Iconic Restuarants that are no more.

[2BigKIdz]

We still have quite a few Hardee's here in NC.

We have Hardee's all over in VA too

 

[2BigKIdz]

We had the KFC/A&W combo, but it changed to just being a KFC. We also had a Taco Bell/Long John Silver combo, but now it's just Taco Bell

We had a Long John Silver/A&W combo but it closed and is now a Cook Out. We do have a Taco Bell/Pizza Hut combo and I think there is still a Pizza Hut/KFC combo in the next county but I never go out that way. We don't have a LJS at all now.

We had a Rax years ago, I loved their milk shakes.

Chi-Chi's was one of my favorites as a teen, loved their lunch bar! The food got progressively worse though so we had stopped eating there long before they closed. I do buy the salsa and flour tortillas at the grocery store.

I miss Morrison's Cafeteria. My mom and I use to eat their often, the food was good and cheap!

 

[maxaroni]

North jersey people. Do you remember maneros steakhouse in Rochelle park? I loved it and requested to go each year on my birthday

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

We have Hardee's all over in VA too

Do they still have the soft serve vanilla/chocolate frozen yogurt?

 

[2BigKIdz]

Do they still have the soft serve vanilla/chocolate frozen yogurt?

They switched to Hershey's dipped ice cream years ago but I don't remember seeing ice cream on the menu any more. I rarely eat there except for breakfast from time to time. They do have new chicken tenders that are good. We used to love that twist ice cream!

 

[2BigKIdz]

I forgot about Shoney's. I know there are still plenty open but we do not have any here any more. I loved their hot fudge cake and their slim jim sandwiches, and I don't even like ham!

Bonanza and Western Sizzlin', same things as Sizzler. I think there are still some WS around but they definitely aren't the same as what I remember as a kid.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

Does anybody know what happened to Rax? It seems like lots of people loved them and have great memories of them, so why did they close? It appears there are still a handful in Illinois/Indiana/Ohio/West Virginia, but why did so many fold? I don't remember it after I was about ten years old, so if there was some scandal or something, I don't recall.

 

[tvguy]

Does anybody know what happened to Rax? It seems like lots of people loved them and have great memories of them, so why did they close? It appears there are still a handful in Illinois/Indiana/Ohio/West Virginia, but why did so many fold? I don't remember it after I was about ten years old, so if there was some scandal or something, I don't recall.

Loved Rax. Not sure what happened. I thought Arbys bought them out, because all the old Rax are now Arbys here, but since they are still around, not sure.
Web says they went from 504 restaurants to 15 today.

I do know that most franchise owners of almost any brand do have a decision to make when their location hits 20 years of age. Most franchise agreements require a complete remodel that can cost close to $1 million when locations hit 20 years of age. Guy around here owned 20 Burger Kings......all opened at the same time, when they hit 20 years, he closed them all and retired. Said he could not justify spending $20 million. He also owned all the TGI Fridays here, and shut them down too.

I know in extreme Northern California, Redding area, guy who owned 14 KFC's back in November decided it wasn't worth it to remodel. Sold out to someone who is converting all those KFC's to Popeyes! The Colonel must be rolling in his grave.

http://www.andersonvalleypost.com/n...anchisee-forced-close-sell-14-northern-calif/

 

[low-key]

At the store looking at salsa. Thinking hey whatever happened to Chi Chi's! Oh boy we used to have some good times there. Yum Fried Ice cream. Sounds gross as an adult but as a kid it was
So what restuarants do you miss or wonder whatever happened to them.

and what about Ground Round! as a kid you paid what you weighed. Imagine doing that now!

i miss them two also, I loved the Twice Grilled Burrito, and the bar at ground round had trivia pursuit cards, and me and my buddy made up a drinking game out of it

 

[Geoff_M]

Regarding what happened to Rax, Wikipedia reports that they tried to expand their menus to include a lot of things like baked potatoes, pasta, Chinese food, and salad/desert bars and ended up alienating their customer base in and effort to go "upscale". After they imploded, attempts were made by Wendy's, Hardee's, and even Tim Horton's to convert many of the locations.

 

[suzimar57]

yes, we remember manero's in rochelle park - ate there a few times on mother's day...

 

[Minnesota!]

Loved Rax. Not sure what happened. I thought Arbys bought them out, because all the old Rax are now Arbys here, but since they are still around, not sure.
Web says they went from 504 restaurants to 15 today.

I do know that most franchise owners of almost any brand do have a decision to make when their location hits 20 years of age. Most franchise agreements require a complete remodel that can cost close to $1 million when locations hit 20 years of age. Guy around here owned 20 Burger Kings......all opened at the same time, when they hit 20 years, he closed them all and retired. Said he could not justify spending $20 million. He also owned all the TGI Fridays here, and shut them down too.

I know in extreme Northern California, Redding area, guy who owned 14 KFC's back in November decided it wasn't worth it to remodel. Sold out to someone who is converting all those KFC's to Popeyes! The Colonel must be rolling in his grave.

http://www.andersonvalleypost.com/n...anchisee-forced-close-sell-14-northern-calif/

The KFC's around here are becoming Popeye's too. I have never been, but I am looking forward to trying it!

 

[t_daniels]

I forgot about Shoney's. I know there are still plenty open but we do not have any here any more. I loved their hot fudge cake and their slim jim sandwiches, and I don't even like ham!

Bonanza and Western Sizzlin', same things as Sizzler. I think there are still some WS around but they definitely aren't the same as what I remember as a kid.

I miss Shoneys!

We still have A&W & KFC.

Anyone remember Grandys?

 

[Fire14]

I thought RAX got bought out by someone ( Arby's), had a fooD posioning issue or something. The Rax I remember was a RAx, than some foo fo rest. that never seemed busy and is now a boston chicken/market.

 

[jen0610]

Loved Rax. Not sure what happened. I thought Arbys bought them out, because all the old Rax are now Arbys here, but since they are still around, not sure.
Web says they went from 504 restaurants to 15 today.

I do know that most franchise owners of almost any brand do have a decision to make when their location hits 20 years of age. Most franchise agreements require a complete remodel that can cost close to $1 million when locations hit 20 years of age. Guy around here owned 20 Burger Kings......all opened at the same time, when they hit 20 years, he closed them all and retired. Said he could not justify spending $20 million. He also owned all the TGI Fridays here, and shut them down too.

I know in extreme Northern California, Redding area, guy who owned 14 KFC's back in November decided it wasn't worth it to remodel. Sold out to someone who is converting all those KFC's to Popeyes! The Colonel must be rolling in his grave.

http://www.andersonvalleypost.com/n...anchisee-forced-close-sell-14-northern-calif/

While I like Popeyes, it's blood expensive for what you get. DH loves their spicy stripes, but the things are so small. Even getting the 5 pc, it's still a small amount of chicken when you set them next to a 3 pc stripe meal from KFC. They built 2 here several years ago, but only 1 is still open and I perfer to not go to that part of town after dark.

Just thought of another chain that we don't have here any more. Denny's. Use to have 2, but haven't had one open for several years.

Someone mentioned the number of Godfathers still open, but the problem with that is, most of the ones that we do see, are the stands open in a gas station. You can get a personal sized pizza and bread sticks and that's about it. We use to have one in the Marathon station that was walking distance from our house. The kids would run up and get breadsticks as snacks.

 

[bedogged]

Bob's Big Boy
Stuart Anderson's Steakhouse
Garcia's of Scottsdale
In Phoenix - Ricardo's

 

[usnuzuloose]

Loved Rax. Not sure what happened. I thought Arbys bought them out, because all the old Rax are now Arbys here, but since they are still around, not sure.
Web says they went from 504 restaurants to 15 today.

I do know that most franchise owners of almost any brand do have a decision to make when their location hits 20 years of age. Most franchise agreements require a complete remodel that can cost close to $1 million when locations hit 20 years of age. Guy around here owned 20 Burger Kings......all opened at the same time, when they hit 20 years, he closed them all and retired. Said he could not justify spending $20 million. He also owned all the TGI Fridays here, and shut them down too.

I know in extreme Northern California, Redding area, guy who owned 14 KFC's back in November decided it wasn't worth it to remodel. Sold out to someone who is converting all those KFC's to Popeyes! The Colonel must be rolling in his grave.

http://www.andersonvalleypost.com/n...anchisee-forced-close-sell-14-northern-calif/

There is one in Elk Grove still open. I think that is the last one.

 

[Angebee]

Fazoli's - They all closed in Florida

also, Rax, Sizzler, Ponderosa, Piccadilly, York's, Foster's Hollywood, Darryl's

Fazoli's!! You beat me to it. They also left PA. My family called it "The Italian McDonalds" when trying to explain how it could be 'Italian fast food'. I can still taste the breadsticks...

 

[Fire14]

Fazoli's!! You beat me to it. They also left PA. My family called it "The Italian McDonalds" when trying to explain how it could be 'Italian fast food'. I can still taste the breadsticks...

I miss Fazolis also. They are around here but not anywhere I go on regular basis.

 

[mfd25wife]

I miss Shoneys!

We still have A&W & KFC.

Anyone remember Grandys?

Shoney's had a great breakfast bar. I absolutely loved it, but boy it was rough working during those hours. We were swamped. I worked for them back in the days when they prepared the fried shrimp in the back instead of frozen. The hot fudge cakes and strawberry pie were both very popular. We "accidentally" messed up a hot fudge cake almost every night . When they were messed up, it just seemed such a waste to throw them away. Someone mentioned the Slim Jim. That was my favorite sandwich.

I remember Grandys. We had one here. The cinnamon rolls were oh so good.

We have KFC and Popeyes and Church's and Zaxby's. We are not hurting for fast food of any kind including chicken. Our A&W/LGS ended up closing. We have stand alone KFC's & Taco Bells and we have the combo of them together.