Founder John Jay Hooker set up a copy cat model of the restaurant and hired popular comedic actress, Minnie Pearl, as the spokesperson. Additional shops then quickly sprung up around the state, in cities such as Salem and Seattle, before eventually sweeping throughout neighboring Washington, Nevada, and Northern California. As of the mid-1980s, and under the ownership of Pillsbury's restaurant group for several years, 280 Steak and Ale outlets were the setting for hundreds of thousands of celebrations and date nights. The original spot was launched in the 1950s, and the chain grew based on its popular beer-steamed hot dogs, fried seafood, and frosted glass beers. In 1984, Taco Bell bought 99 Pup 'N' Taco restaurants in California, but not three stores in Albuquerque, two of which went by the name "Pop 'N' Taco". Some of these chains you will surely remember; others may be news to you, but were once near and dear to many. However, the success was very short-lived. After starting out in Portland, Oregon in 1963, there were 130 Farrell's locations in all by the mid-1970s, shortly after the chain was acquired by the Marriott Corporation. The Azzurri Group which owns ASK Italian and Zizzi closed 75 of its restaurants after collapsing into insolvency last year. Get the best food tips and diet advice every single day, Now, you'll have the best and latest food and healthy eating news right in your inboxevery The eatery was not without controversy though, as the name is a derogatory slang word used towards African Americans. Chi-chis still has stores operating at in Belgium, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Luxemburg. It was iconic. Hence, the controversial yet ever-famous Sambos no longer exists today. In 2008, then-owner Metromedia Restaurant Group, filed for bankruptcy, according to CNN. Although Puck owns other locations of Spago, in 2001 the chef decided to close down the original, which had become an institution amongst Hollywood's heavy hitters. THE 20 RESTAURANT CHAINS THAT NO LONGER EXIST - TRENDING 2018-01-23 Bennigan's. 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. The chain was sold several times over the years, and filed for bankruptcy in 2008. In 1998, they sold Kenny Rogers Roasters to Nathans. Naugles is a tex-mex restaurant in Southern California during the 1970s. In 1966, Steak and Ale was founded in Dallas, Texas. Souplantation, or Sweet Tomatoes, as it was known outside of its birthplace of California, pitched itself as a healthy restaurant, offering a super-sized salad bar with dozens of leafy greens and appropriate toppings, along with soups and baked goods. It also had to change its name to Pumper and the logo because of a lawsuit by Burger King. Three items from Steak and Ale debuted on the Bennigan's menu in 2018: the Kensington Club (an eight-ounce sirloin topped with a proprietary glaze); cheese, bacon, and wined mushroom-topped Smothered Chicken; and pineapple-heavy Hawaiian Chicken. Country music legend Kenny Rogers teamed with business partner John Y. And in 1991, "The Gambler" himself, Kenny Rogers, teamed up with a former KFC CEO to open his own rotisserie chicken business. There's Dennys in the UK, how did I not know this. Beefsteak Charlie's was a huge success for a while in the 1980s, according to Retroist. restaurant reached. Once those competitors started offering healthier food choices, it put Dlites out of business. day. Green onions imported from Mexico that were tainted with the hepatitis A virus were served at a Chi-Chi's near Pittsburgh. Chain restaurants have been around for nearly 100 years, since White Castle and A&W Root Beer stands first sprang up in the early 1920s. From huge fast food franchises like McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts to family-friendly sit-down chains like Applebee's and. Appearing on the restaurant scene when steaks were perceived as a rare treat for the rich and fancy, Steak and Ale brought steakhouse fare and vibes to the masses at affordable prices in comfortable, old English-inspired dining rooms (per the Wall Street Journal). Aside from one location in Nebraska that closed in 2017, all other Lum's had closed by 1983. That number had grown to more than 450 locations at the height of Lum's popularity, MeTV reports. The chain was founded in Georgia back in the late seventies, offering up healthier substitutions and ingredients in the land of delicious drive-ins and badass barbeque. 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. Venues started to reopen their doors to customers again in July but were then hamstrung by local restrictions, a 10pm curfew, new service rules and a second national lockdown in England in November. But, sadly, Dubrow's closed in the late '80s, as the trend of diners began to die down. However, a Massapequa, Long Island based company is using the same name and logos in the East Coast and they have been flipping burgers since 1961. Whenever we go to a chain restaurant, you know what to expect such as the dishes served and the quality of service we will get. Once a major presence in many east coast regions, the chain's long, slow slide began in 1977, according to Chuck the Writer, when the death of its founder, Donald Valle, led to money issues that imperiled the business. But they werent able to keep up with the competition and closed their last location in 2008. Taco Bell bought 99 branches of Pup N Taco in California but eventually all of its stores closed in 2010. Charlie Brown's Steakhouses used to be ubiquitous in the Northeast but the COVID-19 pandemic hit the chain hard. By 1961, they'd expanded to four restaurants. Back in the 90s, themed fast food joints were having a great moment. Healthy fast food operator Leon passed a CVA restructuring in December which secured the future of its 670 workers. All rights reserved. With help from his family, Wetanson opened the first Wetson's in 1959. According to the Lakeland Ledger, there were way more Arthur Treacher's than the customer base merited, and parent company Orange-co sold the chain to frozen fish processor Mrs. Paul's Kitchen in 1979, which sold it to Lumara Foods three years later (per the York Daily Record). By the late '70s, though, the company had been sold. Bill Knapp's. Blue Boar Cafeterias. It said 88% of creditors supported its CVA deal, which also slashed rents at seven bar locations. La Belle Vie. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Some chains were just regional, like the West Coast-based VIP's diner, and others had thousands of locations nationwide. The first VIP's opened in 1968, near the tiny town of Tualatin. Burger chain Byron is another dining brand which had been attempting to carve out a path to recovery following a CVA deal in 2018. During the 1970s Henrys Hamburgers began to decline because they could not compete with other fast food chains. Although the Southern Californian All-American Burger was never more than a regional success, it made its claim to fame when it was featured in the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The chain was sold several times over the years, and filed for bankruptcy in 2008. Long Island-native Herb Wetanson was inspired to found Wetson's after seeing McDonald's while on a roadtrip out west. It gained massive popularity (in part for its fluffy pancakes) and in the years to follow there would be a chain in 47 states. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The last remaining Lum's, which was in Bellevue, Nebraska, closed in 2017 after 49 years in the business. In May 2020, after losing $1 million a week since closing down, according to Oregon Live, parent company Garden Fresh shut down all 97 remaining locations of both Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantation, which never opened up again. With a name from pumpernickel bread, it was a cult classic for Argentinians. If this sounds like a remix of the Big Mac theme song embedded in all of our brains, you're not alone. They also introduced the first "Fun Meal" for kids, with mascots like Burger Chef and Chef Yo-Yoand even partnered with Star Wars for a historic promotion, offering cardboard droid "puppets." After much success, the company took their stock public, but after an investigation by the Security Exchange Commission and inquiries with their books, the chain closed up shop in 1968. Even with ups and downs in the economy, the global pandemic, and changes in consumer tastes, these institutions seem safe and sound. Chain restaurants aren't just places where we go to grab a cheap mealto some of us, they're cherished institutions that are a part of our heritage. The Stork Club was an integral part of the New York City social scene in the early 19th century. Arthur Treacher's presentation was decidedly more British than its competitors because of its heavy use of malt vinegar and the involvement of its namesake, Arthur Treacher, the sidekick on the popular "The Merv Griffin Show" and a well-known character actor his many roles as a stuffy English butler. Initially, the chain and its 15 cent hamburgers were a massive success. Alright, if we're going to talk about a long history, the Valle's Steak House unseats Hilltop. 4 Beefsteak Charlie's And they were surprised by how well it did while other local eateries struggled. The hotel portion of the business has been sold off still existing in name, but with none of the classic HoJo design elements. The lamentations on those departed culinary landmarks have been thorough and frequent . The exclusive New York City bar, owned by Bernard Shor served steak and baked potatoes among other things, but the crowd was the real attraction. The Healthiest Breakfast Items At McDonald's, Our Official McDonald's McFlurry Flavor Ranking, 11 Strict Rules Starbucks Workers Have to Follow, The 7 Best Things To Order At Cheesecake Factory, The 6 Things You Have To Try At Ruby Tuesday, I Tried Everything At Blake Shelton's Restaurant, 95 Restaurants That Offer Birthday Freebies, The 14 Best Christmas Bars In New York City, What To Eat And Drink On A Disney Dream Cruise. The locations, which were usually near a major interstate, featured a delicious blend of breakfast, lunch, and dinner classics. Despite being saved from insolvency, the chain said it would close 26 restaurants and axe 362 roles. The food chain was founded by Edward Gold in 1934. They had this contraption thats called automat where you would purchase prepared food from a glass window. In the late '70s, it was hard to find a theme restaurant that didn't do well, but by far the most inventive was Boston Sea Party. Following that sale, more locations were sold in 1984 and 1989, bringing the VIP's story to an end once and for all. The move preserved the company and 20 restaurants, but resulted in 651 job losses as 31 restaurants were axed. The American food chain became defunct in 1982 with changing its name to the Jolly Tiger initially. It has stores in the US and Canada and was very popular during the 1920s and 1930s. Sadly, the last storefront with the name closed in 1996. These are the reasons why these restaurants have been successful over time. The series ran on CITV for three series and 33 episodes, between 1990 and 1992. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e. But those who want to try a taste of burger history need not fear: the Ollieburger is still available at Ollie's Trolley, a Lum's spinoff with two locations left in Cincinatti, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. The ASK Italian and Zizzi owner closed 75 of its restaurants with 1,200 job losses after collapsing into insolvency. Brown, the former chairman of KFC and then owner of the NBA's Buffalo Braves. Despite the rustic exterior, Red Barn was known for being ahead of its time when it came to the food it served. And then there are others that maybe had some early success, caught fire but then eventually flamed out whether it took many decades or even less than two years (as you'll see).