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- Stacy Rapacon
- Howard Johnson's. Chronicle / Alamy Stock Photo. Established: 1925. What happened: American road trips in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s were not complete without a stop at an orange-roofed Howard Johnson's restaurant.
- Bennigan's. Alpha Stock / Alamy Stock Photo. Established: 1976. What happened: The Irish-themed bar and grill was a popular spot for both happy hours and family gatherings in the 1980s and ‘90s.
- Hot Shoppes. Pictures Now / Alamy Stock Photo. Established: 1927. What happened: Marriott may be famous for its hotels, but the family actually got its start in the hospitality industry when it opened the first Hot Shoppes in Washington, D.C.
- Shakey's Pizza. ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Stock Photo. Established: 1954. What happened: How can you go wrong with pizza and beer? The first Shakey's Pizza Parlor opened in Sacramento, Calif., as “Ye Public House” for the two staples (except the pizza ovens weren't actually ready on opening day, so it really just started with beer).
- Brian Good
- Howard Johnson's. Howard Johnson's, at one point the largest restaurant chain in the U.S., started out as a small soda fountain and newsstand in Quincy, Massachusetts, according to the New England Historical Society.
- Red Barn. "When the hungries hit... hit the Red Barn!" That was the earworm jingle for the popular Red Barn chain of restaurants, which was founded by a trio of restaurateurs in Springfield, Ohio in 1961.
- Burger Chef. Although the name Burger Chef may only sound familiar today to fans of AMC's "Mad Men," there was a time when it was one of the biggest fast food chains in America, with more than 1,200 locations across the country (second only to McDonald's at the time).
- Beefsteak Charlie's. Considering its all-you-can-eat salad bar; unlimited beer, wine, and sangria; and massive portions of hamburgers, steaks, ribs and chicken—all available at ridiculously low prices—it's easy to see why Beefsteak Charlie's was a restaurant lover's dream in the 1970's and 80s.
Here are some of the most iconic American restaurant chains that have fallen from grace. BURGER CHEF — Once the second largest chain in America, Burger Chef pioneered the fast-food meal combo ...
From America's first food-service automat to a burger joint named after a comic book character, some of America's most iconic chain restaurants are now defunct. No restaurant chain can live ...
- Irene Jiang
Apr 18, 2024 · Howard Johnson's restaurants had 400 restaurants across the US. By the 1970s, there were more than 1,000 of them, many sporting the chain's iconic orange roof.
DOGGIE DINER — A staple in the Bay Area, the Doggie Diner, founded in 1948, was more local than most of the chains on this list, but no less iconic due to its giant cartoon doggie heads.
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Jul 30, 2024 · 40 Closed Restaurant Chains We Wish Were Still Open. One of the most amazing things about America is its diversity of cuisine. In addition to ethnic foods of all types, the U.S. has a history of self-founded restaurants. Some become successes and spawn entire empires that are still going strong today. And then there are others that maybe had ...
