Another chain restaurant topic - which ones are gone or just missing in action in your area?

[powellrj]

Red Barn had the best hot dogs. I miss Shakeys, chicken and pizza, what’s not to love! Our Raxs closed about 5 years ago, but the quality wasn’t the same.

 

[winterman]

When I first moved to Maine, in 1984, there was at least 1 Red Lobster. That soon left. Now, according to their web site, the only Red Lobsters in New England are in Conn.

 

[Lehuaann]

Sambo's. Similar to Denny's although their name was controversial.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo's

Swensen's. It was an ice cream shop founded in San Francisco, with menu items that were often San Francisco themed. Most shops actually made their ice cream onsite. There's one store left in San Francisco, and maybe a couple more in the US. However, it seems to be more of an international chain now. I strangely enough had ice cream at one in Changmai, Thailand back in the 90s.

Pioneer Chicken. It was a west coast chain that I understand is barely holding on with a couple of locations.

Sambo’s brings back so many memories. Do you remember these masks?

I miss ShowBiz

Mr. Munch’s Magic Madhouse!

* Straw Hat Pizza (Silent Movie/Comedies were shown) * Shakey's (pizza)*

* Farrell's (sit down ice cream place . the original "Kitchen Sink"

wait-staff would sing Happy Birthday and there would be a big to-do) *

* Bob's Big Boy * A & W Rootbeer (Drive-in with Car-Hop) *

* Chicken Delight (Delivery had a Big Rooster on the roof of the car) *

* San Diego CA *

Another, SD native

A few more that come to mind are Hungry Hunter (our favorite was in El Cajon) and Boll Weevil.

I didn't realize Marie Callendar's was a restaurant chain.

Oh, yes, that was our to go for holiday pies. Living so far away, we do ok with the frozen selection, but there’s nothing like their fresh strawberry and custard pies...nothing close.

 

[bcla]

Sambo’s brings back so many memories. Do you remember these masks?

View attachment 350819

A few more that come to mind are Hungry Hunter (our favorite was in El Cajon) and Boll Weevil.

Don't necessarily remember the masks. However, I knew someone who worked as a short order cook at one in the early 80s. I didn't really see much difference between them and Denny's.

I remember Hungry Hunter. There were some locations with signs next to the freeway - especially one close to the Oakland Coliseum.

There is also this location in Emeryville, California. It's a prime location right on pilings over the tidelands with views of San Francisco Bay. Right now it's a Chevy's that hasn't managed to close down. But I remember what that was operating as a chain restaurant called Carlos Murphy's. And before then a chain steakhouse called Charley Brown's.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

Shakey's started in Sacramento. It was a northern California chain. There aren't many left and most of them left are in Socal. Some of the franchisees hung on even through the corporate problems. The only Norcal location left is Oroville. There is one down in Auburn Alabama and a couple up in Washington.

As soon as I saw Shakey's I was going to comment to say that we had one here in Auburn, AL. Then I saw the rest of your comment and you beat me to it.

Things we don't have here but I wish we did: Fazoli's, Frischs', Jason's Deli

edited to add 2 more:

Long John Silvers (we have 2 Captain D's but I like LJS better)
Ponderosa - although I did eat at one in Qatar not too long ago, they seem to be popular there, I saw several.

 

[Lehuaann]

Don't necessarily remember the masks. However, I knew someone who worked as a short order cook at one in the early 80s. I didn't really see much difference between them and Denny's.

I remember Hungry Hunter. There were some locations with signs next to the freeway - especially one close to the Oakland Coliseum.

There is also this location in Emeryville, California. It's a prime location right on pilings over the tidelands with views of San Francisco Bay. Right now it's a Chevy's that hasn't managed to close down. But I remember what that was operating as a chain restaurant called Carlos Murphy's. And before then a chain steakhouse called Charley Brown's.

Yes, I remember Carlos Murphy’s and Charley Brown’s.



Another one I miss is Carnation. Back in the 70’s they had ice cream parlors/restaurants outside of Disneyland.

 

[RangerPooh]

Long story, but for whatever reason a large number of Cambodian immigrants in California started buying or opening up donut shops in the 1980s. Here are a couple of stories on the guy who made it possible. He started under the management program at Winchell's, but then bought his own shop then started expanding. Apparently they all had the same name, but he didn't change that much because customers at those locations didn't like change. Then when fellow Cambodian immigrants came to him, he helped them by first employing them, then selling/leasing those shops.

https://story.californiasunday.com/ted-ngoy-california-doughnut-king
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/society/article/2152031/cambodian-donut-king-who-came-full-circle

Not all mom and pop donut shops around here are Cambodian owned or run by the descendants of Cambodian immigrants, but there are a lot of Asian immigrants running them.

Winchell's is something that I haven;t seen in easily 25 years! We had one in town growing up before it turned owners and name. We did pass by one somewhere within 20 minutes of Disneyland three years ago.

 

[Lehuaann]

Winchell's is something that I haven;t seen in easily 25 years! We had one in town growing up before it turned owners and name. We did pass by one somewhere within 20 minutes of Disneyland three years ago.

I was going to say Winchells as well, until I saw that they’re still in business. A real donut shop that actually keeps donuts in stock, unlike Dunkins.

 

[bcla]

I was going to say Winchells as well, until I saw that they’re still in business. A real donut shop that actually keeps donuts in stock, unlike Dunkins.

I know they're still in business, but they started a slow but steady decline in the 80s in Northern California. Still - there are lot of locations where it's kind of odd because the old signage has been repurposed. Kind of like an IHOP A-frame, it's pretty easy to spot a rounded triangle sign.

I remember when there used to be a lot of them in my area. There were also the independents, but Winchell's seemed to be doing about as well.

 

[bcla]

Winchell's is something that I haven;t seen in easily 25 years! We had one in town growing up before it turned owners and name. We did pass by one somewhere within 20 minutes of Disneyland three years ago.

Southern California seems to be their base. I looked up their locations, and couldn't find anything with 50 miles of where I live, nor 50 miles from Sacramento.

 

[_19disnA]

When I first moved to Maine, in 1984, there was at least 1 Red Lobster. That soon left. Now, according to their web site, the only Red Lobsters in New England are in Conn.

Doesn't surprise me. A large part of the cost of items like lobster is the shipping, so in New England you can get great quality and low price from many local places. Cheap seafood of the Red Lobster variety isn't going to be popular there.

 

[Floridaman999]

Frisch's Big Boy

https://www.frischs.com/

 

[D.L. Darden]

Don't necessarily remember the masks. However, I knew someone who worked as a short order cook at one in the early 80s. I didn't really see much difference between them and Denny's.

I remember Hungry Hunter. There were some locations with signs next to the freeway - especially one close to the Oakland Coliseum.

There is also this location in Emeryville, California. It's a prime location right on pilings over the tidelands with views of San Francisco Bay. Right now it's a Chevy's that hasn't managed to close down. But I remember what that was operating as a chain restaurant called Carlos Murphy's. And before then a chain steakhouse called Charley Brown's.

Actually, the old Charley Browns is a Chevy's now. Carlos Murphys was literally destroyed and mostly fell into the Bay around winter of 88 or 89. Don't if theyre still there but you used to be able to see the pilings from W/B I-80.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Arby’s
Sizzler
Bob’s Big Boy
Steak and Shake
Gino’s
Burger Chef

 

[PollyannaMom]

Boston Market. Came in with a bang. Was out within about 5 years.

Yeah. It was kind of weird - went from "the big thing" to gone pretty quickly. I liked the food, too.

There's nary an Arby's to be found; I stop every time I see one thinking it might be my last chance.

I have fun memories of going there with a bunch of friends in college, but I haven't seen one where I live now.

Friendly's. We had just a couple of them around when I was a kid but over the years they closed all of their Michigan locations, then the ones in Ohio. But they're still in NY and Mass. so when we're out that way we never fail to stop at least once. The food is nothing special, but those sundaes never get old!

We lost the one in our town, and really do miss it! (There are still a couple not too far away, though, if I reeeeally need a peanut butter cup sundae.)

I saw a lot of national ads for chains that I didn't know, such as Chick-Fil-A and Sonic. They started slowly filtering into my area. Even then, Sonic seems to have scattered locations here and there. I think the closest for either is at least a 20 mile drive for me. Maybe even a bridge toll.

That's the thing that gets me (and DS especially!) - ads for places we don't have:

When I first moved to Maine, in 1984, there was at least 1 Red Lobster. That soon left. Now, according to their web site, the only Red Lobsters in New England are in Conn.

And that's definitely one of them! I used to love Red Lobster as a kid in New York. Now I can get lobster anywhere, of course, and they have a mix for the biscuits, but it's still not quite the same.

As for Sonic, it's probably a good thing. - I don't think I want to know how much sugar is in the strawberry limeades I get when we visit Florida.

There are four Dunkin Donuts within a two mile radius of my house. I live in Massachusetts (duh!).

I just checked too. I have 10 within 4 miles.


And here's my addition to the list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilltop_Steakhouse
.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Yeah. It was kind of weird - went from "the big thing" to gone pretty quickly. I liked the food, too.



I have fun memories of going there with a bunch of friends in college, but I haven't seen one where I live now.



We lost the one in our town, and really do miss it! (There are still a couple not too far away, though, if I reeeeally need a peanut butter cup sundae.)



That's the thing that gets me (and DS especially!) - ads for places we don't have:



And that's definitely one of them! I used to love Red Lobster as a kid in New York. Now I can get lobster anywhere, of course, and they have a mix for the biscuits, but it's still not quite the same.

As for Sonic, it's probably a good thing. - I don't think I want to know how much sugar is in the strawberry limeades I get when we visit Florida.



I just checked too. I have 10 within 4 miles.


And here's my addition to the list:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilltop_Steakhouse
.

I miss the Hilltop, so many old memories from there!

 

[mamacatnv]

I miss the Hilltop, so many old memories from there!

My MIL introduced me to Lobster Pie at Hilltop!

 

[Prince_Hawkins]

Having lived in California for ten years, I really miss Baja Fresh (their Smoky Queso Fundido was my jam!) and El Pollo Loco (I used to raid their salsa bar).

I regret that there was never a Rocky Rococo near me.

And my family's favorite when I was a kid would be Country Kitchen. It was our tradition to stop there on the six-hour drive to go spend Christmas with my grandparents; I'd always get the mozzarella sticks and fries with a lemonade. We additionally had one in our hometown, but it closed down and got replaced with this crappy generic diner.

 

[TheRAEmanPTTfan]

Showbiz Pizza Place: a magical place where you could eat pizza while a life sized show on three stages would sing, tell jokes, and entertain you. i miss the Rockafire Explosion a lot, and i owe them a lot for my sanity.

 

[sam_gordon]

There's plenty of Arby's in Central Kentucky.