But it turns out, that concept wasn't good enough to last. One of America's first casual dining/sports-bar chains, Bennigan's often lagged behind similar concepts from contemporaries like Fridays, Applebee's, and Chili's. Founded in 1978, there were more than 100 locations by 1985 but by 1987, it had sold 90 percent of its restaurants to Hardee's after ceasing to franchise in 1986 and filing for bankruptcy. This dial-a-pizza restaurant chain from Seattle was one of the very first to make home deliveries, beginning in 1958. Nope, this place had absolutely nothing to do with Jim Morrison and The Doors. Seemingly a great deal, as the ESPN Zone only lasted 20 years, despite having Mouse House corporate cash behind the whole thing. Eventually pieces of the franchise were sold off and it slowly dwindled with the last location closing the mid-1990s. moneycontrol. So, heres the deal: Carrols was fast food chain established back in the 1960s and had a yellow slug as their mascot. The nautical-themed restaurant that served up unbelievable deals on seafood (as waiters wore colonial garb, no less) was scattered across the country. The chain's unique menu and distinctive glass-doored storefronts made it popular enough to support 400 locations at one point. You can probably come up with a few stores that you used to love that are no longer around anymore. Coined "dial-a-pizza," the Seattle-based chain grew to 42 restaurants. He served 42 months in prison, and the restaurants were sold to new owners during that time. every day. Seven locations were revived a few years later, but they were all closed by 2016. Favorite. "It's an experience you don't want to leave because you may not get back there real soon." Over 4,000 Facebook fans would still like to see the Beefer's return, though. 75 Pins 3y T Collection by Theresa Wolski Similar ideas popular now Restaurant Burger Sliders Mini Burgers White Castle Hamburgers Onion Burger Patty Melt Hot Dog Stand New York Food Copykat Recipes Soda Fountain White Castle burgers. However, it was memorialized on the sitcom Seinfeld and some remain in operation in Asia. Trader Vic's. The Polynesian-themed restaurant was in Seattle's Washington Plaza Hotel (now the Westin) and capitalized on the tiki-fad of the 1950s and 1960s. But it was all about that salad bar. SaharaLee / Via reddit.com. Well always have fond memories of this Planet Hollywood-owned eatery. Just look to horse racing-themed chain Beefsteak Charlies. A much larger player in the franchise biz, Mrs. Fields, acquired Hot Sam in 1995; unsurprisingly, the bigger fish soon enough ate its smaller sibling and began shutting down the Hot Sams. The chains later owners soon bought Ruby Tuesday, which quickly outperformed Morrisons and thus led to its demise. Sadly, the restaurant wasn't a home run and ceased operations in 2007. Planet Hollywoods popped up everywhere. See if you can remember these totally or nearly defunct chain restaurants from decades ago. This Texas steakhouse first opened in the 1960s, and it remained an independent chain throughout the Dallas area. The club's iconic building was later demolished and turned into Paley Park. Long story short, the chain was bought and sold a few more times and officially shut its door in 2000. In 1981, All American Burger was bankrupt, and its owner was found guilty of fraud in a tax shelter investment scheme. While the hotels still exist (the brand is owned by Wyndham), there is one and only one Howard Johnsons restaurant in Lake George, New York. However, East Coast residents may be excited to learn that a Massapequa, Long Island establishment using the same name and logos has been flipping burgers since 1961. Let's go: The Sizzler Steakhouse; Bob's Big Boy; The Ponderosa Steakhouse; Jr. . In 1982, Hardee's bought the chain. At one point, the chain changed its name to Druthers. The brand might be making a comeback too. Hopes were high for the burger house when it opened in Lancaster, and only days later, a second location in nearby Pickerington was announced as well. Founded in 1933, Valle's Steak House saw huge expansion during the '60s by embracing the dining trend of leaning toward a menu full of steak and lobster. In 1962, Happy Harry's opened up in Wilmington, Delaware. Chef Kevin Reese replaced Hubert in the late '90s, and then Eric Labourchere led the kitchen until Martinique closed in 2015. "I am disappointed that the company did not continue with the success I had expected and hoped for," Schwarzenegger said a statement in 2000. In fact, it was only surpassed by McDonald's in 1972. Kids from the '90s may also remember they had to stop frequenting Chi's-Chi's because the place went down in flames in 2003. Closed Restaurants in Tampa Bay Area, Florida. Then, Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes closed all 97 remaining locations during the pandemic. Its fate wasnt shocking. Wendy's I am going back to the Fort Lauderdale area this winter for the first time in 20 years after lived in Davie in the mid to late 1980s. It opened in 1921, selling radio supplies to ships, and evolved into a mail-order electronics store, as well as a retail operation. After being bought out in 1969, things went downhill. advice every day. It gained massive popularity (in part for its fluffy pancakes) and in the years to follow there would be a chain in 47 states. But ultimately, these hamburgers just couldn't compete, and the last location in Beloit, Wisconsin, closed in 1999. That's in part because in 1990, Hot 'n Now was acquired by Pepsi and expanded into 15 different states all over the country. Popular with celebrities and the social set, fans and photographers would frequently crowd the sides of the yellow awning just to sneak a peak at who was entering and exiting those signature wooden doors. Hot dogs and tacos, what a combo! 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e. Good Earth was bought up by General Mills only a few years into the brands existence, and by the close of the millennium, Good Earth was no more. In 2003, the company filed for bankruptcy, the following year the restaurant was sued for a health outbreak, and by 2004 the restaurant closed for good. If you were a Mets fan in the 1980s, chances are you were incredibly confused by the ubiquitous Howard Johnsons chain. After rising in popularity for several decades, Michigan like nearly every place in America saw the homogenization of chain restaurants by the turn of the millennium. But the idea soon caught on and Chi-Chi's couldn't compete. The drive-ins were recognizable by their swaying neon clown signs advertising the deliciousness inside. And, as it so happens, Pizza Haven is to thank for your delivery needs. The red, white and blue-themed restaurant was home to the hearty All-American Dandy Burger. There are also major chains of sit down restaurants like Outback Steakhouse, Chili's and many more. My top three (almost a three-way tie) are: 1. Back in the day, as your grandparents probably told you, their claim to fame was their five-cent burgers that you could buy "by the bagful.". Founded in 1930, the Cloud Club offered more than just food. Seems like Burger Queen knew what was up even back in 1956. Entrepreneur Eugene Broome was out to compete against KFC in the Southern-fried chicken sweepstakes. Charlie Brown's Steakhouse Courtesy of Charlie Brown's As beloved for its salad bar as it was for its steak, Charlie Brown's was a staple for kids living in the northeast in the '80s and '90s. After brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald signed over the rights to their company to franchise agent Ray Kroc in 1961, they forfeited the right to their name. The spot was known for serving . Case in point: Married couple William and Nancy Galt got into the health-food craze well before it was cool even in California. Six decades after its start in the 1920s, Little Tavern had grown to nearly 40 locations. Even though Shor reopened a year later, the restaurant's heyday had passed. The last restaurant shut down in 2000. Some of the buildings became Carl's Jr. or Apollo Burger restaurants. Anywaythe chain had 280 locations, served up a steakhouse filet for just $1.95 and, eventually, called in quits in 2008. Hot dogs steamed in beer? By 1987, the chain concept was abandoned, and the last Beefsteak Charlies shut down in 2009. The following year, Planet Hollywood filed for bankruptcyand The Official All-Star Cafe went down with it. Follow her on Twitter @vickkiD. Those stores finally closed in the 2010s. You two could get that petition going. Entrepreneur Roger Smith wanted to show off the Southern cuisine of the Old Dominion and founded Country Cookin in 1981 for that very purpose. However, while KFC flourished, Lum's popularity began to decrease. The causal diner opened during the peak of roadside dining in 1957. MaggieMoo's opened in Kansas City in 1989. Since 2006, we've watched Guy Fieri travel coast to coast visiting some of the country's greatest establishments for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. ", In 1990, Marriott sold the fried chicken chain, which was originally RoBee's House of Beef when it first began in 1968 in Indiana, to Hardee's. I am a '90s baby. The chain served burgers, fried chicken, and salad. This is our formal thank you to DLites for being way ahead of its time. A former vice president of McDonald's opened Geri's Hamburgers in 1962, and he wasn't shy about following the same model. Delish editors handpick every product we feature. There are now a few Naugles 2.0 locations across California. Fast food has always and will always have a special, special place in our hearts and our stomachs. Its true, not all restaurant chains out there traffic in unhealthy food. That said, it changed hands frequently and was bought by PepsiCo in 1982, and later bought by Mrs. Fields Original Cookies in 1987. ASwiss company purchased Lum's in the late 1970s, but it had bitten off more than it could chew, and Lum's filed for bankruptcy in 1982. In the 1980s and 1990s, brothers Richard and Larry D'Amico were instrumental in creating a new era in Twin Cities area dining, with their Primavera, D'Amico Cucina, Campiello, Cafe Lurcat and this. The electrical chain, founded in Southend, Essex, in 1937, closed in 2006. If you have any concerns about the accuracy or timeliness of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing [emailprotected]. Filed Under: burger king, discontinued fast food items, discontinued taco bell food, fast food, Fast food menu items that no longer exist, food, kfc, mcdonalds, McRib, taco bell, taco bell . The Silver Grille was an elegant, 1930s Art Deco restaurant located on the 10th floor of the Higbee's department store on Public Square. Seinfeld fanatics will remember a classic episode in which the chicken franchise was forever immortalized. 2 50 Best Healthy Pasta Recipes 3 All Of Dunkin' Donuts' Iced Coffee Flavors, Ranked 4 These Vegetables. We feel ya, Terminator. American bakery chain, La Petite Boulangerie or "little bakery," did indeed start out small, with only two stores in the beginning. and later moved to a location on Highway 153, where Rib & Loin is located today. A former employee of Mr. Fables still owns the brands copyright, but so far, it remains in stasis. New ownership has kept just 23 locations open in the U.S. You may recognize Casa Bonita from your '90s youth if you're from Oklahoma, Colorado, Arkansas, or Texas. The small chain was known for its Club Burger (a precursor to the Big Mac) and its Looney Tunes drinking glasses that were part of a standard order with a large drink. Radio Shack went bankrupt twice, in 2015, and most recently on March 8th, 2017. As the popularity and variety of Mexican restaurants grew, Chi-Chi's began to suffer the consequences. The current Bennigan's are owned by Dallas-based Legendary Restaurant Brands . 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