http://www.flickr.com/photos/alpsroads/8535009345/in/photostream
Grafton, WV, one right after the other. Even the logos are hilarious (especially if you're an adolescent boy).
For years in Williamsburg, VA there was a sub shop called Subway Station. I didn't see it this past trip.
Forsyth, GA has the "Hilltop Garden Inn." [sic] I can see how someone might end up there and be disappointed. http://www.hginn.com/
In sunny Atwood, Kansas
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/5408_1201213227145_6180195_n.jpg)
Kind of what Motel 6 used to say: "With your eyes closed, all motel rooms look the same."
There's a car dealership chain called Car-Mart whose logo looks like a blocky version of the old Wal-Mart logo (before the asterisk and "Walmart" spelling were adopted). The shade of blue used is dead on.
Similarly, the tiny town of Hyder, Alaska had a "Val-Mart" when I visited in 1994. (I took a photo, but I don't have it with me on the road.) No attempt to imitate the old Wal-Mart logo. Val-Mart was just a small general merchandise store for locals, and residents of adjacent Stewart BC looking for cheap American booze and tobacco to smuggle across the then-unguarded border.
If you want chain knockoffs, the following article about fried chicken chains in New York is an absolute must-read:
http://www.satanslaundromat.com/sl/archives/000453.html
This related article was posted the day before:
http://www.satanslaundromat.com/sl/archives/000452.html
There used to be one or two stores along US 301 in southern Maryland called "Blair's Video", with the Blockbuster color scheme inverted.
Quote from: corco on March 07, 2013, 12:40:34 AM
In sunny Atwood, Kansas
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/5408_1201213227145_6180195_n.jpg)
That's the town I grew up in. Back then, the motel wasn't called that.
Just 30 miles south is/was the Deep Rock Cafe.
Quote from: kphoger on March 07, 2013, 11:26:00 AM
Quote from: corco on March 07, 2013, 12:40:34 AM
In sunny Atwood, Kansas
(https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/5408_1201213227145_6180195_n.jpg)
That's the town I grew up in. Back then, the motel wasn't called that.
must've been re-branded by Uncle Sam when they took it over.
for some reason, KFC gets this more than any other brand I know.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm1.staticflickr.com%2F7%2F8258764_7e0ad52679_z.jpg%3Fzz%3D1&hash=3568bd0739ceab2042296ebd22d15545f0825b55)
more photos here:
http://www.satanslaundromat.com/sl/archives/000453.html
including Kennedy Fried Chicken, JFK Fried Chicken, etc. no photo of a Louisiana Fried Chicken, but I know there is at least one of those.
Beat you to it on the chicken places by about three hours. :-D Scroll up to reply #7 in this thread. I also linked another posting from that same website about state-named chicken joints in New York.
This (https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=52.52692,-2.113795&spn=0.001883,0.005284&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=52.526986,-2.114914&panoid=bbAJSpMsykljZlo_Jb0eJQ&cbp=12,267.85,,2,0.63) is the best KFC knockoff. It's been in the local newspaper several times where KFC have tried on unsuccessful occasions to get it closed down or change the name.
Quote from: Truvelo on March 07, 2013, 01:19:48 PM
This (https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=52.52692,-2.113795&spn=0.001883,0.005284&t=m&z=18&layer=c&cbll=52.526986,-2.114914&panoid=bbAJSpMsykljZlo_Jb0eJQ&cbp=12,267.85,,2,0.63) is the best KFC knockoff. It's been in the local newspaper several times where KFC have tried on unsuccessful occasions to get it closed down or change the name.
on that note, I believe the simplest way to avoid ligitation is to have one's name legally changed to Ken Tucky. At least in the US, there is legal precedent to having your own name be part of a business. for example, there are various small McDonald's restaurants here and there that are owned by Lou McDonald, or Al McDonald, or what have you.
This is not exactly on topic, but since similar business names are here... Many years ago, there was a Gibson's Discount Center store on the east frontage road south of Laramie, WY, just off of highway 287. The store closed, and a bingo parlor took over. The Gibson's store had individually back-lit letters over the front doors, G-I-B-S-O-N-S. The first time I drove past after the bingo parlor opened, they merely rearranged and altered a couple of the plastic letters to read $-B-I-N-G-O-$. That seemed way too clever for a bingo operator!
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 07, 2013, 01:11:21 PM
Beat you to it on the chicken places by about three hours. :-D Scroll up to reply #7 in this thread. I also linked another posting from that same website about state-named chicken joints in New York.
Because of that article, I now have a goal to eat at a KFC knockoff by the time I turn 30.
I think this is in China:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fweb-images.chacha.com%2Fimages%2Fgalleryimage637391319-aug-2-2011-800x600.jpg&hash=bfc04706cbd60dc8961620d7949cf9e685b81eba)
When I was a kid, I remember there was a hamburger drive-in/fast food stand near Owensboro, KY named "Norman McDonalds". This would had been in or around 1967. Imagine if some local drive-in tried to use that name now, what the McDonalds lawyers would try to do to it?
Quote from: Scott5114 on March 07, 2013, 03:55:38 AM
There's a car dealership chain called Car-Mart whose logo looks like a blocky version of the old Wal-Mart logo (before the asterisk and "Walmart" spelling were adopted). The shade of blue used is dead on.
And I have seen more than a few of these located in old Walmart store buildings.
This is somewhere off of South Street in Philadelphia... or at least was in December of 2005:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg831.imageshack.us%2Fimg831%2F230%2F1001640u.jpg&hash=cebf31c9131189a65547d59a558687c8811b8fed)
I have not been to the Keys 10 years, but I walked past a bar in Key West named the "Homo Depot." Not sure if it is still there.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MaaaJCcHYw4/UTmTwEg_RJI/AAAAAAAACEg/w5JywCGn0T4/w447-h365-o-k/2homo.jpg)
Penguins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin_(biscuit)) was a big knock off item - every main supermarket has its own brand, but most of them are now called something generic like "chocolate digestive bars"; but they used to have better names ('Skipper', IIRC, was Tesco's).
ADSA, however, has 'Puffins' (and had to change the original packaging) - ironically they were first to branch out into orange and mint flavours, and McVities then ripped them off with mint penguins. I guess other supermarkets realised they couldn't compete with the knock-off quality, so went to generic names.
Jaffa Cakes and Liquorice Allsorts, sadly, are the generic, so imitation ones can use the name and I end up with inferior products when I ask for them!
Incidentally, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes are called 'Frosties' here, and the generic is Frosted Flakes.
Re: the Dairy Queen photo linked to in the first post
I'm not so sure that's a knock-off. It looks a lot like vintage Dairy Queen signage to me.
As for Dairy King, that one kills me. Thank you for posting that. It reminds me of a Burger Queen I saw many years ago. I just wish I could remember where it was.
Quote from: Rushmeister on March 08, 2013, 08:42:14 AM
As for Dairy King, that one kills me. Thank you for posting that. It reminds me of a Burger Queen I saw many years ago. I just wish I could remember where it was.
I saw a Burger Queen in southern Oregon (I think Lakeview) in 2011 or so. It was not a Burger King knockoff. But that caught my eye anyway, since for a time one of my college classmates was known as the "Burger Queen" when she was a senior vice president at Burger King.
Quote from: oscar on March 08, 2013, 08:54:45 AM
Quote from: Rushmeister on March 08, 2013, 08:42:14 AM
As for Dairy King, that one kills me. Thank you for posting that. It reminds me of a Burger Queen I saw many years ago. I just wish I could remember where it was.
I saw a Burger Queen in southern Oregon (I think Lakeview) in 2011 or so. It was not a Burger King knockoff. But that caught my eye anyway, since for a time one of my college classmates was known as the "Burger Queen" when she was a senior vice president at Burger King.
The one I'm most familiar with is in Ketchikan, AK: http://goo.gl/maps/Bb226
I've been by the Dairy Queen in Grafton. It is a DQ franchisee. I"m pretty sure I have a photo of it somewhere.
As for Burger Queen, there was a Kentucky-based chain called Burger Queen back in the 1970s and early 80s. The mascot was Queenie Bee. She'd have fit in well in that video from the late 80s by the band (name escapes me) that was led by Axl Rose's buddy, Shannon Hoon. In many small Kentucky towns, they were the only fast-food restaurant before McDonald's went on an expansion kick.
They changed their name to Druther's (slogan: I'd ruther go to Druther's Restaurant) in the late 80s and eventually got bought out by Dairy Queen.
There are actually a couple of Druther's Restaurants left in Kentucky, from what I understand. Somewhere in the true central part of the state (Lebanon, Campbellsville area).
I used to frequent the Burger Queen in Lebanon, TN, back in the late 1970's. It was part of the chain hbelkins is describing. I was particularly fond of the fish, which was better quality than most other fast-food fish. This restaurant was one block from the courthouse square in Lebanon and I believe it is now the site of a gas station.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 08, 2013, 12:53:31 PM
in that video from the late 80s by the band (name escapes me) that was led by Axl Rose's buddy, Shannon Hoon.
Blind Melon. The song was called "No Rain" and it was actually from the early 90s.
Quote from: djsinco on March 08, 2013, 01:23:36 PM
I used to frequent the Burger Queen in Lebanon, TN, back in the late 1970's. It was part of the chain hbelkins is describing. I was particularly fond of the fish, which was better quality than most other fast-food fish. This restaurant was one block from the courthouse square in Lebanon and I believe it is now the site of a gas station.
Yes, the fish at Burger Queen/Druther's was very good.
Quote from: hbelkins on March 08, 2013, 12:53:31 PM
I've been by the Dairy Queen in Grafton. It is a DQ franchisee. I"m pretty sure I have a photo of it somewhere.
Found it...
http://www.millenniumhwy.net/WV_Eastern_Panhandle_June_2004_Day_1/WV_Eastern_Panhandle_June_2004_Day_1-Pages/Image34.html
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.millenniumhwy.net%2FWV_Eastern_Panhandle_June_2004_Day_1%2FWV_Eastern_Panhandle_June_2004_Day_1-Images%2F34.jpg&hash=8164159ecaa6a4931e855c51e06eb1af54e0882f)
Anyone remember "Po' Folks?" It was a knockoff of Cracker Barrel. I only remember seeing a couple in the Roanoke area, but it seemed like only part of a larger group. They definitely made fun of hillbillies, and probably went a bit too far for today's PC culture.
Jeff Foxworthy had a BBQ restaurant on 192 in Kissimmee for a brief period in the 1990's, IIRC. There was a car on blocks, a broken washing machine, and a moonshine still in the "front yard." The "booths" were old picnic tables and the seats were old beat up pickup truck tailgates. The food was quite good, and I met Jeff there as I just happened to be there for the grand opening. He said he planned to create a franchise and hoped to someday be known more for BBQ than comedy. Now, from a web search, it appears as though he is giving it another run, with perhaps less lofty long-term goals.
I remember Po Folks, Cracker Barrel hadn't made it to South Florida, but they did. I remember that the drinks were served in Mason jars. Only lasted a few years; wouldn't really call it a knockoff, though.
Right, I had forgotten about the Mason jars, although I think I only ate there one time, and that was 25 years or so ago!
I'm saddened to learn that the Dairy King in Last Chance, Colorado, has closed (along with the rest of the town, basically). I fondly remember stopping there on the way to or from Denver for a Cyclone or a Hurricane or whatever their version of the Blizzard was called.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm8.staticflickr.com%2F7049%2F6830422504_6630af0db0_z.jpg&hash=8f467a5bfe75fd25cd4b6a6fa648e52e58e5edb6)
I remember Po Folks. There was one in Fairfax City that's now an Outback.
There was a small chain of "6-12" convenience stores in the DC area at one time, probably back in the 1980s.
I seem to recall that in the early 1990s there was a restaurant in Baltimore with big-breasted waitresses operating under the name "Knockers."
South Hill, VA has a Brian's Steakhouse (instead of Ryan's).
How about the Giles and Johnson Automart in Ucon, Idaho
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corcohighways.org%2Fgj.jpg&hash=c4c2c0e1aaf7d7388865d1cee692106a37553582)
Not technically a knockoff, but a McDonald's in Queens was converted into a McDowell's in the movie "Coming to America" with Eddie Murphy. http://barilski.blogspot.ca/2012/01/coming-to-america-and-finding-mcdowells.html
Should we include the fictionnal knockoffs chains used in movies and tv series? ;)
Edit: the restaurant in question was a Wendy's and not a McDonald's. :eyebrow:
Quote from: Takumi on March 09, 2013, 04:23:20 PM
South Hill, VA has a Brian's Steakhouse (instead of Ryan's).
I've eaten there. It's pretty good. If you can find a place to park :)
Two knockoff that come to my mind:
1) Somewhere in northern Ohio (Strongsville??) there was a Red Barn restaurant that went under with the rest of the chain. Someone kept nearly all of the decor & signage and renamed it The Farm, turning it into a Family/Bob Evans-styled restaurant.
2) Somewhere on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, SC, there was a hotel/motel called Holiday Inn that was not related to the actual Holiday Inn chain. IIRC, they used the same colors (green & white) as the big guys for their sign and outer decor.
3) There used to be a pizza joint in Parma, Ohio called Holiday Pizza. Not sure if they got a good deal on a used green & white sign, but the Holiday script font was exactly like the hotel's with only the word Pizza in a completely different font.
Around the time I was born, my hometown (Colonial Heights, VA) had a pizza place called Pizza Cabin. By the time I was old enough to appreciate pizza, it had closed.
Quote from: amroad17 on March 07, 2013, 03:33:46 AM
Kind of what Motel 6 used to say: "With your eyes closed, all motel rooms look the same."
A former Motel 6 in Coralville, IA, became "Super 7" about a year ago -- the sign still uses Motel 6's color scheme, with a red "7" on a blue background. (They have a website (http://super7coralville.com/), too.) Never mind the fact that there is a Super 8 just down the street...
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on March 09, 2013, 06:04:28 PM
Should we include the fictionnal knockoffs chains used in movies and tv series? ;)
if so, a mention must be made of certain 7-11s being turned into Kwik-E-Marts around the time of the release of the Simpsons movie. I wish I had gone inside the one I passed randomly, so I could have ascertained the existence of Squishees.
The "Mountain Inn" in Rockaway, NJ kinda-sorta uses a sign styled after a Holiday Inn. I wonder if it is an ex-franchise.
http://goo.gl/maps/yOg9j
When I first saw this thread, nothing came to my mind. But yesterday I was walking around in Zaragoza when I came across a sign which read King Fried Chicken, and I took a photo with my cell phone (I will upload it later). But it was not the only one, just across the street I found a Conrad Fried Chicken. Two knockoffs of KFC at the same spot.
Quote from: Duke87 on March 07, 2013, 10:31:00 PM
This is somewhere off of South Street in Philadelphia... or at least was in December of 2005:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg831.imageshack.us%2Fimg831%2F230%2F1001640u.jpg&hash=cebf31c9131189a65547d59a558687c8811b8fed)
A few years ago, there were two
7-Eleven knockoffs in Delaware County, PA: one called
7-Heaven in Clifotn Hieghts the other called
7-Twelve in Springfield. Believe it or not, Corporate
7-Eleven complained and filed suit claiming trademark infringement IIRC. As a result, both places changed their names; the former
7-Heaven in Clifton Heights is now called the
No Name store.
FYI, there's also a
Diary King in Marcus Hook, PA along PA 452.
Quote from: PHLBOS on March 21, 2013, 03:16:34 PM
FYI, there's also a Diary King in Marcus Hook, PA along PA 452.
Do they sell stationery?
Quote from: NE2 on March 21, 2013, 03:58:07 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on March 21, 2013, 03:16:34 PM
FYI, there's also a Diary King in Marcus Hook, PA along PA 452.
Do they sell stationery?
I don't believe so. Apparently, their 'official' name is the Linwood Diary King but their logo downplays the Linwood (a section of Lower Chichester Township located just north of Marcus Hook) part.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flinwooddairyking.com%2Flogo.jpg&hash=380dd0de80173e623a7d184b052f6f2005f034e6)
Here's their website:
http://linwooddairyking.ambz.com/index.html (http://linwooddairyking.ambz.com/index.html)
Can we all say, over his head? :banghead:
Stars and Bucks Cafe - Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=GHJcPBJlIY92pM&tbnid=sEjKwgW6kuHs0M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.panoramio.com%2Fphoto%2F23548195&ei=iRpMUb30OOKDywG_7YDIBQ&bvm=bv.44158598,d.aWc&psig=AFQjCNEPUE959Z42-LuJuutEj4voA2UrkA&ust=1364028410736981
Post Merge: March 22, 2013, 07:35:35 PM
oh, and I almost forgot the most hilarious of them all - Cahadder's in Utah - look it up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsZ61RJLngs
Mattoon, IL has a Burger King that's unrelated to the chain. BK Corp tried to sue once, but Mattoon's BK pre-dates the franchise.
Russellville, AR has a Whataburger that isn't related to the chain. Similar situation here: pre-dated the franchise. They've added a couple new locations in the last few years, but call themselves "Feltner Brothers".
The old Sonic in Mena, Arkansas (which opened in the '70s) is now "Cruizzer's." The owners didn't want to continue working under Sonic franchise rules, so they went on their own. The food is mostly the same, except they don't have newer Sonic menu items. After the old Sonic changed, a new Sonic opened just up the road. Cruizzer's is usually full, while Sonic gets very little business. Cruizzer's burgers are a bit better IMO.
Blake's Lot-a-burger, found in Las Vegas, NM as well as a few other towns which are too small to attract a What-a-Burger.
What? Blake's is a delicious New Mexico institution that developed completely independently from Whataburger. They have them in all the big cities in NM too. I think they're based in Albuquerque. Blake's was founded in 52, two years after Whataburger, so I highly doubt the two companies even knew about each other at that point.
Blake's is amazing and one of the things I miss about living in the southwest- there is nothing quite like a Blakes' green chili cheeseburger (a food combination they invented, by the way, which is now a staple of New Mexico cuisine).
Blakes is to New Mexico as Runza is to Nebraska or In 'n Out is to California or Maid-Rite is to Iowa- a sacred institution proudly eaten by its states residents.
Definitely not a knockoff.
Quote from: corco on March 22, 2013, 03:17:20 PM
What? Blake's is a delicious New Mexico institution that developed completely independently from Whataburger. They have them in all the big cities in NM too. I think they're based in Albuquerque. Blake's was founded in 52, two years after Whataburger, so I highly doubt the two companies even knew about each other at that point.
Blake's is amazing and one of the things I miss about living in the southwest- there is nothing quite like a Blakes' green chili cheeseburger (a food combination they invented, by the way, which is now a staple of New Mexico cuisine).
Blakes is to New Mexico as Runza is to Nebraska or In 'n Out is to California or Maid-Rite is to Iowa- a sacred institution proudly eaten by its states residents.
Definitely not a knockoff.
I did not attempt to inflame...
The only one I remember seeing was in Las Vegas, and it appeared to be in need of a good coat of paint, (at the least,) much like most of the rest of the town.
I did, however, get a kick out of your use of the phrase "all the big cities in NM." Personally, I do not even put Albuquerque in that league...
Thanks, no offense intended.
Sorry- didn't mean to sound inflammatory- I was just slightly flabbergasted
But definitely next time you're in New Mexico check it out and get a green chili cheeseburger- pretty much every town over 5,000 has a Blake's except Roswell for some reason. They're amazing- a little inconsistent, some are better than others but none that I've been to are bad (I've probably been to 7 of 76, so whatever that is).
There is a Dairy King in Commerce, OK. It's in an old Marathon Service Station.
US71, I think you will need separate searches to find the road less taken and the perfect pizza. The best pizza (IMHO) will be found in northern NJ and populated parts of NY. Not many roads less traveled there! :-D
Quote from: djsinco on March 23, 2013, 03:05:22 PM
US71, I think you will need separate searches to find the road less taken and the perfect pizza. The best pizza (IMHO) will be found in northern NJ and populated parts of metro NY City. Not many roads less traveled there! :-D
FTFY.
Quote from: Steve on March 24, 2013, 12:04:59 AM
Quote from: djsinco on March 23, 2013, 03:05:22 PM
US71, I think you will need separate searches to find the road less taken and the perfect pizza. The best pizza (IMHO) will be found in northern NJ and populated parts of metro NY City. Not many roads less traveled there! :-D
FTFY.
Somewhat fixed. I have had some fine pizza upstate and in the Philadelphia area. I will admit that it can be hit or miss, however, now that the city is full of these "dollar a slice" joints, you can find some pretty subpar pizza within Manhattan these days.
But, getting closer to the OP topic; the "real" Ray's pizzeria, to me, was always the one at 6th Av /11th St. I have been going there since the early 1970's. Sadly, they came under new ownership (despite their denial of that fact,) last year. I cannot go back as it was a big disappointment. So, now, my favorite slice in Manhattan is Mike's pizza at 2nd Av / 24th St. Try it, you will like it!
Finally, fully back on topic regarding knockoff's - - Ray's pizza is the ultimate example, there are dozen's of iterations of different "Ray's Pizza" parlors in the city.
There is a BlueMoon Cafe whose logo is strikingly similar to the beer of the same name's logo, but has no affiliation. Main difference: Bluemoon vs. Blue Moon (kinda like the old CFL teams the Saskatchawan Roughriders and the Ottawa Rough Riders)
http://www.bluemoonsouthington.com/blue_logo.jpg
There used to be an "Armada Inn" at the southern end of Nags Head. They built it intending to become a Ramada but then were denied a franchise, so they swapped two letters.
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 25, 2013, 09:37:00 PM
There used to be an "Armada Inn" at the southern end of Nags Head. They built it intending to become a Ramada but then were denied a franchise, so they swapped two letters.
Same case by Atlanta at I-20 and GA 70. Used the same font as Ramada too, then was bought and changed its name, but then closed. It was reportedly a real seedy motel.
Quote from: US71 on March 22, 2013, 12:04:47 PM
Mattoon, IL has a Burger King that's unrelated to the chain. BK Corp tried to sue once, but Mattoon's BK pre-dates the franchise.
Russellville, AR has a Whataburger that isn't related to the chain. Similar situation here: pre-dated the franchise. They've added a couple new locations in the last few years, but call themselves "Feltner Brothers".
I thought they got around it by spelling it "Whatta-Burger" with two T's and a hyphen. At any rate, it's a very popular stop. With big ass fries.
There is a small doughnut chain in Massachusetts called Gourmet Donuts, in the central part of the state north of Worcester. Their former logo was a very close rendition of the Dunkin' Donuts logo.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gribblenation.net%2Fpersonal%2Fdoug%2Fgourmet.jpg&hash=4172de205b32ece5c59eaa42517522b57b747546)
Waffle House (the huge corporation) could not use their name when expanding into IN as the name was already taken. They were (and still might be) named "Waffle Steak." The familiar yellow sign looked about the same.
Quote from: djsinco on March 26, 2013, 02:35:14 AM
Waffle House (the huge corporation) could not use their name when expanding into IN as the name was already taken. They were (and still might be) named "Waffle Steak." The familiar yellow sign looked about the same.
I've heard of other situations where a chain can't use a particular slogan in a given market due to someone else having it first. If you watch any NHL games played in Canada, for example, you'll often see "Pizza Pizza" somewhere on the boards. It's not a reference to Little Caesars; rather, it's the name of a Canadian pizza chain founded in Toronto in 1967. Little Caesars didn't start using the "Pizza! Pizza!" slogan until 1979 and so were not allowed to use it in Canada due to trademark dilution issues.
I remember in my law school basic IP class we read a trademark infringement case in which CBS sued a Buffalo-area car mechanic who opened an auto repair shop using his own name. His name was Ed Sullivan. He prevailed in the lawsuit. (It led to an interesting classroom discussion involving McDonald's and the company's efforts to keep the "Mc-" prefix for themselves.)
Quote from: Steve on March 24, 2013, 12:04:59 AM
Quote from: djsinco on March 23, 2013, 03:05:22 PM
US71, I think you will need separate searches to find the road less taken and the perfect pizza. The best pizza (IMHO) will be found in northern NJ and populated parts of metro NY City. Not many roads less traveled there! :-D
FTFY.
I do not deny this. and I'm from Boston, so this is a sinful admission on my part. I remember taking the Fung Wah Bus down from Chinatown, Boston to Chinatown, New York, many times - and the first thing I did when I got off the bus was walk a few blocks north to Little Italy and hit any old pizza shop. never let me down.
This is next to my local junkyard. What-A-Burger is separate from the chain, of course, but has at least three locations nearby.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-prn1%2F892181_10200807601653609_1339166562_o.jpg&hash=2bbf4c90f23caa8e26ee59930c98ca4a521ad2ad)
Whatever happened to the Indiana based "Waffle House" restaurant chain that was not the more famous national chain based out of Atlanta?
Quote from: Takumi on March 26, 2013, 12:02:11 PM
This is next to my local junkyard. What-A-Burger is separate from the chain, of course, but has at least three locations nearby.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-prn1%2F892181_10200807601653609_1339166562_o.jpg&hash=2bbf4c90f23caa8e26ee59930c98ca4a521ad2ad)
The sub shop seems to have a familiar-looking logo and color scheme as well.
Indeed, and Kulture Kuts, while a bit of a stretch, could be considered a knockoff of Super Cuts. If the currently empty place to to the left of the sub shop became a Kennedy Fried Chicken, it would be the knockoff capital of Virginia.
And, now that I'm looking closely, isn't that a Chevrdet in the parking lot?
Yes. It's a Chevrdet Carapace.
Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on March 26, 2013, 12:09:27 PM
Whatever happened to the Indiana based "Waffle House" restaurant chain that was not the more famous national chain based out of Atlanta?
Quote from: djsinco on March 26, 2013, 02:35:14 AM
Waffle House (the huge corporation) could not use their name when expanding into IN as the name was already taken. They were (and still might be) named "Waffle Steak." The familiar yellow sign looked about the same.
First of all, it was Waffle & Steak, as I remembered the sign had the same blocks that the normal Waffle House resturant had plus a smaller block in between with the & on it. But to answer another question, they have since been converted to regular Waffle House resturants. I live near one of these and do remember Waffle & Steak, but it was still Waffle House in everything but the name (not sure how that counts toward the knockoff clause.) As for the other Waffle House, I think it's still there somewhere, but nowhere where I live, in any case it was a slightly different resturant from the diner-style that is Waffle House. They may have taken a different name by now as you honestly only see the actual Waffle House around town nowadays.
Gas stations do it too:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8011%2F7298099892_3eb524ef97_z_d.jpg&hash=27b85d681290d77ffde4d95f14cf44bd8641535f)
DeQueen, AR
In the town I grew up we had a White Diamond instead of a White Castle. If you ate the food at this greasy spoon, you would know why this is a hilarious knockoff. All through high school we used to make jokes about the place, but before you could be old enough to hang out in bars, this was all we could do.
The common denominator besides "White" is the name 'Rat Burgers' which just like the big chain, so were these guys burgers we named them as.
Quote from: roadman65 on March 26, 2013, 05:52:08 PM
In the town I grew up we had a White Diamond instead of a White Castle. If you ate the food at this greasy spoon, you would know why this is a hilarious knockoff. All through high school we used to make jokes about the place, but before you could be old enough to hang out in bars, this was all we could do.
The common denominator besides "White" is the name 'Rat Burgers' which just like the big chain, so were these guys burgers we named them as.
White Manna (or Mana) dates back to the 1930s and still has a couple of locations in NJ. They are greasy spoon diners, and not slider servers.
Downtown Toledo used to have 3 or 4 street-corner greasy spoon diners called White Tower all the way into the late 80s. Never ate at one, but when I used to ride the bus into downtown T-Town, I was amazed that these 3 or 4 diners were all within a 1 mile radius of each other.
Quote from: thenetwork on March 26, 2013, 08:33:59 PM
Downtown Toledo used to have 3 or 4 street-corner greasy spoon diners called White Tower all the way into the late 80s. Never ate at one, but when I used to ride the bus into downtown T-Town, I was amazed that these 3 or 4 diners were all within a 1 mile radius of each other.
White Tower (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Tower_Hamburgers) was a chain of White Castle-like restaurants. At their peak, they had about 230 outlets across the Midwest and Northeast. The last one, apparently, is in Toledo.
Well, not so much hilarious as merely expected, but damn near every place in Rochester, NY seems to sell a "trash plate", "rubbish plate", or just plain "plate" (hamburg plate, hot dog plate, breakfast plate, not to mention less obvious connections such as "heartburn special") to go with Nick Tahou's famous Garbage Plate.
Quote from: Steve on March 26, 2013, 06:09:42 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on March 26, 2013, 05:52:08 PM
In the town I grew up we had a White Diamond instead of a White Castle. If you ate the food at this greasy spoon, you would know why this is a hilarious knockoff. All through high school we used to make jokes about the place, but before you could be old enough to hang out in bars, this was all we could do.
The common denominator besides "White" is the name 'Rat Burgers' which just like the big chain, so were these guys burgers we named them as.
White Manna (or Mana) dates back to the 1930s and still has a couple of locations in NJ. They are greasy spoon diners, and not slider servers.
Au contraire, the White Manna in Hackensack definitely serves sliders, and has for almost 75 years. The White Mana, in Jersey City, apparently was opened by the same gentleman. The sign-maker misspelled "Manna," and the owner just let it "slide." I have not been to the JC location, so not sure about what they serve, but probably the same menu.
Is White Castle a knockoff of White Manna???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Manna
Quote from: djsinco on March 26, 2013, 02:35:14 AM
Waffle House (the huge corporation) could not use their name when expanding into IN as the name was already taken. They were (and still might be) named "Waffle Steak." The familiar yellow sign looked about the same.
The Food Lion grocery chain had a similar experience when they expanded into GA. At the time, the chain based in NC was called Food Town. There was already a chain in GA called Food Town. So the NC Food Town changed its name to Food Lion.
LFPINC...Lowest Food Prices in NC (/SC/VA).
I remember Food Town.
Quote from: Dougtone on March 26, 2013, 12:17:09 AM
There is a small doughnut chain in Massachusetts called Gourmet Donuts, in the central part of the state north of Worcester. Their former logo was a very close rendition of the Dunkin' Donuts logo.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gribblenation.net%2Fpersonal%2Fdoug%2Fgourmet.jpg&hash=4172de205b32ece5c59eaa42517522b57b747546)
That reminds me... someone needs to open a donut shop in Duncan, OK and name it Duncan Donuts :P
I do not know if this counts, but Ker's Winghouse of the Tampa Bay-Orlando-Daytona Beach areas could be one of Hooters. If you ever get to Florida and are in those metro zones, go inside and you will see everything as Hooters is, except the uniforms are black instead of Orange and White. The floor is wood, they also hang Christmas lights (except red is what Ker uses exclusively), the tables and chairs, as well as the whole decor is exactly like Hooters.
However, unlike most Hooters that do not serve a full liquor bar, though changing that slowly, they do have a full bar. The Wings are better, but Hooters has better hamburgers, so other than personality traits it could be a knock off. I do not know if its considered hillarious as the place is as nice as its competitor, but it was sued by Hooters in court which could make it hillarious as Hooters lost the battle as its just like Home Depot suing Lowes.
Quite the bump, but this 7-Eleven (http://goo.gl/maps/hNLrd) near me lost its franchise and became a knockoff of itself.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi42.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fe343%2Fagenthydra%2FMobile%2520Uploads%2FIMG_20141204_110704.jpg&hash=16c063cbc5b11413d94114b7e7271aa5607278c5)
I've seen a few former 7-11s around with 'clever' names, such as this 8-12:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.854345,-75.125142&spn=0.000004,0.002575&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.85444,-75.125142&panoid=qNdlRquXQIXSxq8YHv3WjA&cbp=12,324.5,,0,-8.6 (https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.854345,-75.125142&spn=0.000004,0.002575&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.85444,-75.125142&panoid=qNdlRquXQIXSxq8YHv3WjA&cbp=12,324.5,,0,-8.6)
Found this in Plant City, Florida two years ago:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F02%2FGolfOil-GasStationClosed_FL39s.jpg&hash=a96fa732741f12fc5cdc8a9862fdb8f44e5b9c66)
Not really a chain, but a knock-off that never seemed to get off the ground:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F09%2FSimsonsRestaurant.jpg&hash=25842d066d03ac9f770139937c27126b6f713086)
Somewhere back earlier in the thread I'm sure I linked the article about the guy who owned the Eleven-Seven deli and then got bolder and opened "New Kentucky Fried Chicken," subsequently renamed "New Kantacky Fried Chicken" when KFC threatened to sue him. The article has loads of pictures of weirdly-named chicken joints in the New York area–funny stuff.
Newcastle, OK has a convenience store called J-Mart. Which is kind of funny, because there are no K-Marts in metro OKC.
Reminds me of this S-Mart convenience store in Richmond (photo 2012...also spot the directional errors)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-E6SL_LJgMFw/T4XGXKXEceI/AAAAAAAAB7M/St_pBwStUWY/s816/DSC00657.JPG)
(S-Mart was also the K-Mart knockoff in the movie Army of Darkness.)
Quote from: Big John on March 25, 2013, 09:47:03 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on March 25, 2013, 09:37:00 PM
There used to be an "Armada Inn" at the southern end of Nags Head. They built it intending to become a Ramada but then were denied a franchise, so they swapped two letters.
Same case by Atlanta at I-20 and GA 70. Used the same font as Ramada too, then was bought and changed its name, but then closed. It was reportedly a real seedy motel.
No photo. But I get a kick out of the "Hilltop Garden Inn" every time I pass through Forsyth, GA on I-75. Pretty clever. And the sign looks similar.
Quote from: oscar on March 08, 2013, 08:54:45 AM
Quote from: Rushmeister on March 08, 2013, 08:42:14 AM
As for Dairy King, that one kills me. Thank you for posting that. It reminds me of a Burger Queen I saw many years ago. I just wish I could remember where it was.
I saw a Burger Queen in southern Oregon (I think Lakeview) in 2011 or so. It was not a Burger King knockoff. But that caught my eye anyway, since for a time one of my college classmates was known as the "Burger Queen" when she was a senior vice president at Burger King.
I was just going to post about Burger Queen. We had a Burger Queen in Venice, FL in the early-to-mid 1970's. It didn't last very long (food sucked). I believe that there were a few others around Florida but don't recall where. Can any of you other old-timer Floridians help me out?
Quote from: Takumi on December 06, 2014, 06:21:32 PM
Reminds me of this S-Mart convenience store in Richmond (photo 2012...also spot the directional errors)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-E6SL_LJgMFw/T4XGXKXEceI/AAAAAAAAB7M/St_pBwStUWY/s816/DSC00657.JPG)
(S-Mart was also the K-Mart knockoff in the movie Army of Darkness.)
Those signs could go in the redundancy thread.
And I remember an S-mart store actually existing years ago.
Quote from: Fred Defender on December 06, 2014, 06:28:29 PM
I saw a Burger Queen in southern Oregon (I think Lakeview) in 2011 or so. It was not a Burger King knockoff. But that caught my eye anyway, since for a time one of my college classmates was known as the "Burger Queen" when she was a senior vice president at Burger King.
I was just going to post about Burger Queen. We had a Burger Queen in Venice, FL in the early-to-mid 1970's. It didn't last very long (food sucked). I believe that there were a few others around Florida but don't recall where. Can any of you other old-timer Floridians help me out?
[/quote]
There was a Kentucky-based Burger Queen chain that operated in many small towns that, at the time, did not have any other fast-food places. Burger Queen had a mascot called Queenie Bee. The franchise became Druther's and was bought out by Dairy Queen International. There is one Druther's left, in Campbellsville, Ky.
Burlington Center Mall in Burlington NJ for a few years had a "Taco Shell" Resturant.
One day I'll find and post my pics of Central Mass chain Dippin' Donuts, which is the same as what it looks like, but better because it's not them.
QuoteThose signs could go in the redundancy thread.
I think I've posted them in one of the threads in Traffic Control before. Probably Erroneous Road Signs because of the North/South banners on the one unisign.
Quote from: tdindy88 on March 26, 2013, 05:07:57 PM
Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on March 26, 2013, 12:09:27 PM
Whatever happened to the Indiana based "Waffle House" restaurant chain that was not the more famous national chain based out of Atlanta?
Quote from: djsinco on March 26, 2013, 02:35:14 AM
Waffle House (the huge corporation) could not use their name when expanding into IN as the name was already taken. They were (and still might be) named "Waffle Steak." The familiar yellow sign looked about the same.
First of all, it was Waffle & Steak, as I remembered the sign had the same blocks that the normal Waffle House resturant had plus a smaller block in between with the & on it. But to answer another question, they have since been converted to regular Waffle House resturants. I live near one of these and do remember Waffle & Steak, but it was still Waffle House in everything but the name (not sure how that counts toward the knockoff clause.) As for the other Waffle House, I think it's still there somewhere, but nowhere where I live, in any case it was a slightly different resturant from the diner-style that is Waffle House. They may have taken a different name by now as you honestly only see the actual Waffle House around town nowadays.
Since this thread came back from the dead, I can answer this one. The old Indiana Waffle Houses are now called Sunshine Cafe. I'm not sure how many are actually left. There's one in Richmond. The old Waffle and Steak restaurants are now Waffle Houses, and have been for several years now.
Quote from: hbelkins on December 06, 2014, 10:04:42 PM
Quote from: Takumi on December 06, 2014, 06:21:32 PM
Reminds me of this S-Mart convenience store in Richmond (photo 2012...also spot the directional errors)
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-E6SL_LJgMFw/T4XGXKXEceI/AAAAAAAAB7M/St_pBwStUWY/s816/DSC00657.JPG)
(S-Mart was also the K-Mart knockoff in the movie Army of Darkness.)
Those signs could go in the redundancy thread.
It looks like the traffic lights were moved to a new mast pole, while the old mast pole (and uni-sign) has yet to be removed.
That's possible, yeah. I haven't been that way since I took the picture (the Richmond meet went near that intersection but we went back in the other direction afterward). Next time I head to Richmond I'll try to remember to check it out.
Back on topic, I found out another 7-Eleven near me is in danger of closing soon. Maybe it'll be replaced with another knockoff.
Des Plaines, IL used to have an Indian restaurant called "Chilli's" that used a pretty similar red pepper in its logo.
On Congress St. in Boston, there used to be a bar whose awning had the tiny, easy-to-miss word "Three" above the large, bold word "CHEERS."
Quote from: formulanone on December 05, 2014, 10:03:07 PM
Not really a chain, but a knock-off that never seemed to get off the ground:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.formulanone.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F09%2FSimsonsRestaurant.jpg&hash=25842d066d03ac9f770139937c27126b6f713086)
I saw a "Le Pough Barbecue" restaurant this morning with Pepe Le Pew on the signs. It wasn't there last week.
Quote from: roadman65 on April 09, 2013, 11:00:10 AM
I do not know if this counts, but Ker's Winghouse of the Tampa Bay-Orlando-Daytona Beach areas could be one of Hooters. If you ever get to Florida and are in those metro zones, go inside and you will see everything as Hooters is, except the uniforms are black instead of Orange and White. The floor is wood, they also hang Christmas lights (except red is what Ker uses exclusively), the tables and chairs, as well as the whole decor is exactly like Hooters.
However, unlike most Hooters that do not serve a full liquor bar, though changing that slowly, they do have a full bar. The Wings are better, but Hooters has better hamburgers, so other than personality traits it could be a knock off. I do not know if its considered hillarious as the place is as nice as its competitor, but it was sued by Hooters in court which could make it hillarious as Hooters lost the battle as its just like Home Depot suing Lowes.
We ate there several years ago when we were in town for a football game. Other than being a clear Hooters knockoff (but with better food), the pictures on the wall fractured me.
They had one picture of former WWE star "the Warlord" on the wall. I'm sure he's a nice guy and all, but if this is the biggest celebrity who has been in your restaurant, that's likely a problem.
http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120511181841/wwebrady/images/f/f3/Szopinski.jpg
Quote from: TheCatalyst31 on December 08, 2014, 12:48:11 AM
Des Plaines, IL used to have an Indian restaurant called "Chilli's" that used a pretty similar red pepper in its logo.
There was a McDonald's that closed down right across the street from ESPN World Headquarters that has become so many different names since. There is a sign for one there now that never actually opened, but it is called "Red Chilis", and the logo is unmistakable.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.6471953,-72.9027502,3a,75y,270h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s6PyrY7mswTdBb_c1pFUN7Q!2e0?hl=en
Quote from: Takumi on December 08, 2014, 11:01:49 AM
I saw a "Le Pough Barbecue" restaurant this morning with Pepe Le Pew on the signs. It wasn't there last week.
Pepe Le Pew as a mascot for a restaurant. Clearly the owner didn't think too closely about that one before having the signs made.
Quote from: roadman on December 08, 2014, 12:21:02 PM
Quote from: Takumi on December 08, 2014, 11:01:49 AM
I saw a "Le Pough Barbecue" restaurant this morning with Pepe Le Pew on the signs. It wasn't there last week.
Pepe Le Pew as a mascot for a restaurant. Clearly the owner didn't think too closely about that one before having the signs made.
I know, the copyright infringement there is just so blatant...
Wait, were you thinking of something else? :P
Let's put it this way. If I see an image of a skunk as a restaurant's promotion, copyright infringement is probably the last thing I'll be thinking of.
BTW, I never liked Pepe Le Pew cartoons. For one thing, Le Pew obviously was lacking basic animal intelligence if he kept mistaking black cats with white paint on them for female skunks.
Along the lines of knockoff-style signage, there's Pizza Empire (https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3130503,-72.9331922,3a,42.1y,170.6h,89.17t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sxlIycvwPnKrysbc3mMB0sg!2e0) in New Haven. It certainly looks like it's part of an old Pizza Hut sign, though I can't say for sure. If so, then perhaps this restaurant (https://twitter.com/amarillohut) got the other half, but I can't confirm that either since GSV apparently hasn't updated since it opened.