss there here in the south..

Hardees pretty much exited the Minneapolis-St Paul market, there's one left in St. Paul and one in Elk River.
Dunkin Donuts, after buying out the local Mr. Donut chain, totally left. Krispey Kreme came and went.
I still remember a Rax.

Quote from: 6a on September 28, 2012, 06:28:25 PM
Roadman, Jack In The Box is opening a location in (I believe) Cincinnati soon, so I think they are making the slow march north.  I really don't know much about them, though.

There's five Jack in the Boxes in Indianapolis now, probably the closest ones to Ohio and I would presume Michigan and points north and east.

Quote from: corco on September 28, 2012, 07:16:10 PM
I've seen Safeway as far east as Sidney, Nebraska.

You can find Safeway stores a little further east, in particular in Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and the District of Columbia.

Quote from: roadman65 on September 28, 2012, 05:54:02 PM
I as a kid grew up with Jack In the Box in New Jersey.  They were the first I have seen with the Drive Through window and the only place in North Jersey you could eat a Taco.  Then sometime in the late 1970s they closed them all down.

Then later on when I grew up and traveled to Southern California in 1988, I was suprised to see them again as they are quite popular in the LA and San Diego areas.  I was in awe to have their food once again!  I was actually upset with them for allowing other parts of the country to have their food and we cannot.

Same experience in Maryland. 

At the time, Jack-in-the-Box was one of the very few fast food joints that operated 24/7. 

The only other chain that ran 24/7 in Maryland was the Little Tavern chain (confined to Md., Va. and D.C.).

There was (for the time) a very rare McDonald's that operated 24/7 on U.S. 1 (Baltimore Avenue) in College Park.

Quote from: 6a on September 28, 2012, 06:28:25 PM
GD Ritzy's - man, they had great fries and I think there are only three left somewhere in Indiana.  Rax roast beef could probably go there as well, there are a few in smaller towns around here but nothing like they used to have.

Roadman, Jack In The Box is opening a location in (I believe) Cincinnati soon, so I think they are making the slow march north.  I really don't know much about them, though.

And for all the hype about Columbus being a great test market and generally fast-food friendly, we have never had a Hardee's nor a Carl's Jr., a fact my CA-born wife sorely laments.

Raxs (or at least some of the Rax stores) were rebranded as Hardees here in Central Ohio for a brief time during the late 80s/early 90s.

Are there any Rax locations still open? The two I remember most -- Aberdeen, Ohio and London, Ky. -- have been long closed. Think there's something else in the London location, but the Aberdeen store was vacant and falling in when I was last through there back in the spring.

I remember a roast beef place called Lotts back in the 70s. In Lexington they were a very big competitor to Arby's, which hadn't expanded a lot back then.

Noticed that someone mentioned Krispy Kreme. I know they expanded quite a bit at one time but have scaled back. They used to have a location in Bowling Green, Ky.; no more.

Popeye's has had a somewhat unspectacular incursion into Kentucky. The one in Winchester didn't last long.

Y'all can have Jack In the Box. I think the closest ones to me may be in Baton Rouge.

Not really a restaurant chain, but Albertson's has pretty much "died" in Northern California (at least the Central Coast), but I've seen them still alive and well down in SoCal.

Though I've never eaten at one, the Arby's locations in Salinas have all but gone.

Quote from: hbelkins on September 28, 2012, 09:41:25 PM
Noticed that someone mentioned Krispy Kreme. I know they expanded quite a bit at one time but have scaled back. They used to have a location in Bowling Green, Ky.; no more.

They're pretty much gone in NY as well; I think they're down to just one store in NYC.  The seem to be doing better in other states though.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 28, 2012, 06:55:09 PM
Safeway is an active brand in California, especially in the north.  Vons is the brand in the south which is owned by the same company.  (they take each other's membership cards)  I don't know who bought whom, offhand.

Safeway bought Vons in 1997. Interestingly, Wikipedia (with a cited source) also says that the founder initially sold Vons in 1929 to a company that Safeway bought a few years later. Either he or his children restarted the company a few years after that. So Safeway has bought Vons twice. Also, I believe there are Safeways in parts of Canada.

Shoney's used to have huge footprint in Wisconsin back in the late 80's- 90's but all where closed by the early 2000's.

Quote from: deanej on September 28, 2012, 10:04:17 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on September 28, 2012, 09:41:25 PM
Noticed that someone mentioned Krispy Kreme. I know they expanded quite a bit at one time but have scaled back. They used to have a location in Bowling Green, Ky.; no more.

They're pretty much gone in NY as well; I think they're down to just one store in NYC.  The seem to be doing better in other states though.

Last one left in all of New England is at Mohegan Sun.  Came and went in 2 years.  I remember news stories about lines for 2 miles waiting for Krispy Kremes, and poof, in a year they were gone.  They didn't last because it's Dunkin's home turf.

Other one that have come and gone in the Northeast: Long John Silver's and Arthur Treacher's were big in the late 70's/early 80's, disappeared, made a comeback in the late 90's, and now seem to exist sparsely, and only paired with Taco Bell in a couple of spots.  Also know of only 2 Roy Rogers left in New England when there used to be about 10 in CT alone.  And of course, Tim Horton's has pulled out of the Northeast, which I miss the Del's Lemonade being available there (ironically, one of the chains it replaced, Bess Eaton, has resurrected itself in South County, RI).

There used to be a Shoney's in Denton, Tx. Not anymore.
Krystals moved in to the Dallas area in the previous decade. Most of them closed. I really like them. I'm thinkin that their lack of sucess could be due to the fact that their food is overpriced, and gives you gas and the s%&ts.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 28, 2012, 06:55:09 PM

Quote from: Takumi on September 28, 2012, 06:42:38 PMSafeway and Winn-Dixie both had local establishments during my childhood, but neither are in the area now (I believe Safeway has a presence in northern Virginia, but Winn-Dixie has shrunk tremendously in the past 10 years).

Safeway is an active brand in California, especially in the north.  Vons is the brand in the south which is owned by the same company.  (they take each other's membership cards)  I don't know who bought whom, offhand.

Safeway is the owner; it's the predominant brand, except they own other brands in the midwest. In northern California and much of the west - including where I live - it's big. (Except, it sold nearly all its stores in New Mexico since I lived there).

When I was a kid in southern California, Von's and Safeway were separate but Safeway bought the southern California Von's some time back. I was very surprised about 10 years ago going into a Von's in Bishop (the northern extent of their range, I would surmise) and seeing Safeway brands and having them accept my Safeway card. Ralph's, another big brand when I was young, was bought by Kroger. My first job was at a Lucky store, which I understood was bought by Albertson's (which has since undergone its own issues), and I was very surprised in my trips to California the past couple of years to see Lucky Stores with the same logo again.

Quote from: golden eagle on September 28, 2012, 09:42:42 PM
Y'all can have Jack In the Box. I think the closest ones to me may be in Baton Rouge.

I've never tried Jack In The Box.

I tried Whataburger once (in Texarkana) and was not impressed.

Quote from: hbelkins on September 28, 2012, 09:41:25 PM
Are there any Rax locations still open?

Per www.raxroastbeef.com they have one in Illinois, one in Indiana (which is oddly only open from 10 AM to 5 PM M-F), 7 in Ohio (with one coming soon), two in Kentucky, and one in West Virginia.  I think the last time I ate at a Rax was in May 2001 in Richmond, IN.

Quote from: adt1982 on September 28, 2012, 11:41:44 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on September 28, 2012, 09:41:25 PM
Are there any Rax locations still open?

Per www.raxroastbeef.com they have one in Illinois, one in Indiana (which is oddly only open from 10 AM to 5 PM M-F), 7 in Ohio (with one coming soon), two in Kentucky, and one in West Virginia.  I think the last time I ate at a Rax was in May 2001 in Richmond, IN.

Yeah, I know of one in River Valley Mall, Lancaster OH, and one recently opened in Circleville, OH - perhaps that's the new one being mentioned.

Quote from: Hot Rod Hootenanny on September 28, 2012, 09:21:51 PM

Raxs (or at least some of the Rax stores) were rebranded as Hardees here in Central Ohio for a brief time during the late 80s/early 90s.

You are high on my list of knowledgeable folks in this area so I'm gonna defer to you because I seriously don't remember any back then. But then, I was on the hilltop so my cultural experiences were limited. I do remember going to Springfield to visit my great-grandfather at the Masonic Home and stopping at the Hardee's because it was cool.

Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on September 28, 2012, 07:32:13 PM
BTW, there are still two G.D. Ritzy's in Evansville, IN.  I can't speak for anywhere else, though.

I'm seriously considering a road trip....

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 28, 2012, 06:55:09 PM

Quote from: Takumi on September 28, 2012, 06:42:38 PMSafeway and Winn-Dixie both had local establishments during my childhood, but neither are in the area now (I believe Safeway has a presence in northern Virginia, but Winn-Dixie has shrunk tremendously in the past 10 years).

I am familiar with both of these food chains, because I lived in Alexandria, VA in 1960's with Safeways and in North Carolina in 1970's, which had Winn Dixie. 

One Safeway question I had was this:  Was Safeway the first grocery chain they came up with the Quonsett hut shaped building they had for their older stores?  The Safeway store in VA that I remember with this type building was on Fort Hunt Rd near Hollin Hall neighborhood.  Also a building like that on Little River Turnpike just west of  I-395, now in use as a different business, but probably was once a Safeway.  But in California, I have seen two Vons stores like this.  One is on PCH at Sunset Blvd, and one on Oranage Ave in Coronado near San Diego.


Safeway is an active brand in California, especially in the north.  Vons is the brand in the south which is owned by the same company.  (they take each other's membership cards)  I don't know who bought whom, offhand.

Also Pavillions grocery store is part of Vons, therefore part of Safeway

Some of us are cult followers of restaurants. I eat Whataburger because it's pretty darn good, but I've resorted to Jack-in-the-Box for a week or two... so that I won't get tired of Whataburger. I've noticed that Whataburger seems to hold its own in Lafayette, Beaumont, Shreveport, but no Baton Rouge locations other than the one on Siegen Lane. I do enjoy trying new places that I see on TV, but never actually get to eat. Hardees and White Castle being the two that tease me.

Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on September 28, 2012, 10:56:27 PM
I was very surprised about 10 years ago going into a Von's in Bishop (the northern extent of their range, I would surmise) and seeing Safeway brands and having them accept my Safeway card.

When my wife and I were in Southern California some years ago, the Von's near Marina del  Rey happily accepted her Safeway card that she had been issued at a Safeway store in Arnold (near Annapolis), Maryland.

Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on September 28, 2012, 10:56:27 PM

Quote from: agentsteel53 on September 28, 2012, 06:55:09 PM

Quote from: Takumi on September 28, 2012, 06:42:38 PMSafeway and Winn-Dixie both had local establishments during my childhood, but neither are in the area now (I believe Safeway has a presence in northern Virginia, but Winn-Dixie has shrunk tremendously in the past 10 years).

Safeway is an active brand in California, especially in the north.  Vons is the brand in the south which is owned by the same company.  (they take each other's membership cards)  I don't know who bought whom, offhand.

Safeway is the owner; it's the predominant brand, except they own other brands in the midwest. In northern California and much of the west - including where I live - it's big. (Except, it sold nearly all its stores in New Mexico since I lived there).

When I was a kid in southern California, Von's and Safeway were separate but Safeway bought the southern California Von's some time back. I was very surprised about 10 years ago going into a Von's in Bishop (the northern extent of their range, I would surmise) and seeing Safeway brands and having them accept my Safeway card. Ralph's, another big brand when I was young, was bought by Kroger. My first job was at a Lucky store, which I understood was bought by Albertson's (which has since undergone its own issues), and I was very surprised in my trips to California the past couple of years to see Lucky Stores with the same logo again.

The Lucky brand was revived in the Bay Area by Save Mart on stores they bought from Albertsons (most of which were part of the original Lucky brand).  In Sacramento, they chose to expand the Save Mart brand there instead of restoring the Lucky name on the ex-Lucky/ex-Albertsons locations.

As for Safeway/Vons...

Safeway originally divested its Southern California division in 1987 to Vons (one of many regions Safeway had pulled out of that year, as a result of a buyout by KKR) - but gained an ownership stake.  This ownership stake was increased to 100% in the mid-nineties and Vons is now a wholly-owned subsidiary.  This results in original Safeways in SoCal operating under the Vons name, but now selling Safeway products once again.

The round-roofed buildings so familiar to the Safeway chain are all based on a design first pioneered at two San Francisco locations - the Marina Boulevard location not far from the Golden Gate Bridge, and the now-rebuilt unit at 7th Avenue near Golden Gate Park.  (The design in fact is called "Marina" after the former, as it is probably the most iconic store of the entire chain).  Several other San Francisco locations used the shape - a now-demolished Columbus Avenue location patterned after the 7th Avenue store, the chain's flagship at Market Street not far from the Central Freeway, the recently remodeled Mission/30th store (complete with vintage circular logos!), and two that are no longer Safeways, the Bayview location that Kroger's FoodsCo operates in, and the Bayshore Boulevard location that was once a MacFrugals and is now a showroom for garden monuments.

Rax:  IIRC, the corporation went under and the remaining stores all belong to one of the franchisees who bought the rights to the name for pennies in the bankruptcy auction.

Shoney's:  Shoney's has gone bankrupt twice and is circling the bowl for the thrid time.   At one time it had that diner type deal in a certain area.  It over-expanded into areas where it was not known and at the same time other similar chains went into its areas.  And it cut the food quality to homeless shelter level.

Albertson's:  Also went bankrupt.  Now it is two seperate companies that are unrelated.  In the west, the old management took over, in the south, its just a brand of the SuperValu outfit.

GD Ritzy's:  Still one in Huntington, WV.  Across the street from Cabell-Huntington Hospital/Marshall University Health Science Campus, which is in the hood.  Limited number of fast food outlets right there, selling to the staff.  Wouldn't dare walk any further than across the street in that area.

Safeway closed their Central Virginia stores by 1994. I remember all the ones in Charlottesville closing when I was a student; the one at Barracks Road was replaced by something called "The Grocery Store" (no longer there). Safeway never left the DC area, although Harris Teeter and Wegmans have been moving in and increasing the competition.

I remember there being one Jack-in-the-Box in Northern Virginia when I was a kid, located in Merrifield at the corner of Gallows Road and US-29. We never ate there and then they had an incident at one of their locations where people got ill from the food and so after that our mom would NEVER take us there (and it closed shortly afterwards; it was a Taco Bell for many years until recently, when the building was torn down as part of an urban-renewal type thing in that suburban area).

To me the classic example of a chain that closed almost everywhere but survived in a few places is Roy Rogers. Almost all of the ones outside the highway rest stops closed in the late 1980s/early 1990s after Marriott sold them, but a few owned by other people survived. There's one about two miles from my house that never closed and does a thriving business; I know of another about 15 minutes in the other direction, a third near Leesburg, Virginia, and two in Maryland (one near Gaithersburg, the other in Frederick). Supposedly the company that owns these restaurants is looking to rebuild the Roy Rogers brand.

(When Marriott sold it off, most of the DC-area locations became Hardee's "featuring Roy Rogers Recipe Fresh Fried Chicken" and it was a disaster. People stopped going because it wasn't just the chicken they liked at Roy's. Hardee's did have a better breakfast menu and after a few months they switched them all to be "Roy Rogers featuring Hardee's breakfast," but the damage had been done and most of them became McDonald's in fairly short order.)


Another chain that I believe pulled out of a region is Krispy Kreme–apparently they pulled out of New England because the people there think you're required to go to Dunkin' Donuts.

Some KFC stores in the Eastern Townships (Southeastern Quebec) had closed their doors in 2011.

St-Hubert used to have some retails in Southern Ontario but they closed as well. Here a vintage ad from 1989
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJboLzWogLM

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 29, 2012, 08:05:48 AM
Another chain that I believe pulled out of a region is Krispy Kreme–apparently they pulled out of New England because the people there think you're required to go to Dunkin' Donuts.

Krispy Kreme's weren't bad, but there are better, local donuts to be had.

H.B. (edit: and now a couple others) mentioned Krispy Kreme.  They expanded pretty aggressively into the northeast, arriving here probably early 2000's.  I am a big fan of their doughnuts (especially hot off the conveyor belt), but this is such a solid Dunkin' Donuts region, it was going to be a tough battle.  And the expansion came at the same time there was such an anti-carb push.  They've been gone from at least the immediate (Capital District) area for several years now.

Quote from: Brian556 on September 28, 2012, 10:47:29 PM
There used to be a Shoney's in Denton, Tx. Not anymore.
Krystals moved in to the Dallas area in the previous decade. Most of them closed. I really like them. I'm thinkin that their lack of sucess could be due to the fact that their food is overpriced, and gives you gas and the s%&ts.

I'm afraid the same fate will befall In-N-Out Burger in DFW. Definitely not overpriced and I love their burgers, but they came into the market hard and heavy a year ago and I fear they may have overbuilt in certain areas of the Metroplex while neglecting other areas like Denton County and Mesquite.

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 29, 2012, 08:05:48 AM
Safeway closed their Central Virginia stores by 1994. I remember all the ones in Charlottesville closing when I was a student; the one at Barracks Road was replaced by something called "The Grocery Store" (no longer there). Safeway never left the DC area, although Harris Teeter and Wegmans have been moving in and increasing the competition.

But if I recall correctly, there's still a Safeway in Culpeper (not that terribly far north of Charlottesville). 

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 29, 2012, 08:05:48 AM
I remember there being one Jack-in-the-Box in Northern Virginia when I was a kid, located in Merrifield at the corner of Gallows Road and US-29. We never ate there and then they had an incident at one of their locations where people got ill from the food and so after that our mom would NEVER take us there (and it closed shortly afterwards; it was a Taco Bell for many years until recently, when the building was torn down as part of an urban-renewal type thing in that suburban area).

I have stopped there many times (in its Taco Bell form).   I thought that building got razed as part of a project to build a grade-separated interchange at the place where U.S. 29 crosses Va. 650 (Gallows Road).

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 29, 2012, 08:05:48 AM
To me the classic example of a chain that closed almost everywhere but survived in a few places is Roy Rogers. Almost all of the ones outside the highway rest stops closed in the late 1980s/early 1990s after Marriott sold them, but a few owned by other people survived. There's one about two miles from my house that never closed and does a thriving business; I know of another about 15 minutes in the other direction, a third near Leesburg, Virginia, and two in Maryland (one near Gaithersburg, the other in Frederick). Supposedly the company that owns these restaurants is looking to rebuild the Roy Rogers brand.

(When Marriott sold it off, most of the DC-area locations became Hardee's "featuring Roy Rogers Recipe Fresh Fried Chicken" and it was a disaster. People stopped going because it wasn't just the chicken they liked at Roy's. Hardee's did have a better breakfast menu and after a few months they switched them all to be "Roy Rogers featuring Hardee's breakfast," but the damage had been done and most of them became McDonald's in fairly short order.)

Speaking of U.S.  29, there's been talk of a new Roy Rogers in Burtonsville, Montgomery County, near the U.S. 29 (Columbia Pike) and Md. 198 (Sandy Spring Road) interchange.  But Montgomery's hide-bound planning approval process (and some (unknown to me) citizen activists expressing "serious concern" (I despise that phrase)) could slow or stop  it.

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 29, 2012, 08:05:48 AM
Another chain that I believe pulled out of a region is Krispy Kreme–apparently they pulled out of New England because the people there think you're required to go to Dunkin' Donuts.

Health food (not!).

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 29, 2012, 08:05:48 AM
Safeway closed their Central Virginia stores by 1994. I remember all the ones in Charlottesville closing when I was a student; the one at Barracks Road was replaced by something called "The Grocery Store" (no longer there).

I remember "The Grocery Store" as well. It didn't last long, and with its generic name it's almost impossible to find information online for it.

There used to be a lot of Ponderosa Steakhouses here in the Northeast. Most, if not, all are gone.

Well, lessee...for 6a and his lady, i think there was a Hardee's in Circleville just off the US23/US22-OH 56 exit...at least it was there last year when i went to the Pumpkin Show

Last RAX in Columbus was on OH 161, it was torn down in a 'remodeling', and replaced by a Chipotle's

Only one Ryan's Steak House left in the country that i know of....across from Westland Mall on US 40, and a far cry from its glory days

Eaten at A&W in Toronto, not bad, havent eaten yet at the A&W in Columbus....but DID buy a gallon of root beer!

Ponderosa is pretty hard to find now...i remember in a college back in the late 70s  for a speech tourney, the local Pondersoa was advertised by the host speech club as 'selling genuine USDA beef, but it seemed to have died from natural causes....'

I think LUM'S is extinct now....stumbled upon one of the last ones off NY 17 back in 2001, and they were not selling hotdogs or Ollieburgers any longer....

Quote from: SP Cook on September 29, 2012, 06:45:34 AM

Albertson's:  Also went bankrupt.  Now it is two seperate companies that are unrelated.  In the west, the old management took over, in the south, its just a brand of the SuperValu outfit.

Actually, Albertson's Inc. was bought by SuperValu, the Minneapolis-based owner of chains such as Cub Foods. Their deal included a consortium of Cerberus, a private investment firm that used to own Chrysler, and a real estate company, who took the stores in the part of the country that SuperValu didn't want to operate in. A large number of underperforming stores were closed at the close of the transaction (about half the Colorado stores) and marketed as commercial property by that property firm. Cerberus-owned stores are in the Rocky Mountain states and southwest and, I think, southeast? They still operate as Albertson's and even stock store-brand items distributed by SuperValu.

Kind of ironically, SuperValu is now circling the drain financially, and Cerberus has apparently been in talks to buy the rest of the Albertson's stores. I'm kind of surprised Cerberus hasn't flipped the stores yet, since that's what private investment firms do, but these are tough times for all grocery chains trying to withstand the assault from WalMart.

I believe there is a Ponderosa still operating in the Pantops Shopping Center just east of Charlottesville, Virginia, just off US-250 near the VA-20 intersections (yes, "intersections," as there is an extremely brief concurrency).

Quote from: cpzilliacus on September 29, 2012, 09:27:01 AM
....

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 29, 2012, 08:05:48 AM
I remember there being one Jack-in-the-Box in Northern Virginia when I was a kid, located in Merrifield at the corner of Gallows Road and US-29. We never ate there and then they had an incident at one of their locations where people got ill from the food and so after that our mom would NEVER take us there (and it closed shortly afterwards; it was a Taco Bell for many years until recently, when the building was torn down as part of an urban-renewal type thing in that suburban area).

I have stopped there many times (in its Taco Bell form).   I thought that building got razed as part of a project to build a grade-separated interchange at the place where U.S. 29 crosses Va. 650 (Gallows Road).

....

I know the interchange has been proposed for years, but I don't know whether it's actually likely to happen as part of the current urban-renewal type work, which I believe is called the "MOSAIC project" (it's something Gerry Connolly was pushing for years and I don't know all the details–a guy I work with does, but I tune out when he talks about it because it invariably turns into political ranting and raving that does not interest me). I know they recently repaved the road through there, which suggests to me the interchange might not be funded yet–VDOT tends not to repave when a reconstruction is imminent. BUT on the other hand they tore down the longstanding Johnston's Auto Body that was on the corner there for as long as I can remember (literally–I recall going to the old A&P and Dart Drug stores at Merrifield with my mom in the mid-1970s and Johnston's was there even then).

Bonanza was one that was big in the NY- NJ- PA markets and closed in the 1980's.  Back in 96 I found one on US 113 in Milford, DE that was still operating, but I have not been that way since, so it might be gone now.

Rustler Steak House was a chain in the Mid Atlantic market, but many of them became Sizzler back in the mid 80's.  I remember one that was visible from the NJ Turnpike where NJ 47 intersects, but no interchange to get to it.  From Streetview I see it is a 50's cafe of sort and was one that did not become Sizzler obviously.  It might of been the company went belly up, and Sizzler bought the some of the buildings, but not the business.

I'm not sure of the exact ownership situation, but Sambo's, which once had hundreds of restaurants, is now back down to its original location in Santa Barbara. IIRC, the restaurant wasn't originally named after the children's book, but it used that character as a marketing tool, then found itself in trouble when it was decided the character was very un-P.C.

I know a bunch of the locations became Seasons (which I think was the same owner) while others were sold to Baker's Square, Denny's, etc.

* Hardees seems to have pulled outside of Chicagoland

* Taco John's pulled out of many towns, but seem to thrive in Iowa and Nebraska.

* Del Taco pulled out of St. Louis (only had two locations), but seems to be doing well out west.

* I've heard Zantigos was taken over by Taco Bell, but there seems to be a thriving population of them around Minneapolis.

* For a little while Wendys pulled out of the St. Louis area, but seems to have made a slow comeback.

* I've heard Ponderosa pulled out of Chicagoland.

* Pancheros closed their only locations in the St. Louis and Chicago metros, but seems to be thriving in Iowa and elsewhere in Illinois.

* Krispy Kreme is down to two locations in Chicagoland, but the one on Devon east of I-290 may not exist much longer; the lot it is located on is for sale.

Does anyone know how White Castle is doing?  The chain was founded in Wichita, yet there are no White Castles in Wichita.

This area was Frisch's Big Boy territory. Shoney's came in several years ago and it confused people that two different restaurants had the Big Boy mascot.

Ryan's continues to do well in certain areas. My sister-in-law worked at the one in Richmond, Ky. when she was going to college. I ate at Ryan's locations in Illinois and Indiana back in the spring when I went to Joliet. There's also one in Bristol, Va, where I've eaten several times.

White Castle is doing well. They opened a store in London, Ky., a few years ago. Don't know if they have anything farther south on I-75 or not.

There was a G.D. Ritzy's in Lexington in the 70s and I think it survived into the 80s, but I never ate there.

Ponderosas are still around. Whatever happened to Western Steer and Western Sizzlin?

Whatever happened to Taco Tico? I used to eat at the one in Morehead, Ky. when I was in college.

I have the closest Ponderosa to me being Binghamton

Quote from: DTComposer on September 29, 2012, 02:00:04 PM
I'm not sure of the exact ownership situation, but Sambo's, which once had hundreds of restaurants, is now back down to its original location in Santa Barbara. IIRC, the restaurant wasn't originally named after the children's book, but it used that character as a marketing tool, then found itself in trouble when it was decided the character was very un-P.C.

I know a bunch of the locations became Seasons (which I think was the same owner) while others were sold to Baker's Square, Denny's, etc.

How does Aunt Jemima then be allowed to market?  Or what about Nabisco Cream of Wheat.  I think somebody had it in for them.

I remember Sambos were all throughout Florida just as Lums used to be.  Although, I do remember a Lums in Portsmouth, NH along Bypass US 1, so it was a regional chain obviously.

Then Quincys Steakhouse were all over Florida, sold its chain to someone else who then filed bankrupcy.  However, on US 52 in Florence, SC the Quincys is still open using the original menu.

Shoneys used to be part of the Big Boy Chain, then later dropped it in the late 80s.  They only have to this day a few left as they have had financial problems over the past fifteen years. 

Big Boy, seemed to have closed many franchises except in Michigan where I have seen them plenty.  Marriot had a Big Boy franchise that they sold along with Roy Rogers.  It was called Bobs Big Boy and was in MD, DE, and NJ and even along the toll roads including MD House.  I do not know who has Bobs and what name it is bannered now under.

Long John Silvers purposely hates NJ for some reason and will not open a store there spite KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut are in the Garden State that are also owned by Pepsi.  An employee of the Long Johns in Wilson, PA told my aunt that LJS refused to pay the high taxes that NJ has and therefore would not cross the Delaware River.  Then why are their sister stores paying NJ taxes?

Quote from: hbelkins
Whatever happened to Western Steer and Western Sizzlin?

Both are still around (although I'd never heard of Western Steer). The closest Western Sizzlin to me is in Charlottesville (there used to be one in Hopewell and one in Chester when I was a kid, but both have been demolished and replaced with other restaurants), and Western Steer seems to be no further north than I-40 in North Carolina.

Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2012, 02:25:33 PM
....

White Castle is doing well. They opened a store in London, Ky., a few years ago. Don't know if they have anything farther south on I-75 or not.

....

The one seen in Saturday Night Fever was a block away from my grandparents' house. Every time I watch that movie it transports me back to being a kid because so much of it was filmed in their neighborhood. But that White Castle closed in the late 1980s. The last one I saw was in Elizabeth, New Jersey, not far from the stub end of I-278. Never seen one in DC, Virginia, or Maryland except for when I see their products in the grocery-store freezer case (which doesn't count, IMO).

Quote from: roadman65 on September 29, 2012, 02:53:14 PM
....

Big Boy, seemed to have closed many franchises except in Michigan where I have seen them plenty.  Marriot had a Big Boy franchise that they sold along with Roy Rogers.  It was called Bobs Big Boy and was in MD, DE, and NJ and even along the toll roads including MD House.  I do not know who has Bobs and what name it is bannered now under.

....

I recall Bob's Big Boy. There was one across the street from my high school (it's now a Wendy's). The name "Bob's" lives on in Northern Virginia lore because there is a slug line (place where people line up to hitch rides in the HOV lanes) in Springfield, Virginia, that is known as the "Bob's" line even though the Bob's Big Boy closed some 20 years ago. That location became a Chi-Chi's for a while and then the building sat vacant. There is now some kind of Chinese or Korean fast food on the same spot in a new building, don't recall what it is even though I drove past there yesterday. This all leads me to conclude that at least in the DC/Virginia/Maryland area there is no Bob's Big Boy chain anymore because there is no consistency as to what is located in their old spaces.

QuoteLong John Silvers purposely hates NJ for some reason and will not open a store there spite KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut are in the Garden State that are also owned by Pepsi.  An employee of the Long Johns in Wilson, PA told my aunt that LJS refused to pay the high taxes that NJ has and therefore would not cross the Delaware River.  Then why are their sister stores paying NJ taxes?

LOL at this corporate hypocrisy. There was an A&W and Long John Silvers about a mile and a half from me, if that. (It has since closed up.)

Quote from: hbelkins on September 29, 2012, 02:25:33 PM
This area was Frisch's Big Boy territory. Shoney's came in several years ago and it confused people that two different restaurants had the Big Boy mascot.

There was a lawsuit about this and it is pretty much what caused the end of the original Big Boy chain.  Big Boy was an early form of franchising, and the varrious Big Boy restaurants were different from one another.    Mostly broken up by state lines.  At the peak, there were about 20 different ones.  Marriott owned the actual brand name (and owned the rights on toll roads, no matter what state.  Some of the original deals were sweetheart deals (Frisch's and Shoney's only paid $1/year per state).   Shoney's, which had most of the south, expanded into Kentucky and Ohio as "Shoney's Town & Country".  Elby's, which had western Pennsylvania and northern WV, went into Ohio as just "Elby's".  Same food, except no Big Boy statue and the sandwich was just the "large hamburger". 

Frisch's sued and won, and Shoney's and Elby's gave up the Big Boy rights in order to stay in Ohio.    Eventually most of the others did as well.    Marriott eventually sold off the rights to the Michigan franchisee, Elias Brothers, subject to the rights of the only remaining other franchisee, Frisch's.  Elias Brothers then promptly went broke.  In the bankruptcy, the rights to Big Boy were bought by a venture capital bunch that is trying to rebuild the chain, again subject to Frisch's $1/year franchise in its Cincinnati centered opperation. 

Today the Frisch's and the just plain Big Boy remain unrelated joint owners of the trademark.

Dairy Queen - still a few here and there around north TX, but there are many chains around there so I guess it's doing good to stick around the places it's still in; several along US 287 between DFW and Amarillo closed a few years ago (franchisee problems, I think).  Still a staple in many small towns and probably still popular with the coffee/gossip crowd and the after-high-school-football-game crowd.

Jack in the Box - many have been in the urban areas, but some locations have popped up in recent years in smaller TX markets.  Still holding their own despite a wealth of fast food choices in north TX.

Whataburger - longtime regional favorite in urban and medium-sized TX markets for the most part.  Most all have food available overnight in their drive-thru.  I still like them, but they've screwed up more drive-thru orders for me than any other chain.

Carl's Jr. / Hardee's - there have been spotty Hardee's locations around TX.  Quite a few in Amarillo when I was there, but I think they're gone from there now.  The only Carl's I'd sampled prior to recent years was in a couple of area Love's truck stops -- pretty good, but you definitely need some napkins around.  In the last few years, Carl's has decided to add to their TX business beyond their Love's presence.  The one nearest me does a pretty fair business along a street with *many* choices.

Wendy's - still a presence in north TX, not sure how well they're all doing, again with many choices around.  I've only seen a couple or 3 close in the area IIRR.

McDonald's - as strong as they are in TX, it would probably take a lone-star-sized e.coli outbreak to cut into their business at this rate.  Many franchisees have dolled-up their locations in recent years, while others are going the more recent trend of that yellow-curved front facade and adding multiple-laned drive thrus.  I never go there anymore.

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.

Del Taco - used to be in north and east TX in the mid-1980s, then >poof< they left.  Didn't think I'd see them around TX again, but in recent years the company has looked to TX once more.  I finally got a taste of the returned version several weeks ago, and it was great to have them back.  I'm pretty sure the menu has changed somewhat since the 1980s but at least it's another choice besides Taco Smell.

Long John Silver's - there were quite a few in north TX back in the day, but they have slowly faded in importance.  The ownership changes probably helped and took away from the chain at the same time.  I haven't eaten there since they got spun back off.  There aren't many left from when they multi-branded with their former fellow Yum! restauarant brands.  I'm not even sure where the nearest one is to me now.  Wow, could I go for some fish and hush puppies right about now, but oh well.

In-n-Out - I haven't gotten to go to one yet since they've arrived in north TX.  They've gotten past the point of long lines and needing police help with directing traffic.  I've only gotten to eat one meal from them; a hotel guest brought me an order to thank me for getting him a room with a good rate.  It was all right I guess, the fries were very greasy but the burger wasn't a turn-down.  I'll have to try them when I have a chance to visit one to get a fresh meal and see how it is warm.  Don't know if they're in north TX for the long haul or not.

Krystal - they were another out-of-market chain that needed help directing traffic when they first came to north TX.  The only one I've been to didn't have anyone at the front counter for over 15 minutes.  By far the worst service I've seen at a fast food place in the area.  That one has since closed and is now a Carl's location.  I'm not sure there are any Krystal locations left in north TX.

Steak 'n Shake - another big splash followed by quiet.  At least 2 or 3 have closed that I know of, and for a while none of the ones by me were open overnight, now the one by my job is open overnight again.  I've eaten there once, costs too much for what you get.

Sonic - still doing very well around north TX.  The only ones I've ever seen closed up were ones replaced by another one nearby, or were in bad neighborhoods.  The ones I see regularly are busy.  For a few years the ones in Amarillo >poofed< and became "Stars" (local version with green/white/yellow paintjob instead of the red/black/white that they had when they were Sonics).  A few years later, after I'd left Amarillo, Sonic returned with several locations even though the Stars/ex-Sonic ones were still there.

Subway - growing like weeds around north TX.  There are 4 in the mile-or-2 radius from where I live.  Big favorite chain among the multi-brand locations (gas stations, some Walmart stores).  Rare to see one close.

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.

Burger King - still somewhat of a presence in north TX, but they've closed more than they've opened.  There is one near me that does some business but isn't close to busy at all.  Some franchised locations east of Dallas have closed with no replacements.  If they want more business around here, they're going to have to open more locations with better promotions.  Too many choices around north TX otherwise.

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).

Bennigan's / Steak & Ale - this outcome was a surprise to me.  The parent company (based in north TX) completely went under in the last few years.  I guess the recession hit some chains harder than others.  Really strange to see all the Steak & Ales gone.  In a strange twist, all the corporate Bennigan's closed, but the franchised ones somehow were able to keep going without their longtime parent company.  In DFW, this affected all but 2 locations.  Now a new corporate structure is in place for Bennigan's and they are planning new locations for the first time in a while.  A monte cristo looks to be in my future again, after all.

Arthur Treacher's - someone up the thread mentioned them, and it reminded me of the one time I've been to one.  They used to be in the food court of a now-gone north Dallas mall; pretty good IIRR.  I'm not sure how many locations they ever had around north TX, but I'm pretty sure there hasn't been any around for a while.

Dunkin Donuts - there were a few in north TX historically, but here and there.  In recent years, probably in response to other market success with coffee sales up against Starbucks, the company said they wanted more locations in TX.  Since the recession, there hasn't been near as many openings as forecast, but a new recent franchise deal with Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman seems to have given some life to the TX plans.  Not sure how many there will be in the long term.  The one location I see irregularly has TONS of traffic, especially the drive thru.

Krispy Kreme - yet another big splash a few years ago.  Corporately and regionally they apparently realized what may be popular where they originated doesn't always translate to other locations, even though there are still a few places around north TX.  What doesn't get served in a restaurant can be found boxed in several area convenience stores.  In Amarillo, they completely underestimated the market for donuts there.  A big Krispy Kreme location opened with the big kitchen (complete with "fresh donuts NOW" sign) a few years ago, and didn't last a year or 2.  Locals continued to support existing local chain Donut Stop and didn't give Krispy Kreme much of a try.

There are still others represented in north TX, but I need to stop typing now and eat something  :cool:

Quote from: txstateends on September 29, 2012, 05:17:33 PM

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).

That markets itself as "Furr's Family Dining". I haven't been inside the one here in Pueblo. Long long ago I used to eat at one in Albuquerque; they actually featured a pianist for your listening pleasure while you ate your canned green beans. (Music about as bland as the vegetables). Furr's also had a grocery chain in New Mexico, and I would think Texas, in the 1970s.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on September 29, 2012, 04:32:53 PM

QuoteLong John Silvers purposely hates NJ for some reason and will not open a store there spite KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut are in the Garden State that are also owned by Pepsi.  An employee of the Long Johns in Wilson, PA told my aunt that LJS refused to pay the high taxes that NJ has and therefore would not cross the Delaware River.  Then why are their sister stores paying NJ taxes?

LOL at this corporate hypocrisy. There was an A&W and Long John Silvers about a mile and a half from me, if that. (It has since closed up.)

IIRC, Yum sold LJS and A&W.

Advertisement for a Frischs Big Boy in Delaware, Ohio from 1958.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F380739_3758391276102_1491152472_n.jpg&hash=dfbc71a4b74d152042c1b191bf7fe9ddf69e7c57)

Anyone remember Burger Chef?
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-ash4%2F250295_2102013024536_7558942_n.jpg&hash=18d87982e26fca216714434eb4ebafbad270a820)

Yes, I remember Burger Chef. I think they had the first char-broiled burger I ever ate at a fast food joint.

Quote from: Revive 755 on September 29, 2012, 02:04:20 PM
* Hardees seems to have pulled outside of Chicagoland


* I've heard Ponderosa pulled out of Chicagoland.


* Krispy Kreme is down to two locations in Chicagoland, but the one on Devon east of I-290 may not exist much longer; the lot it is located on is for sale.

Yes, Ponderosa is gone from Chicagoland.  Last one I've see nearby is in LaPorte, Indiana.

Krispy Kreme overexpanded and much too fast.

Hardee's has been gone from Chicagoland for years.  The local franchisee here in Will County sold out in 1996 or so.  IIRC, they're in Kankakee.

Supervalu is under assault in Chicagoland (as Jewel) because their prices are too flipping high.  Even Dominick's (Safeway) is cheaper.  That doesn't mean that WalMart is getting any more of the pie though.  There are a bunch of local grocers as well as Kroger's Food4Less and Meijer that have been making inroads.  Me, I bypass the Jewel and go up to the nearest Meijer.  Prices are better (comparable with WalMart) than Jewel, and the product quality and selection is far superior to WalMart.

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on September 28, 2012, 10:42:22 PM

Quote from: deanej on September 28, 2012, 10:04:17 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on September 28, 2012, 09:41:25 PM
Noticed that someone mentioned Krispy Kreme. I know they expanded quite a bit at one time but have scaled back. They used to have a location in Bowling Green, Ky.; no more.

They're pretty much gone in NY as well; I think they're down to just one store in NYC.  The seem to be doing better in other states though.

Last one left in all of New England is at Mohegan Sun.  Came and went in 2 years.  I remember news stories about lines for 2 miles waiting for Krispy Kremes, and poof, in a year they were gone.  They didn't last because it's Dunkin's home turf.

Other one that have come and gone in the Northeast: Long John Silver's and Arthur Treacher's were big in the late 70's/early 80's, disappeared, made a comeback in the late 90's, and now seem to exist sparsely, and only paired with Taco Bell in a couple of spots.  Also know of only 2 Roy Rogers left in New England when there used to be about 10 in CT alone.  And of course, Tim Horton's has pulled out of the Northeast, which I miss the Del's Lemonade being available there (ironically, one of the chains it replaced, Bess Eaton, has resurrected itself in South County, RI).

The only Krispy Kreme in NYC that I'm aware of is in Penn Station.

Tim Horton's pulled out of Connecticut. I know there's still one at the Westgate Shopping Plaza on Congress Street in Portland, ME.

The only Roy Rogers remaining in New England is off of Exit 1 of I-84 in Sturbridge, MA. RR locations in North Haven and Newington, CT were converted to Arby's. Another former RR in Manchester, CT is now something like India Kitchen.

Quote from: The High Plains Traveler on September 29, 2012, 07:48:15 PM
Furr's also had a grocery chain in New Mexico, and I would think Texas, in the 1970s.

Actually, into the 1980s/early 1990s in west TX, later than that in NM.

Quote from: Brandon on September 29, 2012, 10:34:35 PM
Hardee's has been gone from Chicagoland for years.  The local franchisee here in Will County sold out in 1996 or so.  IIRC, they're in Kankakee.

I'm not finding the Kankakee location online, but there's a Hardees at the first service area on the Indiana Toll Road heading eastbound, two in the Racine area, one off I-55 in Dwight, and supposedly a couple near Rockford.

Hardees seemed to disappear from the Orlando market.  I miss them as they did have awesome fried chicken.

I also remember them being in the NYC area back in the 70s when they had once a famous commercial with a young kid singing "Hurry on down to Hardees where the burgers are charcoal broiled" play on the radio and TV. 

White Castles closed in the Kansas City area, but remain strong in their other markets.

The "new" Zantigo is limited to the Minneapolis area, and was started by former managers of the "old" chain. The "old" Zantigo eventually came under the control of Pepsi, who also owned Taco Bell. Most of the old locations seem to have been pulled down and replaced by Taco Bell's current prototype, one of the last ones was shut down for the new MN 13 / CSAH 5 interchange. THey were distinctive because the dining area was off to the side, rather than in front.

To clear up the PepsiCo restaurant thing.  PepsiCo, the parent of Pepsi, was made up of three main companies.  The soda company, Frito-Lay, and the restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell).  It signed a 99 year agreement to serve Pepsi and spun the restaurant division off as Yum Brands Inc.  Yum then bought A&W and LJS.  But it has since sold these two brands back off, because they did not fit with their Asia centric expansion plans.

In any event franchising companies don't pay state taxes, the franchisees do.  For example, in my area the McDonald's are all owned by a local businessman under his company "McAttack WV".  McAttack WV pays state taxes.  McDonald's really has no presence in the state and pays no state tax.  Iowa tried to tax franchising companies and they took it to the Supreme Court, which ruled (correctly) that states cannot tax companies that do not do business there.

Quote from: SP Cook on September 30, 2012, 08:20:22 AM
To clear up the PepsiCo restaurant thing.  PepsiCo, the parent of Pepsi, was made up of three main companies.  The soda company, Frito-Lay, and the restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell).  It signed a 99 year agreement to serve Pepsi and spun the restaurant division off as Yum Brands Inc.  Yum then bought A&W and LJS.  But it has since sold these two brands back off, because they did not fit with their Asia centric expansion plans.

In any event franchising companies don't pay state taxes, the franchisees do.  For example, in my area the McDonald's are all owned by a local businessman under his company "McAttack WV".  McAttack WV pays state taxes.  McDonald's really has no presence in the state and pays no state tax.  Iowa tried to tax franchising companies and they took it to the Supreme Court, which ruled (correctly) that states cannot tax companies that do not do business there.

What about the two MacDonalds inside Disney World?  Both are corporate owned and operated and, I think, the only two MacDonalds in the State of Florida.   They must pay taxes even though the Reedy Creek Improvement District likes to think of itself as the 51st state.  I doubt that Disney is above the Government in this matter spite what Limbaugh may say.

Quote from: roadman65 on September 30, 2012, 11:02:27 AM


What about the two MacDonalds inside Disney World?  Both are corporate owned and operated and, I think, the only two MacDonalds in the State of Florida.   

There are nearly 1000 McDonald's in Florida.  However, in any event, the McDonald's Corporation would only owe state tax on what a corporately owned outlet made, and not on what the franchisees make or pay.  The OP's point about a company avoiding tax by staying out of a state remains covered by the Supreme Court decision.

Quote from: 1995hoo on September 29, 2012, 08:05:48 AM
To me the classic example of a chain that closed almost everywhere but survived in a few places is Roy Rogers. Almost all of the ones outside the highway rest stops closed in the late 1980s/early 1990s after Marriott sold them, but a few owned by other people survived. There's one about two miles from my house that never closed and does a thriving business; I know of another about 15 minutes in the other direction, a third near Leesburg, Virginia, and two in Maryland (one near Gaithersburg, the other in Frederick). Supposedly the company that owns these restaurants is looking to rebuild the Roy Rogers brand.

(When Marriott sold it off, most of the DC-area locations became Hardee's "featuring Roy Rogers Recipe Fresh Fried Chicken" and it was a disaster. People stopped going because it wasn't just the chicken they liked at Roy's. Hardee's did have a better breakfast menu and after a few months they switched them all to be "Roy Rogers featuring Hardee's breakfast," but the damage had been done and most of them became McDonald's in fairly short order.)

There's also a Roy Rogers in Westminster. Up until a couple of weeks ago, there was a Roy Rogers in the Maryland House :(

Arthur Treachers: I have heard that there are a few around near DC. Interestingly, the family that owned the franchise in the Baltimore Area has opened a stand alone restaurant called Original Fish & Chips in Middle River, and it's pretty amazing:  http://www.tryourfish.com/Our-Story.html

Also, Gino's is making a comeback in the area! After it was sold to Marriott in 1982 (who converted it into Roy Roger's restaurants), they closed all of the locations on the East Coast. But now it's back, with 5 locations open and a 6th confirmed in MD and PA :)

Name a national or semi-national chain and chances are it's either opening stores in North Texas or considering it strongly, as witnessed by In-N-Out Burger and Del Taco. It's an incredibly competitive market.

Think I saw they opened a Roy's in North Stonington, CT off I-95 Exit 93 just before the RI line.  There's also so much talk of Sonic and Checkers expansion in CT as well.  Still only 2 Sonic (Wallingford and Manchester) and 1 Checkers (Bristol).  Still also waiting for Golden Corral to sneak in; there's 1 in Springfield, but I thought I heard 1 may be opening in Enfield.

As far as Ponderosa and Bonanza, I see a couple of Ponderosas in VT, Upstate NY and NE PA, and even a Bonanza in Sanford, ME.

Quote from: Road Hog on October 01, 2012, 11:06:41 PM
Name a national or semi-national chain and chances are it's either opening stores in North Jersey or considering it strongly, as witnessed by In-N-Out Burger and Del Taco. It's an incredibly competitive market.

If I edit your post, I can alter reality. I hope.

KFC/Taco Bell had numerous combo stores here in the Maritimes but the Taco Bell menu is no longer available in many. 

Dunkin Donuts was once the dominant chain in Quebec but Tim Hortons now seems to be everywhere too.......And speaking of that iconic Canadian chain......how big a presence does Tims now have in the US? I know they are common in border areas and I was surprised to see one in Penn Station the last time I passed through.

For awhile Tims was owned by Wendys and numerous combo stores were opened in Canada. Did they have them in the US also.

I know there's a Tim Hortons in Portsmouth, Ohio, which is right across the river from South Shore, Ky. I think there may also be a Tim Hortons in Ashland. I've never had the pleasure of having anything from them.

Quote from: hbelkins on October 02, 2012, 09:30:21 AM
I know there's a Tim Hortons in Portsmouth, Ohio, which is right across the river from South Shore, Ky. I think there may also be a Tim Hortons in Ashland. I've never had the pleasure of having anything from them.

I have had Tim Hortons in Ontario. 

Excellent in terms of surgary, high-calorie donuts.

I have a weight problem anyway, but could easily gain 5 kilos (north of the border, you know ;-) ) at one of those places!

I think that there were Burger Chefs here (Baton Rouge) when I was young. Does anyone remember the chain that promoted "healthy fast food" in the 80's? Joe Montana was a spokesperson in the ad's. I can't recall the name of restaurants.

Quote from: Road Hog on October 01, 2012, 11:06:41 PM
Name a national or semi-national chain and chances are it's either opening stores in Southeastern Michigan or considering it strongly, as witnessed by In-N-Out Burger and Del Taco. It's an incredibly competitive market.

Followed in Steve's footsteps, also hoping this is true.

Quote from: ghYHZ on October 02, 2012, 07:33:28 AM
For awhile Tims was owned by Wendys and numerous combo stores were opened in Canada. Did they have them in the US also.

There's a Tim Horton's/Wendy's combo in Dearborn, MI, between I-94 and U.S. 12 on Greenfield Road, just north of Rotunda Drive.

However, newer Tim Horton's/Cold Stone Creamery combos are more common (though still few and far between) around here, there's one in my city, just at the edge of the downtown area.

Quote from: corco on September 28, 2012, 06:10:22 PM
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.

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

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

Quote from: txstateends on September 29, 2012, 05:17:33 PM

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.

You can get Tastykake in Tulsa.

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

They are also occasionally available in Kentucky.

QuoteI 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.

QuoteTastykakes

QuoteKrispy 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.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 04, 2012, 12:45:02 PM

QuoteTastykakes

QuoteKrispy 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 (http://www.google.com/search?q=kkk+turbocharger), naturally.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 04, 2012, 12:45:02 PM

QuoteTastykakes

QuoteKrispy 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?

Quote from: mgk920 on October 03, 2012, 12:30:34 PM
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.

Quote from: formulanone on October 04, 2012, 01:49:19 PM

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 04, 2012, 12:45:02 PM

QuoteTastykakes

QuoteKrispy 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 (http://www.google.com/search?q=kkk+turbocharger), naturally.

:rofl:

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

*Exploding into pieces.

Quote from: agentsteel53 on October 04, 2012, 12:45:02 PM

QuoteTastykakes

QuoteKrispy 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).

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

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.

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

Quote from: hbelkins on October 03, 2012, 10:55:27 PM
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

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.

Quote from: cpzilliacus on October 04, 2012, 02:40:29 PM

Quote from: mgk920 on October 03, 2012, 12:30:34 PM
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.

Quote from: mp_quadrillion on October 03, 2012, 08:07:37 PM

Quote from: txstateends on September 29, 2012, 05:17:33 PM

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.

Quote from: BamaZeus on October 05, 2012, 03:30:10 PM
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.

Quote from: BamaZeus on October 05, 2012, 03:30:10 PM
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.

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.

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.

Quote from: US71 on October 06, 2012, 08:57:31 AM
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.

Quote from: NYYPhil777 on October 06, 2012, 09:04:26 AM

Quote from: US71 on October 06, 2012, 08:57:31 AM
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.

Godfather's survives in southern Illinois, many attached to Huck's gas stations.

Huck's- that's seen around here in St. Charles alongside BP.
Another candidate- Taco John's. I've seen it in Colorado, the Dakotas, and Nebraska. Only two markets I know of in Missouri- St. Joseph and Sikeston. Talk about a long distance!

Quote from: NYYPhil777 on October 06, 2012, 11:53:53 AM
Huck's- that's seen around here in St. Charles alongside BP.

Yes, it's a relatively small chain.  The farthest northeast I know of is Robinson, IL; the farthest southeast is Mayfield, KY; the farthest southwest is Sikeston, MO; the farthest northwest I knew of was Edwardsville, IL, as I didn't know about St. Charles.  Back when I drove a company truck that used Huck's fleet gas cards, I carried a list of every Huck's station and whether or not they had diesel pumps; alas, I no longer have that list.

At any rate, quite a number of small southern Illinois towns have/had Godfather's/Huck's combinations.

Quote from: SP Cook on October 06, 2012, 06:55:04 AM

Quote from: BamaZeus on October 05, 2012, 03:30:10 PM
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.

There's a bit more than meets the eye when it comes to filling in a casino food court. My casino has shuffled its food vendors around a few times since opening. Among other things, you have to think of:
*Does this restaurant's clientele mesh with my casino's desired clientele? You want a good range of price points; something like a McDonalds is good for your low roller with $100 to play with, but you want a fancy restaurant too for the guy who regularly deals with piles of purple chips.
*How fast is the service/do they do a good job? Fairly or unfairly your cocktail waitresses are going to bear the brunt of the restaurant's screw-ups. You don't want your customers (who have already lost hundreds) to have to wait 20 minutes to get a burger.
*Is this going to make an unholy mess on the slot floor? People can and do throw their trash in between/behind the machines instead of getting up and using the trash can. (I think this is why my casino gave Cinnabon the boot, but I can't be sure, of course.)

Every casino being somewhat interchangeable is the challenge of the business. While restaurant selection plays a role in differentiating between you and the competitors, casinos tend to compete on good customer service, number and type of available games, and comps programs over the specific restaurants available.

Scott5114's "criteria" for casino restaurants has been criteria I've seen around strip malls and shopping malls. One time, a strip mall on Mid Rivers Mall Drive featured a arcade for kids and teens, which closed down two years later because of some coffee shop that was right next door and got in trouble with the law over indecent exposure. I don't want to talk about that on here, but it goes to show that the law too can be involved especially when dealing with casinos. Cities often have high crime rates because of legalized gambling.

Quote from: NYYPhil777 on October 06, 2012, 11:53:53 AM
Huck's- that's seen around here in St. Charles alongside BP.
Another candidate- Taco John's. I've seen it in Colorado, the Dakotas, and Nebraska. Only two markets I know of in Missouri- St. Joseph and Sikeston. Talk about a long distance!

Taco John's has 2 locations in Arkansas: both in Russellville.

Pizza Inn seems to be suffering: half the locations in Arkansas have closed within the last 5 years.

Taco John's is pretty much the largest non-energy company based in Wyoming and I miss it.

Chick Fil-A seems to be avoiding the Northeast like the plague.  Only see about 4 locations located north of NJ: 2 in NY, 1 in MA, and 1 in NH.  Keep seeing their ads all over tv, but there aren't any within 100 miles of me. Reminds me of the old Sonic effect.

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on October 07, 2012, 01:09:48 AM
Chick Fil-A seems to be avoiding the Northeast like the plague.  Only see about 4 locations located north of NJ: 2 in NY, 1 in MA, and 1 in NH.  Keep seeing their ads all over tv, but there aren't any within 100 miles of me. Reminds me of the old Sonic effect.

What about Golden Corral ads on NJ TV?  There is only two of them in NJ and both are in South Jersey in Hammonton and in Little Egg Harbor. 

Then we had Red Robbin air on Orlando Market Stations before the only Central Florida location opened in New Smyrna Beach.

Speaking of Chick Fil A, Bergen County, NJ would love them because of them not opening on Sunday just like the retail stores are not allowed by their continued Blue Laws. 

Tulsa is the melting pot of chain burger joints.  We have the usually suspects like McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, KFC, Arby's.  We also have Whataburger, Carl's Jr, Jack In The Box, Taco Bueno, Backyard Burgers, Smashburger, Burger Street, Braum's, Popeye's, Church's, Chick Fil-A, Long John Silver, A&W, Sonic, and we're getting a Five Guys.  It is nice having the different options.  Some of these places like Jack In The Box are open 24/7 which comes in handy.

Quote from: ctsignguy on September 29, 2012, 10:41:42 AM
I think LUM'S is extinct now....stumbled upon one of the last ones off NY 17 back in 2001, and they were not selling hotdogs or Ollieburgers any longer....

They have one of those in Bellevue, Nebraska, right on Fort Crook Road.  I wasn't even aware that was a chain until I saw this post here, as I've never been there.

Quote from: roadman65 on September 29, 2012, 02:53:14 PM
How does Aunt Jemima then be allowed to market? 

BTW, back in the 1960s, I remember seeing an Aunt Jemima Pancake House (in Wyoming MI). I assume it was part of a chain. Talk about long-gone.

Quote from: kphoger on October 06, 2012, 12:16:09 PM
Yes, [Huck's] is a relatively small chain.  The farthest northeast I know of is Robinson, IL...

Huck's goes into northeast Indiana.

Quote from: DandyDan on October 07, 2012, 02:21:25 AM

Quote from: ctsignguy on September 29, 2012, 10:41:42 AM
I think LUM'S is extinct now....stumbled upon one of the last ones off NY 17 back in 2001, and they were not selling hotdogs or Ollieburgers any longer....

They have one of those in Bellevue, Nebraska, right on Fort Crook Road.  I wasn't even aware that was a chain until I saw this post here, as I've never been there.

According to Wikipedia, they opened one up in Seekonk, Mass a couple of years ago....i may have to check them out my next New England Road Trip....

Quote from: ctsignguy on October 07, 2012, 06:07:29 PM

Quote from: DandyDan on October 07, 2012, 02:21:25 AM

Quote from: ctsignguy on September 29, 2012, 10:41:42 AM
I think LUM'S is extinct now....stumbled upon one of the last ones off NY 17 back in 2001, and they were not selling hotdogs or Ollieburgers any longer....

They have one of those in Bellevue, Nebraska, right on Fort Crook Road.  I wasn't even aware that was a chain until I saw this post here, as I've never been there.

According to Wikipedia, they opened one up in Seekonk, Mass a couple of years ago....i may have to check them out my next New England Road Trip....

Their website states hot dogs cooked in beer is one of their many specialties.

Quote from: roadman65 on October 07, 2012, 07:49:24 PM

Quote from: ctsignguy on October 07, 2012, 06:07:29 PM

Quote from: DandyDan on October 07, 2012, 02:21:25 AM

Quote from: ctsignguy on September 29, 2012, 10:41:42 AM
I think LUM'S is extinct now....stumbled upon one of the last ones off NY 17 back in 2001, and they were not selling hotdogs or Ollieburgers any longer....

They have one of those in Bellevue, Nebraska, right on Fort Crook Road.  I wasn't even aware that was a chain until I saw this post here, as I've never been there.

According to Wikipedia, they opened one up in Seekonk, Mass a couple of years ago....i may have to check them out my next New England Road Trip....

Their website states hot dogs cooked in beer is one of their many specialties.

Even better...........i remember those and the spiced fries!

Lots of memories just reading through this. Bonanza, Burger Chef, Furr's, Rax, Sambo's-all places I used to eat at when I was little. If memory serves, Burger Chef had their kids' meal(called a "Fun Meal") even before McDonald's had their Happy Meals.  Rax used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Didn't eat at Arby's much back then-if we wanted roast beef, we ate at Rax. Now, the Rax my family used to eat at is an Arby's.

Quote from: huskeroadgeek on October 07, 2012, 08:24:11 PM
Lots of memories just reading through this. Bonanza, Burger Chef, Furr's, Rax, Sambo's-all places I used to eat at when I was little. If memory serves, Burger Chef had their kids' meal(called a "Fun Meal") even before McDonald's had their Happy Meals.  Rax used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Didn't eat at Arby's much back then-if we wanted roast beef, we ate at Rax. Now, the Rax my family used to eat at is an Arby's.

If I remember correctly, Burger Chef was located around Indianapolis.
Speaking of Arby's- here in St. Charles, MO, the location at MO 364/94 and Jungermann just closed down a day ago with the signs stripped off and everything. Though the prices are too darned high, I prefer Lion's Choice just for the taste.

Quote from: hbelkins on September 28, 2012, 09:41:25 PM
Are there any Rax locations still open? The two I remember most -- Aberdeen, Ohio and London, Ky. -- have been long closed. Think there's something else in the London location, but the Aberdeen store was vacant and falling in when I was last through there back in the spring.

I remember a roast beef place called Lotts back in the 70s. In Lexington they were a very big competitor to Arby's, which hadn't expanded a lot back then.

Noticed that someone mentioned Krispy Kreme. I know they expanded quite a bit at one time but have scaled back. They used to have a location in Bowling Green, Ky.; no more.

Popeye's has had a somewhat unspectacular incursion into Kentucky. The one in Winchester didn't last long.

Rax was awesome had a decent hold on Mpls St Paul and then they were gone

Rocky Rococo is another that seemed to have died off in most places

Quote from: NYYPhil777 on October 08, 2012, 12:54:34 PM

Quote from: huskeroadgeek on October 07, 2012, 08:24:11 PM
Lots of memories just reading through this. Bonanza, Burger Chef, Furr's, Rax, Sambo's-all places I used to eat at when I was little. If memory serves, Burger Chef had their kids' meal(called a "Fun Meal") even before McDonald's had their Happy Meals.  Rax used to be one of my favorite restaurants. Didn't eat at Arby's much back then-if we wanted roast beef, we ate at Rax. Now, the Rax my family used to eat at is an Arby's.

If I remember correctly, Burger Chef was located around Indianapolis.
Speaking of Arby's- here in St. Charles, MO, the location at MO 364/94 Jungermann just closed down a day ago with the signs stripped off and everything. Though the prices are too darned high, I prefer Lion's Choice just for the taste.

Burger Chef was located in New Mexico when I lived there in the 1970s. When I moved to the Twin Cities they had a small presence there too. Their TV ad featured "The Burger Chef and Jeff". I believe Hardee's bought them out; one meal that survived the transaction was a mushroom cheeseburger that I was fond of.

Quote from: kphoger on October 06, 2012, 10:13:34 AM

Quote from: NYYPhil777 on October 06, 2012, 09:04:26 AM

Quote from: US71 on October 06, 2012, 08:57:31 AM
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.

Godfather's survives in southern Illinois, many attached to Huck's gas stations.

There's still one in Gulf Shores, as well, inside a grocery store shopping center.

Except for small walk-up installations at gas stations (mostly along the interstate), Noble Roman's Pizza has largely disappeared from the Indiana landscape.  As I recall, in the 1980s Noble Roman's was a well-established Midwestern chain of full-service restaurants, but began to wither in the '90s.  Their specialties were a deep dish Sicilian pizza (extraordinarily good) and what they called "The Monster", a pan pizza that I don't think is available at the walk-ups.  (I'm not sure about that, though.)  In West Lafayette on Purdue football weekends, the Noble Roman's was usually packed; maybe even busier than the famous Bruno's Swiss Inn down the street.  I really miss Noble Roman's (and watching Drew Brees lead his teammates at Ross-Ade Stadium).

A couple of years ago on a trip which took me through Las Vegas, I was shocked to discover a Noble Roman's walk-up right on the Strip.  Yum.  Seems like they had The Monster there...

Until my most recent trip down in South Carolina, there was a Noble Roman's at I-95 and US 278.

There's a Noble Roman's inside a bowling alley in Wallingford, CT.

Quote from: BamaZeus on October 05, 2012, 03:25:40 PM

Quote from: hbelkins on October 03, 2012, 10:55:27 PM
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

I had not really noticed that until the last few days.  Not surprised to learn that Tastykakes is a Flowers brand as that is who stocks them at my local Walmart.

Speaking of that, I have also noticed several restaurant chains (ie, IHOP, TGI Friday's, etc) that are selling frozen/bake at home versions of their more popular menu items.  How long before we see Waffle House doing that?

:hmmm:

:wow:

Mike

Hehe, Bert's Chili on aisle 5

Quote from: mgk920 on October 10, 2012, 11:34:53 AM
Speaking of that, I have also noticed several restaurant chains (ie, IHOP, TGI Friday's, etc) that are selling frozen/bake at home versions of their more popular menu items.  How long before we see Waffle House doing that?

:hmmm:

:wow:

Mike

Would the frozen Waffle House come with its own dirty silverware?

Quote from: florida on October 10, 2012, 10:11:22 PM

Quote from: mgk920 on October 10, 2012, 11:34:53 AM
Speaking of that, I have also noticed several restaurant chains (ie, IHOP, TGI Friday's, etc) that are selling frozen/bake at home versions of their more popular menu items.  How long before we see Waffle House doing that?

:hmmm:

:wow:

Mike

Would the frozen Waffle House come with its own dirty silverware?

<smile>

I don't think Waffle House would allow its waffle batter to be sold on the consumer market.  I could be wrong, of course, but it would seem like a very bad idea, and would probably anger the people that own Waffle House franchises.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on September 29, 2012, 10:24:01 AM
There used to be a lot of Ponderosa Steakhouses here in the Northeast. Most, if not, all are gone.

There's still a few in the greater Pittsburgh area.

On another note, Cici's Pizza had recently expanded (mid '00s) into the Pittsburgh area.  One of them was really a busy one.  Yet, all of a sudden, they completely disappeared. :(  Last weekend of I think it was Oct '11 I go to my closest one, then, the next weekend, they are GONE with no warning. :(  It also seems to have happened to all the others that were in the Pittsburgh area at the same time. :(

And I'd love to have a Jack in the Box here in the Pgh area.  I've made it a stop whenever I'm in the Charlotte, NC area.

Quote from: rickmastfan67 on October 11, 2012, 02:03:34 AM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on September 29, 2012, 10:24:01 AM
There used to be a lot of Ponderosa Steakhouses here in the Northeast. Most, if not, all are gone.

There's still a few in the greater Pittsburgh area.

On another note, Cici's Pizza had recently expanded (mid '00s) into the Pittsburgh area.  One of them was really a busy one.  Yet, all of a sudden, they completely disappeared. :(  Last weekend of I think it was Oct '11 I go to my closest one, then, the next weekend, they are GONE with no warning. :(  It also seems to have happened to all the others that were in the Pittsburgh area at the same time. :(

And I'd love to have a Jack in the Box here in the Pgh area.  I've made it a stop whenever I'm in the Charlotte, NC area.

Orlando cut back on their Poderosas as well, but still have Cicis and growing strong with this chain.  All except the one on OBT near Hunters Creek, FL that closed, but that is the only one that folded that I know of.

Quote from: Takumi on September 28, 2012, 06:42:38 PM
Branching out to non-restaurant businesses, Safeway and Winn-Dixie both had local establishments during my childhood, but neither are in the area now (I believe Safeway has a presence in northern Virginia, but Winn-Dixie has shrunk tremendously in the past 10 years). Ames and Bradlees (both now defunct department stores) closed their local stores years before their national shutdowns, and of course Chevron and Texaco are no longer in the Mid-Atlantic.

I was surprised to find out Safeway once had a NYC division. Apparently, there was one opened in 1957 in Patchogue, NY on the corner of Phyllis Drive and Montauk Hwy. but they quickly withdrew from NYC by the mid 60s. The building then became a Finast that closed in 1988 and then a Blockbuster & Goodwill Store that both closed within the past year or two.

Jack in the Box had a location a half mile west on Montauk Hwy./E. Main St. and they left in the late 70s. That became a Pizza Hut (which moved west from a spot near the corner of Suffolk CR 101 and Montauk - it's an Asian restaurant now) that closed in 1996. Now it's a Latin place called Mi Tierrita.

There's a few chains that were in Suffolk County but retreated back to locations in other parts of the NYC metro or outside the NYC metro but on the I-95 corridor. Hardee's (once took over the Roy Rogers stores for a short period), Roy Rogers (last one on LI in Shirley closed a year or two ago), Arby's (none in Suffolk, one in Nassau) and Fuddruckers.

Wendy's is getting a makeover.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Faht.seriouseats.com%2Fimages%2F2012%2F10%2F20121011-wendys-new-logo-restaurant.jpg&hash=62958c9094bb3a84ebe58501f76faa2f6c85e735)

Could've sworn I saw this on this thread, but I couldn't find it, so I guess I saw it somewhere else. Anyway, I saw a Wendy's commercial on Sunday Night Football and they were still using the old logo.

Quote from: Road Hog on October 15, 2012, 02:07:28 AM
Wendy's is getting a makeover.

(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Faht.seriouseats.com%2Fimages%2F2012%2F10%2F20121011-wendys-new-logo-restaurant.jpg&hash=62958c9094bb3a84ebe58501f76faa2f6c85e735)

Could've sworn I saw this on this thread, but I couldn't find it, so I guess I saw it somewhere else. Anyway, I saw a Wendy's commercial on Sunday Night Football and they were still using the old logo.

They aren't transitioning to it until mid-next year.

I wonder when they are going to start the building rehabs/re-builds (thinking they would start that process before the new logo comes out).  My local one is due for a re-build IMO.  The building has pretty much been the same since I was born, however, they have changed the inside some over the years (reconfiguring the tables locations, adding two flat-screen TV's).  Heck, I still remember when they had a buffet inside of it!

Quote from: nyratk1 on October 14, 2012, 10:26:36 PM

There's a few chains that were in Suffolk County but retreated back to locations in other parts of the NYC metro or outside the NYC metro but on the I-95 corridor. Hardee's (once took over the Roy Rogers stores for a short period), Roy Rogers (last one on LI in Shirley closed a year or two ago), Arby's (none in Suffolk, one in Nassau) and Fuddruckers.

Does Roy Rogers still have a NYC presence?

per their website, they have a location at:

401 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10001

http://www.royrogersrestaurants.com/locations/#NY

Quote from: BamaZeus on October 17, 2012, 12:20:00 PM
per their website, they have a location at:

401 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10001

http://www.royrogersrestaurants.com/locations/#NY

Ah, they were at 2 or 3 Manhattan locations a few years ago.

Burger Kings and McDonalds are rebuilding their stores with new facades and insides.  It is not only Wendy's.

Also, back to original topic: Ker's Winghouse closed all their Dallas area locations, but are going strong in Florida, and now  opened one off I-75 in Gainesville.  So those traveling I-75 could patronize this particular Breastaurant (as the latest name for Hooters, Tilted Kilts, etc. are being called.) thing.

Quote from: roadman65 on October 22, 2012, 02:44:38 PM
Burger Kings and McDonalds are rebuilding their stores with new facades and insides.  It is not only Wendy's.

Also, back to original topic: Ker's Winghouse closed all their Dallas area locations, but are going strong in Florida, and now  opened one off I-75 in Gainesville.  So those traveling I-75 could patronize this particular Breastaurant (as the latest name for Hooters, Tilted Kilts, etc. are being called.) thing.

From what I've noticed, McDonald's is now trying to appeal to people in their 20s-50s and not children as there's no more playplaces.
A restaurant named The Tilted Kilt just opened two months ago on MO-94 near I-70 in St. Charles.
"Breastaurant"-  :biggrin:  :rofl:

Quote from: NYYPhil777 on October 22, 2012, 05:39:06 PM

Quote from: roadman65 on October 22, 2012, 02:44:38 PM
Burger Kings and McDonalds are rebuilding their stores with new facades and insides.  It is not only Wendy's.

Also, back to original topic: Ker's Winghouse closed all their Dallas area locations, but are going strong in Florida, and now  opened one off I-75 in Gainesville.  So those traveling I-75 could patronize this particular Breastaurant (as the latest name for Hooters, Tilted Kilts, etc. are being called.) thing.

From what I've noticed, McDonald's is now trying to appeal to people in their 20s-50s and not children as there's no more playplaces.
A restaurant named The Tilted Kilt just opened two months ago on MO-94 near I-70 in St. Charles.
"Breastaurant"-  :biggrin:  :rofl:

That reminds me.

Hooters just closed up their LI/Queens locations due to two factors: dissatisfaction with the franchisee and increased competition from Canz-a-city Roadhouse ( http://www.canzaciti.com/ ) The Hooters with exception of one will become some similar restaurant fully under the control of the once-franchisee.

Quote from: roadman65 on September 29, 2012, 02:53:14 PM

I remember Sambos were all throughout Florida just as Lums used to be.  Although, I do remember a Lums in Portsmouth, NH along Bypass US 1, so it was a regional chain obviously.

Lums tried to make inroads in the Boston MA area in the early 1970s - there was one in Danvers off of Route 128 on Endicott Street that survived until my senior year of high school (1979).

Quote from: roadman65 on October 22, 2012, 02:44:38 PM
Burger Kings and McDonalds are rebuilding their stores with new facades and insides.  It is not only Wendy's.

Also, back to original topic: Ker's Winghouse closed all their Dallas area locations, but are going strong in Florida, and now  opened one off I-75 in Gainesville.  So those traveling I-75 could patronize this particular Breastaurant (as the latest name for Hooters, Tilted Kilts, etc. are being called.) thing.

The new McDonald's all look like banks. Solid brick walls on the back and each side, etc. A lot of the old stores are remodeled to look like this.

Twin Peaks is another "breastaurant" chain that is "big" in DFW.

Swiss Chalet (or Chalet Suisse) disappeared from Québec after they agreed with St-Hubert not to compete with each other. This is why St-Hubert is hard so to find outside of the province; although there are locations in Ottawa, Cornwall, Kingston, Rockland, Bathurst, Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John, and formerly Fort Lauderdale.

One former restaurant chain that has yet to be mentioned is the Red Barn, albeit I'm 99.99% sure they are gone.   

Here in Western CO, we have 1 food court Taco Johns, but we lost 3 Smashburgers and a Good Times (blame the latter two chains' demises on poor franchisee management).   We were also supposed to get a CiCi's Pizza in the spring (giving us our first AYCA pizza buffet), but no sign of that restaurant yet. 

On a recent weekend getaway to Colorado Springs, I finally had a blessed reunion with Fazoli's -- which I used to enjoy dining at when I lived in Northern Ohio 6 years ago.  (By then though in 2006, there was only a fraction of the Fazoli's that were all over the place in 2001).

One restaurant I was surprised not to see mentioned is Hot 'N Now. Crazy cheap food, I remember burgers for like $0.39. Fries and drinks were the same price, I think. Problem was, well, it tasted like an $0.39 cheeseburger. We had a few in South Carolina in the early to mid '90s, then they disappeared.

Del Taco's only location in South Carolina is in my hometown of Rock Hill. I got hooked when I went out to California in 2008 (along with In-N-Out and El Pollo Loco, I probably gained 15 pounds that week) and was elated when they opened up one in my hometown. There used to be one in Boiling Springs, SC on I-95 but apparently it closed.

Taco Bueno had a location across from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC in 2008 that I don't think even lasted a year. The only other fast food option within walking distance was/is McDonald's. How does a fast food restaurant literally across the street from the freshman dorms at a 7,000 student university fail?! Weird thing is nothing has ever made it at that location - it was a Church's Chicken for a few years, and even before that, in the late 90s, it was a place called (I think) Taco Loco. Not sure if it was a chain or what, but it's what the building was originally built for.

Other than that, the SC side of the Charlotte metro area has pretty much the same ol' everything.

Denny's used to have 2 or 3 restaurants in Indio Cal. alone in the 1980's, used to have two in Palm Springs (I think one of em remains open) and one in Palm Desert is reportedly slated to close. It's sad to see a great place to eat like Denny's reduce its' number of restaurants when more people lost interest in diner-style cafes.

Quote from: the49erfan15 on October 24, 2012, 01:51:31 AM
One restaurant I was surprised not to see mentioned is Hot 'N Now. Crazy cheap food, I remember burgers for like $0.39. Fries and drinks were the same price, I think. Problem was, well, it tasted like an $0.39 cheeseburger. We had a few in South Carolina in the early to mid '90s, then they disappeared.

We had one of those in Tuscaloosa for about 2 years and it was the answered prayer for college students.  For about $3, my brother and I could eat like kings, and frankly, the burgers and fries were dead-on replicas for McDonalds.  If you put a Hot N Now burger and fries next to the McDonalds version, I couldn't tell the difference.  Add some Sam's cola (a case for about $4 at the time) and we ate to our hearts' content.

The only thing that rivalled it at the time was $.99 Whoppers at Burger King.  Get 2 of those, skip the crappy fries, bring it home with your already bought soda, and BAM! dinner for about $2.50

Quote from: thenetwork on October 23, 2012, 01:07:17 AM
One former restaurant chain that has yet to be mentioned is the Red Barn, albeit I'm 99.99% sure they are gone.

Wow, Red Barn.  I barely remember going there when we had one in Amsterdam, NY, when I was pretty young.  I can't say I remember the food, but what kid doesn't like burgers and fries?  It was on the end of a shopping plaza with a giant red barn facade.  The facade remained for many years after the restaurant closed and I think operated as a couple other restaurants before a remodel of that end of the plaza for a (now long gone) Blockbuster video took away the red barn shape.

Our other fast food burger chain place was Carrol's, many of which became Burger Kings in 1970's (ours did, and is still a BK): http://www.carrols.com/html/History.htm

Quote from: thenetwork on October 23, 2012, 01:07:17 AM
One former restaurant chain that has yet to be mentioned is the Red Barn, albeit I'm 99.99% sure they are gone.

There was a Red Barn here in Wyandotte, MI, on M-85 next to a large strip mall. The barn shape is still there today, though Red Barn closed many years ago and then many other independent restaurants came and went over the years, most recently a pizza restaurant that closed back in January, the building still sits vacant today.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on September 29, 2012, 10:24:01 AM
There used to be a lot of Ponderosa Steakhouses here in the Northeast. Most, if not, all are gone.

We also had a Ponderosa, that was between the Red Barn and the strip mall, that outlived Red Barn by many years, but it also closed in January.

Quote from: MDOTFanFB on October 24, 2012, 03:08:30 PM

Quote from: thenetwork on October 23, 2012, 01:07:17 AM
One former restaurant chain that has yet to be mentioned is the Red Barn, albeit I'm 99.99% sure they are gone.

There was a Red Barn here in Wyandotte, MI, on M-85 next to a large strip mall. The barn shape is still there today, though Red Barn closed many years ago and then many other independent restaurants came and went over the years, most recently a pizza restaurant that closed back in January, the building still sits vacant today.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on September 29, 2012, 10:24:01 AM
There used to be a lot of Ponderosa Steakhouses here in the Northeast. Most, if not, all are gone.

We also had a Ponderosa, that was between the Red Barn and the strip mall, that outlived Red Barn by many years, but it also closed in January.

Ponderosa too is leaving the St. Louis area. Ponderosa, Country/Old Country/Hometown and other traditional American buffets used to be big in St. Louis.

Quote from: NYYPhil777 on October 24, 2012, 11:10:25 PM

Quote from: MDOTFanFB on October 24, 2012, 03:08:30 PM

Quote from: thenetwork on October 23, 2012, 01:07:17 AM
One former restaurant chain that has yet to be mentioned is the Red Barn, albeit I'm 99.99% sure they are gone.

There was a Red Barn here in Wyandotte, MI, on M-85 next to a large strip mall. The barn shape is still there today, though Red Barn closed many years ago and then many other independent restaurants came and went over the years, most recently a pizza restaurant that closed back in January, the building still sits vacant today.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on September 29, 2012, 10:24:01 AM
There used to be a lot of Ponderosa Steakhouses here in the Northeast. Most, if not, all are gone.

We also had a Ponderosa, that was between the Red Barn and the strip mall, that outlived Red Barn by many years, but it also closed in January.

Ponderosa too is leaving the St. Louis area. Ponderosa, Country/Old Country/Hometown and other traditional American buffets used to be big in St. Louis.

Interesting, the only time I've ever eaten at Ponderosa was at the one near Six Flags St Louis back in 2004.

Quote from: Dr Frankenstein on October 22, 2012, 10:01:34 PM
Swiss Chalet (or Chalet Suisse) disappeared from Québec after they agreed with St-Hubert not to compete with each other. This is why St-Hubert is hard so to find outside of the province; although there are locations in Ottawa, Cornwall, Kingston, Rockland, Bathurst, Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John, and formerly Fort Lauderdale.

Oh, i remember Swiss Chalet.....whenever i went to Canada to visit my pill-pusher ex-, i would always got there 2-3 times...excellent food

Harvey's was also a favorite stop of mine up there too.

As for the Yanks...

Remember Red Barn....they used to be all over Dayton, and were one of the first with a salad bar.  They all went poofies during the 80s, but many of the old barns are still standing, as something else.

Quote from: ctsignguy on October 25, 2012, 08:15:10 AM

Oh, i remember Swiss Chalet.....whenever i went to Canada to visit my pill-pusher ex-, i would always got there 2-3 times...excellent food

Harvey's was also a favorite stop of mine up there too.

Speaking of Canada, eh, I remember eating at a great pizza place in Windsor, ON.  I want to say the chain was called Mother's.  Had eaten there a few times before they went under.

Speaking of buffets in the states, how about Sweden Haus (House). 

Quote from: thenetwork on October 25, 2012, 10:38:16 PM
Speaking of buffets in the states, how about Sweden Haus (House). 

Never been there, though the name sounds phony, because in Swedish, the word for house is hus.

Another Ponderosa location bites the dust.  The one in Hazard, Ky., which by all indications was doing extremely well, announced Friday that it will not be reopening. This restaurant got some notoriety because they posted on their marquee "Closed Due To Governor" when the governor ordered dine-in restaurants closed back in mid-March.

Western Sizzlin is still here, but seems to be hurting. 6 months ago, they closed one of two locations in town. Right now, they are doing carry-out to try to stay alive, but I won't miss them much if they fail.

El Pollo Loco tried to do a nationwide expansion from their base market, which appeared to be CA, AZ and NV in the western USA.  The story I read was that quality control became an issue so all those places closed down.  Oregon lost two El Pollo Locos in PDX. 

Rick

Quote from: nexus73 on May 03, 2020, 05:52:06 PM
El Pollo Loco tried to do a nationwide expansion from their base market, which appeared to be CA, AZ and NV in the western USA.  The story I read was that quality control became an issue so all those places closed down.  Oregon lost two El Pollo Locos in PDX. 

Rick

Bonefish Grill closed all their CT locations but are still operating elsewhere.
Friendly's closed all their locations on Cape Cod in the mid-2000s but kept operating elsewhere on the East Coast.
Bickfords pulled out of everywhere that wasnt Massachusetts.
Bennigans pulled of New England in the mid-2000s. 33 restaurants remain elsewhere.  The one in Vernon, CT is now a Cumberland Farms.
Ruby Tuesday pulled out of (at least) CT as of the last decade, due to declining sales and competition in the upscale-casual restaurant segment.  There's just too many chain restaurants here.

In Maryland, there used to be a bunch of Fuddruckers, but they all closed down recently, although still alive elsewhere.  I would now have to go to SE Pennsylvania (Lancaster or York) to get my Fuddruckers fix.

Also in Maryland, all the locations (at least four) of The Tilted Kilt have closed; the nearest one now is in Petersburg VA.

Quote from: dlsterner on May 03, 2020, 11:22:19 PM
In Maryland, there used to be a bunch of Fuddruckers, but they all closed down recently, although still alive elsewhere.  I would now have to go to SE Pennsylvania (Lancaster or York) to get my Fuddruckers fix.

Also in Maryland, all the locations (at least four) of The Tilted Kilt have closed; the nearest one now is in Petersburg VA.

Speaking of Fuddruckers, the only one I ever saw in Oregon was located in Hermiston.  Hard to believe that isn't it?  Now they are colored gone. 

The "Idiocracy" movie version was better!

Rick

Quote from: hbelkins on May 03, 2020, 01:38:53 PM
Another Ponderosa location bites the dust.  The one in Hazard, Ky., which by all indications was doing extremely well, announced Friday that it will not be reopening. This restaurant got some notoriety because they posted on their marquee "Closed Due To Governor" when the governor ordered dine-in restaurants closed back in mid-March.

Several Ponderosas in northern Michigan have closed over the last few years, but this might be the last straw for the Ludington location (which was still doing take-out in mid-March but shut that down toward the end of that month).

Speaking of other chains, Big Boy (Elias Brothers originally) has really scaled back its locations in Michigan over the last 15-20 years. There is still a decent presence in parts of Metro Detroit and northern lower Michigan, but not to the extent of what they used to have.

On the topic of grocery stores, Kroger pulled out of northern and western Michigan many years ago, but is still dominant in metro Detroit.

The news that Don Shula died this morning prompts me to note that Shula's Steakhouse pulled out of various markets, including closing the one at Tysons Corner, but is still active in Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Hardly a surprise they'd still exist in Florida, of course!

Frisch's Big Boy left Indianapolis but have several in Cincinnati

SM-G950U

Quote from: ibthebigd on May 09, 2020, 09:42:50 PM
Frisch's Big Boy left Indianapolis but have several in Cincinnati

SM-G950U

There's one in Winchester, KY.

Quote from: Rothman on May 09, 2020, 11:06:13 PM

Quote from: ibthebigd on May 09, 2020, 09:42:50 PM
Frisch's Big Boy left Indianapolis but have several in Cincinnati

SM-G950U

There's one in Winchester, KY.

I live in Georgetown Ky and that's why I thought of Frisch's because I remember when they left Indianapolis.

They just put a 2nd one in Lexington.

SM-G950U

Quote from: dlsterner on May 03, 2020, 11:22:19 PM
In Maryland, there used to be a bunch of Fuddruckers, but they all closed down recently, although still alive elsewhere.  I would now have to go to SE Pennsylvania (Lancaster or York) to get my Fuddruckers fix.

Also in Maryland, all the locations (at least four) of The Tilted Kilt have closed; the nearest one now is in Petersburg VA.

The Tilted Kilt is a restaurant with a bad vision. They would do fine in touristy areas or cities where there's plenty of single men. Instead they open up in suburban locations where a lot of families live. Many of their locations have closed, and the ones that remain open are busy at the bar but not in the seating area.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 10, 2020, 12:14:08 AM

Quote from: dlsterner on May 03, 2020, 11:22:19 PM
In Maryland, there used to be a bunch of Fuddruckers, but they all closed down recently, although still alive elsewhere.  I would now have to go to SE Pennsylvania (Lancaster or York) to get my Fuddruckers fix.

Also in Maryland, all the locations (at least four) of The Tilted Kilt have closed; the nearest one now is in Petersburg VA.

The Tilted Kilt is a restaurant with a bad vision. They would do fine in touristy areas or cities where there's plenty of single men. Instead they open up in suburban locations where a lot of families live. Many of their locations have closed, and the ones that remain open are busy at the bar but not in the seating area.

You can say that again.  People in Schenectady, NY were not happy when it popped up in a suburban area and it only lasted a year or two before it closed.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 10, 2020, 12:14:08 AM

Quote from: dlsterner on May 03, 2020, 11:22:19 PM
In Maryland, there used to be a bunch of Fuddruckers, but they all closed down recently, although still alive elsewhere.  I would now have to go to SE Pennsylvania (Lancaster or York) to get my Fuddruckers fix.

Also in Maryland, all the locations (at least four) of The Tilted Kilt have closed; the nearest one now is in Petersburg VA.

The Tilted Kilt is a restaurant with a bad vision. They would do fine in touristy areas or cities where there's plenty of single men. Instead they open up in suburban locations where a lot of families live. Many of their locations have closed, and the ones that remain open are busy at the bar but not in the seating area.

They went with the Hooters model, but even they are closing restaurants as well.  I just don't think the "breastaurant" model has much long-term hope.  The younger generation is largely ignoring it.

Quote from: SEWIGuy on May 10, 2020, 09:02:53 AM

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 10, 2020, 12:14:08 AM

Quote from: dlsterner on May 03, 2020, 11:22:19 PM
In Maryland, there used to be a bunch of Fuddruckers, but they all closed down recently, although still alive elsewhere.  I would now have to go to SE Pennsylvania (Lancaster or York) to get my Fuddruckers fix.

Also in Maryland, all the locations (at least four) of The Tilted Kilt have closed; the nearest one now is in Petersburg VA.

The Tilted Kilt is a restaurant with a bad vision. They would do fine in touristy areas or cities where there's plenty of single men. Instead they open up in suburban locations where a lot of families live. Many of their locations have closed, and the ones that remain open are busy at the bar but not in the seating area.

They went with the Hooters model, but even they are closing restaurants as well.  I just don't think the "breastaurant" model has much long-term hope.  The younger generation is largely ignoring it.

I don't know.  A co-worker went to a regional office of ours and a bunch of them went out to lunch (mixed company).  It was him and a bunch of younger workers.  I forget which chain it was, but it seemed to my co-worker that the younger generation was oblivious or apathetic towards the fact that it was a "breastaurant."

The "breastaurant" genre, if you can call it that, is a weird one. I've never been into them and neither are my closer friends, but I knew quite a few people who were regulars at Brick House. Definitely a concept that works best in tourist destinations and college towns, given who they're targeting. Hooters is somewhere I go exactly once a year for their "all you can eat" wing deal when it is offered. Never been to Tilted Kilt or any of the others not named Brick House (which I was at once with a group).

Krystal basically pulled out of all of South Carolina around 1995 or so. They have a couple locations in Gaffney and in Aiken/North Augusta, but they used to have locations all over the place, including around Charleston and Columbia.

Carey Hilliard's is a very popular local chain around Savannah (southern-style food, barbecue with Brunswick stew, seafood). They had 2 locations in the Charleston area for many years (West Ashley and North Charleston) but closed them about 10 years ago.

Quote from: Rothman on May 09, 2020, 11:06:13 PM

Quote from: ibthebigd on May 09, 2020, 09:42:50 PM
Frisch's Big Boy left Indianapolis but have several in Cincinnati

SM-G950U

There's one in Winchester, KY.

Yes, and it's fairly recent.

Quote from: cl94 on May 10, 2020, 04:11:43 PM
The "breastaurant" genre, if you can call it that, is a weird one. I've never been into them and neither are my closer friends, but I knew quite a few people who were regulars at Brick House. Definitely a concept that works best in tourist destinations and college towns, given who they're targeting. Hooters is somewhere I go exactly once a year for their "all you can eat" wing deal when it is offered. Never been to Tilted Kilt or any of the others not named Brick House (which I was at once with a group).

I ate at a Hooters in Novi, Michigan around 10 years ago. The food was among the worst I'd ever come across, not "off-night"  quality bad, just pure low-quality crap. That included sampling quite a bit of what they had to offer as well. It all sucked.

The Tilted Kilt location(s) in CT are long gone.  I know there was one in Wethersfield in what was formerly a Bennigan's.  The nearest one now is in Sicklerville, NJ.  Our Big Boy franchise (Abdow's), has been gone for at least 20 years.  Hooters still is around, and the only Fuddruckers we have ever had is in Foxwoods Casino.  Hooters lives on with 3 locations within 30 miles of me.  However, there are plenty of local wing places that are a thousand times better.

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 10, 2020, 08:16:23 PM

Quote from: cl94 on May 10, 2020, 04:11:43 PM
The "breastaurant" genre, if you can call it that, is a weird one. I've never been into them and neither are my closer friends, but I knew quite a few people who were regulars at Brick House. Definitely a concept that works best in tourist destinations and college towns, given who they're targeting. Hooters is somewhere I go exactly once a year for their "all you can eat" wing deal when it is offered. Never been to Tilted Kilt or any of the others not named Brick House (which I was at once with a group).

I ate at a Hooters in Novi, Michigan around 10 years ago. The food was among the worst I'd ever come across, not "off-night"  quality bad, just pure low-quality crap. That included sampling quite a bit of what they had to offer as well. It all sucked.

About 20 years ago, the company I worked for then had one of their training centers in Largo, Florida just south of Clearwater.   At my first class there, one of the handouts  detailed all the local restaurants, one of which was the original Hooters on Gulf to Bay Boulevard just east of US-19.  Our instructor raved about this place and insisted we go there for lunch our first day.  I was less than impressed with the food and service and haven't been in one since.

Quote from: catch22 on May 11, 2020, 06:31:29 AM

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 10, 2020, 08:16:23 PM

Quote from: cl94 on May 10, 2020, 04:11:43 PM
The "breastaurant" genre, if you can call it that, is a weird one. I've never been into them and neither are my closer friends, but I knew quite a few people who were regulars at Brick House. Definitely a concept that works best in tourist destinations and college towns, given who they're targeting. Hooters is somewhere I go exactly once a year for their "all you can eat" wing deal when it is offered. Never been to Tilted Kilt or any of the others not named Brick House (which I was at once with a group).

I ate at a Hooters in Novi, Michigan around 10 years ago. The food was among the worst I'd ever come across, not "off-night"  quality bad, just pure low-quality crap. That included sampling quite a bit of what they had to offer as well. It all sucked.

About 20 years ago, the company I worked for then had one of their training centers in Largo, Florida just south of Clearwater.   At my first class there, one of the handouts  detailed all the local restaurants, one of which was the original Hooters on Gulf to Bay Boulevard just east of US-19.  Our instructor raved about this place and insisted we go there for lunch our first day.  I was less than impressed with the food and service and haven't been in one since.

Food isn't what drives people into a Hooters.  :-D

The original Hooters is the only one I've been in where we actually found the food to be actually ok!  We wound up visiting it when my flight leaving Tampa was delayed.  We considered going there, or further into the Clearwater area.  Thank goodness we didn't - As it turned out, the flight's departure time became not as delayed as first announced, so we had to hightail it out of there back to the airport.

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on May 11, 2020, 01:56:14 AM
...I know there was one in Wethersfield in what was formerly a Bennigan's.  The nearest one now is in Sicklerville, NJ...

This is the one near me.  A friend of mine goes there way too often; knows all the bartenders - has their phone numbers; knows all the regulars at the bar as well.  The unfortunate thing is that nearly everyone eating/drining at the bar are all regulars, and there's rarely anyone elsewhere in the restaurant.  It operates like a local hole in the wall when it comes to their operation and the salty language (lol), but can't survive like that in its chain-restaurant format.  The owner also owns the Friendly's restaurant next door, so the money coming in from that is probably the only reason why the Kilt can continue to operate.  I'll have to ask my buddy if he's heard anything about reopening after the pandemic.

Quote from: ibthebigd on May 09, 2020, 09:42:50 PM
Frisch's Big Boy left Indianapolis but have several in Cincinnati

There's at least one in the Dayton area; technically, the town is Englewood. It's on OH-48 just north of the I-70 interchange.

Big Boy was called Bob's Big Boy in Northern Virginia. They've all been closed for years, but the legacy lives on because the Springfield slug line is commonly referred to as the "Bob's" line–in the evening, a driver pulling up to a slug line seeking riders to Springfield will typically say "two to Bob's." The name refers to the Bob's Big Boy that used to occupy a plot near the commuter lot.

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 11, 2020, 08:35:11 AM

Quote from: catch22 on May 11, 2020, 06:31:29 AM

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 10, 2020, 08:16:23 PM

Quote from: cl94 on May 10, 2020, 04:11:43 PM
The "breastaurant" genre, if you can call it that, is a weird one. I've never been into them and neither are my closer friends, but I knew quite a few people who were regulars at Brick House. Definitely a concept that works best in tourist destinations and college towns, given who they're targeting. Hooters is somewhere I go exactly once a year for their "all you can eat" wing deal when it is offered. Never been to Tilted Kilt or any of the others not named Brick House (which I was at once with a group).

I ate at a Hooters in Novi, Michigan around 10 years ago. The food was among the worst I'd ever come across, not "off-night"  quality bad, just pure low-quality crap. That included sampling quite a bit of what they had to offer as well. It all sucked.

About 20 years ago, the company I worked for then had one of their training centers in Largo, Florida just south of Clearwater.   At my first class there, one of the handouts  detailed all the local restaurants, one of which was the original Hooters on Gulf to Bay Boulevard just east of US-19.  Our instructor raved about this place and insisted we go there for lunch our first day.  I was less than impressed with the food and service and haven't been in one since.

Food isn't what drives people into a Hooters.  :-D

The original Hooters is the only one I've been in where we actually found the food to be actually ok!  We wound up visiting it when my flight leaving Tampa was delayed.  We considered going there, or further into the Clearwater area.  Thank goodness we didn't - As it turned out, the flight's departure time became not as delayed as first announced, so we had to hightail it out of there back to the airport.

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on May 11, 2020, 01:56:14 AM
...I know there was one in Wethersfield in what was formerly a Bennigan's.  The nearest one now is in Sicklerville, NJ...

This is the one near me.  A friend of mine goes there way too often; knows all the bartenders - has their phone numbers; knows all the regulars at the bar as well.  The unfortunate thing is that nearly everyone eating/drining at the bar are all regulars, and there's rarely anyone elsewhere in the restaurant.  It operates like a local hole in the wall when it comes to their operation and the salty language (lol), but can't survive like that in its chain-restaurant format.  The owner also owns the Friendly's restaurant next door, so the money coming in from that is probably the only reason why the Kilt can continue to operate.  I'll have to ask my buddy if he's heard anything about reopening after the pandemic.

I've never eaten at a Hooters. They used to have several locations in Michigan (including as far north as Traverse City), but most of them have closed. AFAIK, the only Hooters left in MI are in Flint and Saginaw (there might be one left somewhere in metro Detroit and/or in the Lansing area). Tilted Kilt had a few locations in MI, all in metro Detroit, but I think they've all closed.

Quote from: ftballfan on May 11, 2020, 10:36:37 AM

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 11, 2020, 08:35:11 AM

Quote from: catch22 on May 11, 2020, 06:31:29 AM

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 10, 2020, 08:16:23 PM

Quote from: cl94 on May 10, 2020, 04:11:43 PM
The "breastaurant" genre, if you can call it that, is a weird one. I've never been into them and neither are my closer friends, but I knew quite a few people who were regulars at Brick House. Definitely a concept that works best in tourist destinations and college towns, given who they're targeting. Hooters is somewhere I go exactly once a year for their "all you can eat" wing deal when it is offered. Never been to Tilted Kilt or any of the others not named Brick House (which I was at once with a group).

I ate at a Hooters in Novi, Michigan around 10 years ago. The food was among the worst I'd ever come across, not "off-night"  quality bad, just pure low-quality crap. That included sampling quite a bit of what they had to offer as well. It all sucked.

About 20 years ago, the company I worked for then had one of their training centers in Largo, Florida just south of Clearwater.   At my first class there, one of the handouts  detailed all the local restaurants, one of which was the original Hooters on Gulf to Bay Boulevard just east of US-19.  Our instructor raved about this place and insisted we go there for lunch our first day.  I was less than impressed with the food and service and haven't been in one since.

Food isn't what drives people into a Hooters.  :-D

The original Hooters is the only one I've been in where we actually found the food to be actually ok!  We wound up visiting it when my flight leaving Tampa was delayed.  We considered going there, or further into the Clearwater area.  Thank goodness we didn't - As it turned out, the flight's departure time became not as delayed as first announced, so we had to hightail it out of there back to the airport.

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on May 11, 2020, 01:56:14 AM
...I know there was one in Wethersfield in what was formerly a Bennigan's.  The nearest one now is in Sicklerville, NJ...

This is the one near me.  A friend of mine goes there way too often; knows all the bartenders - has their phone numbers; knows all the regulars at the bar as well.  The unfortunate thing is that nearly everyone eating/drining at the bar are all regulars, and there's rarely anyone elsewhere in the restaurant.  It operates like a local hole in the wall when it comes to their operation and the salty language (lol), but can't survive like that in its chain-restaurant format.  The owner also owns the Friendly's restaurant next door, so the money coming in from that is probably the only reason why the Kilt can continue to operate.  I'll have to ask my buddy if he's heard anything about reopening after the pandemic.

I've never eaten at a Hooters. They used to have several locations in Michigan (including as far north as Traverse City), but most of them have closed. AFAIK, the only Hooters left in MI are in Flint and Saginaw (there might be one left somewhere in metro Detroit and/or in the Lansing area). Tilted Kilt had a few locations in MI, all in metro Detroit, but I think they've all closed.

There's one in Roseville and one in Taylor that's it though unless those two have closed. The one in Bay City closed a few years ago it was on the Saginaw River at the end of Midland Street. The one in Saginaw was relocated several years ago it use to be on Niagara Street also on the Saginaw River but moved to Kochville Township. I think there may have been a murder at the original Saginaw location which prompted them to relocate.

Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on May 10, 2020, 08:16:23 PM

Quote from: cl94 on May 10, 2020, 04:11:43 PM
The "breastaurant" genre, if you can call it that, is a weird one. I've never been into them and neither are my closer friends, but I knew quite a few people who were regulars at Brick House. Definitely a concept that works best in tourist destinations and college towns, given who they're targeting. Hooters is somewhere I go exactly once a year for their "all you can eat" wing deal when it is offered. Never been to Tilted Kilt or any of the others not named Brick House (which I was at once with a group).

I ate at a Hooters in Novi, Michigan around 10 years ago. The food was among the worst I'd ever come across, not "off-night"  quality bad, just pure low-quality crap. That included sampling quite a bit of what they had to offer as well. It all sucked.

I've eaten at Hooters twice in my life, both instances were years ago when I was single, and went with a buddy of mine. I got nothing out of the experience. The food was overprices and wasn't very good at all, and I never got a thrill out of looking at scantily-clad women that I would never have a realistic chance of dating or having sex with because they wouldn't give a guy like me a second glance. I always tended to be a realist about things like that. That's the reason I never went to strip clubs or places with "exotic dancers" in my youth. It was just never my thing.

I've heard that the food at Hooters isn't very good, but my co-workers have raved about their club sandwich–said, in fact, it's the best they've ever eaten.

Quote from: kphoger on May 11, 2020, 02:34:44 PM
I've heard that the food at Hooters isn't very good, but my co-workers have raved about their club sandwich–said, in fact, it's the best they've ever eaten.

I haven't been to a Hooters in a long time. The one in Saginaw is about 10 minutes from me but it's never really appealed to me either. Buffalo Wild Wings is another overrated place. I had a $25 gift certificate there one time and went there to eat it wasn't all that. I think a lot of these chain restaurants are overrated.

The Hooters in Bay City closed last year is that when the other Hooters that closed closed also?

Quote from: Flint1979 on May 11, 2020, 02:53:36 PM
The Hooters in Bay City closed last year is that when the other Hooters that closed closed also?

Most of the others (http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/forgottenmi/former/hooters.html) closed between 2009 and 2017

Quote from: Rothman on May 10, 2020, 12:58:46 AM

Quote from: jeffandnicole on May 10, 2020, 12:14:08 AM

Quote from: dlsterner on May 03, 2020, 11:22:19 PM
In Maryland, there used to be a bunch of Fuddruckers, but they all closed down recently, although still alive elsewhere.  I would now have to go to SE Pennsylvania (Lancaster or York) to get my Fuddruckers fix.

Also in Maryland, all the locations (at least four) of The Tilted Kilt have closed; the nearest one now is in Petersburg VA.

The Tilted Kilt is a restaurant with a bad vision. They would do fine in touristy areas or cities where there's plenty of single men. Instead they open up in suburban locations where a lot of families live. Many of their locations have closed, and the ones that remain open are busy at the bar but not in the seating area.

You can say that again.  People in Schenectady, NY were not happy when it popped up in a suburban area and it only lasted a year or two before it closed.

I'm wondering if some of it has to do with the murder of Heather Elvis, who was a waitress at a location down South.  She was likely murdered by a maintenance man she had hooked up with.

Quote from: ftballfan on May 12, 2020, 08:57:03 PM

Quote from: Flint1979 on May 11, 2020, 02:53:36 PM
The Hooters in Bay City closed last year is that when the other Hooters that closed closed also?

Most of the others (http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/forgottenmi/former/hooters.html) closed between 2009 and 2017

Fayetteville, AR Hooters closed  several year ago after one of their (heavily inebriated) customers wandered out onto the highway and got run over...twice.