That wasn't the chain's only hit. Due to fickle consumer trends and high rent, many beloved restaurants have been forced to call it quits over the yearssome even after decades of success. All of them were once prosperous and popular, and all of them are gone. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); Howard johnson's. Although younger generations may know of Howard Johnson's thanks to Mad Men, '70s kids will remember actually visiting the orange-roofed restaurant chain. 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. Pumper Nic was a great hit of the 70s and 80s in Argentina. For many, Chi-Chi's was the first place they ever got a taste of a chimichanga. At the start of July, Bella Italia and Cafe Rouge owner Casual Dining Group became the latest casualty of the crisis as it confirmed it hired administrators and was shutting 91 restaurants with 1,909 job losses. While individual shops were once making more than $1.2 million per location in 2009, by 2013Crumbs Bake Shop was in the red, losing more than $18 million. In 1979, more than 1,000 Big Boy burger joints greeted customers across the U.S. with towering statues of the chain's chubby, cheery mascot. Chi-Chi's was also the restaurant responsible for putting fried ice cream on the menus of Mexican restaurants across the U.S. For a while in the late 1980's and early 1990's, this restaurant giant was the epitome of sit-down casual Tex-mex dining. In 1981, Hardee's scooped up Burger Chef for $44 million. Putney High Street, London. The restaurant of world renowned chef, Wolfgang Puck, became a Hollywood hangout when it opened in 1982 on the Sunset Strip. Old restaurant chains that no longer exist or are now barely hanging on . Starting in 1968, it became popular for being one of the largest restaurant chains to be considered both a coffee shop and a diner. 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. By the early '60s there were over 200 Henry's locations more than McDonald's had at the time. While many other restaurants moved to a takeout-only operational model, that proved difficult for a buffet-style business. 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. Upstate New York certainly has no shortage of restaurant chains. Healthy fast food operator Leon passed a CVA restructuring in December which secured the future of its 670 workers. Founded in Minneapolis in 1977 by restaurateur and former Green Bay Packers star Marno McDermott, whose wife went by the nickname "Chi-Chi," the company was designed to impart "a celebration of food." So what do you think fate holds? Minnies Pearl Chicken was one of KFCs main competitors. It was founded in 1975 and the business quickly boomed to a total of 210 locations in 1995. McDonald's threw $150 million at marketing the burger, which included a quarter-pound beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, peppered bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, on a sesame seed bun. With a name from pumpernickel bread, it was a cult classic for Argentinians. Read on for eight steakhouses that have closed for good. Some chains were just regional, like the West Coast-based VIP's diner, and others had thousands of locations nationwide. The group, which also operated Las Iguana, said it had to enter insolvency due to its "extreme operating environment". They were known for offering a healthier menu compared to their competitors. The eatery was not without controversy though, as the name is a derogatory slang word used towards African Americans. Source: Atlas Obscura, San Francisco Chronicle, Source: Horn & Hardart,Daily Coffee News, Source: The Journal Times, The Democrat and Chronicle, Source: The Oklahoman, Tulsa World, The Denver Post, Source: The Patriot Ledger, Nation's Restaurant News. At its height, there were 230 White Towers, but the chain died after legal action from White Castle forced them to make significant changes. But just as in all industries, nothing is forever. By the 1960s, over 1,000 of the chain's distinctive orange roofs dotted U.S. highways. Long Island-native Herb Wetanson was inspired to found Wetson's after seeing McDonald's while on a roadtrip out west. Many iconic restaurants from history have come to an end or are barely surviving. Azzurri, which also runs the Coco di Mama food-to-go chain, was rescued in a pre-pack administration deal by investment firm TowerBrook Capital Partners. Henrys hamburgers was owned by an ice cream company and was one of McDonalds competitors during the 1960s. By the 1960s, over 1,000 of the chain's distinctive orange roofs dotted U.S. highways. Boston Sea Party. Not only did guests receive a free ice cream sundae on their birthday, but the whole place had a nonstop party vibe, flavored with a turn-of-the-20th century sensibility, with staff in 1890s stripes and boater hats running around serving banana splits and gigantic ice cream mountains as a player piano loudly churned out ragtime and old-timey tunes. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. In 1971, the building where fast food was born was demolished and turned into an unofficial museum for the chain by restaurateur Albert Okura. The Blue Horse, the Nankin, the Lincoln Del. However, the company started out in 1926 as a store on Broadway in New York City that sold nuts. Crumbs Bake Shop got its start in 2003 as a small mom-and-pop style bakery located in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Those stores finally closed in the 2010s. Mr. Steak was a quality, yet affordable, steak house that took the United States by storm in the '60s. Never known for subtlety, Red Barn was a group of country-themed fast food joints that were shaped like barns and painted bright red. And the Brow Derby's food was incrediblethe Cobb salad was founded there and was named after owner Robert Howard Cob, according to theThe New York Times. 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 US convenience store was originally open from, you guessed it, 7am to 11pm. The restaurant chain was a huge success because of its impeccable customer service and food quality. Red Barn was also the first chain to let customers have salad their way, with a massive self-service salad bar filled with countless salad fixings and every type of salad imaginable. Starting in 1967: this restaurant chain became a hot topic because of its controversial and racist name. 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. In September, Pizza Hut became the latest pizza chain to take the axe to its store estate to avoid collapse. Today, there are an estimated 88,000-plus chain restaurants in the U.S, IBISWorld reports. The fast food chain lost to McDonalds and they were sold off to General Foods and later on they were sold off again. Within five years, the remaining locations had closed as well, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Before today's massive chains took over, there was Burger Chef, Pup 'n' Taco, and Henry's Hamburgers. They were growing in popularity and talking of one: you cannot forget the ever-famous Beefsteak Charlie! In addition the quality of some franchises was less than great and they eventually completely went out of existence. It had over 62 branches by the end of 1973. Rival food-to-go Japanese chain Wasabi also pushed through a CVA deal in the summer to protect its long-term future. However, due to a lack of cohesive menu or recipes, the chain quickly fell apart within a few years. However, its administrators secured the sale of the UK business and 15 sites to newly-formed business BrunchCo. as well as other partner offers and accept our, Charles Phelps Cushing / ClassickStock / Getty Images, Eugene Gordon / The New York Historical Society / Getty images, Daily Mirror / Mirrorpix via Getty Images, Hyoung / Chang The Denver Post / Getty Images. As a result, the virus has helped drive a raft of already troubled dining chains towards collapse. The "new" restaurant chain enjoyed regional success around New York in the 1970s and looked poised to go big in the 80s, but by the end of that decade, locations were closing and the chain was again bankrupt. However, the company secured its future after landlords voted in favour of CVA which resulted in 73 restaurant closures and 1,100 job losses. The cafe chain saw creditors support its restructuring deal after it turned down a last minute takeover attempt by the billionaire brothers behind petrol forecourt giant EG Group, Zuber and Mohsin Issa. In the 1980s, the restaurant began to decline, as it switched up menu items in favor of more chicken and fish. However, the chain fell on hard times when McDonald's and Burger King aggressively expanded into the New York market in the 1970s; by the end of the decade, Wetson's was but a memory. .css-13cdu9y{display:block;font-family:GTHaptikBold,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-13cdu9y:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-13cdu9y{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-13cdu9y{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-13cdu9y{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-13cdu9y{font-size:1.23488rem;line-height:1.1;margin-bottom:-0.5rem;}}What Time Does McDonald's Close? However, the chain closed quietly over the years, and the last one was shut down in 1994. This fast food chain was one of Americas first casual dining and sports bar chain. Every Steak and Ale immediately and permanently closed down, as did all of Metromedia's company-owned Bennigan's outlets. Caffe Nero rejected the move but pushed forward with its CVA instead to secure rent cuts and changes to lease structures. It gained massive popularity (in part for its fluffy pancakes) and in the years to follow there would be a chain in 47 states. The first VIP's opened in 1968, near the tiny town of Tualatin. The chain operated for 90 years with an outstanding reputation. Sadly, the last storefront with the name closed in 1996. But the original McDonald's drive-in, which was founded in 1948 and located in San Bernardino, California, isn't a McDonald's restaurant anymore. Brown to establish Kenny Rogers Roasters in 1990. The move preserved the company and 20 restaurants, but resulted in 651 job losses as 31 restaurants were axed. If you are a restaurant owner, here is how to dress it for success. Founder John Jay Hooker set up a copy cat model of the restaurant and hired popular comedic actress, Minnie Pearl, as the spokesperson. There are also major chains of sit down restaurants like Outback Steakhouse, Chili's and many more. Howard Johnson remains one of the first sit-down fast-food outposts. Founded in 1933, this chain was around for nearly seven decades, the last location closing in the year 2000. reach over 1,200 locations, then be sold 10 years later to a hungry competitor, H&H's last automat shut its doors forever, 14 retro electronics stores that no longer exist. Childs had almost 125 different locations and served over 50 million meals each year. The chain said the affected restaurants were "no longer financially viable" and had unsustainable rental costs for the current trading environment. This hamburger chain was founded in 1978 and within less than five years since opening their first store, Dlites became popular across the country, having over 100 different locations. Country singer Kenny Rogers ventured into the chicken business in 1991. Restaurant goers who were lucky enough to have sampled the Lum's menu while it was available often debate over what was better: Lum's famous hot dog, which was steamed in beer and paired with a sherry-infused sauerkraut, or the OllieBurger, which contained a hamburger patty packed with a top secret blend of 32 spices. It also had to change its name to Pumper and the logo because of a lawsuit by Burger King. 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). Here are 40 of the closed chains we miss the most. 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. For decades from now, we might not even see the popular classics or, of today. The. As L.A. landmarks go, few spots can compare with the famed Brown Derby, the large brown hat-shaped restaurant that opened for business in 1926. But eventually, they fail to keep in pace with restaurants like Applebees and Fridays. The locations, which were usually near a major interstate, featured a delicious blend of breakfast, lunch, and dinner classics. Although it made it until 2000, the weakened economy that followed the 1970s gas crisis is thought to have sealed its destiny. Born in NYC, the first Beefsteak Charlie's was a popular sports bar that opened way back in 1910, according to The Daily Meal. Just look to horse racing-themed chain Beefsteak Charlie's. Known for their steak sandwich, the 1910 est. They started out in 1954 and had over 1,200 locations. single There are a few of the original House of Pies that still operate in Houston and Los Angeles. The chain quickly became successful having over 1,500 locations all around the world. The Azzurri Group which owns ASK Italian and Zizzi closed 75 of its restaurants after collapsing into insolvency last year. Starting with a small shop in Indiana in 1954, Burger Chef eventually grew to over 1,000 locations and rivaled fast food giant McDonald's. But just as in all industries, nothing is forever. But after 24 years, the glamorous watering hole closed in 1995. The company, famous for its warm croissants, had 93 stores in its peak, but eventually closed down in 2000. The company filed for bankruptcy during the 1940s but they continued to operate and later became Hotel Corporation of America. By 1984, there were more than 60 Beefsteak Charlie's up and down the East Coast, all of which epitomized the chain's slogan: "I'll feed you like there's no tomorrow. every day. Unlike old TV shows, which seemingly live forever online, once restaurant chains disappear, they're gone for good. Chain restaurants like Applebee's, Fridays, Chili's and Outback may dominate highways and mall [], By Libby Birk Unable to pay their bills, facing dwindling numbers of customers, or perhaps built around a trend that simply grew tired, some of our favorite haunts have now completely disappeared into history. See what other once wildly popular fast-food and restaurant chains are no longer around: Source: Kenny Rogers' Roasters,Nation's Restaurant News. Similar to a modern day Denny's or other late-night diner, VIP's was one of the first 24-hour restaurant chains in the U.S.. Many a night in Miami ended with a trip to Dennys on Biscayne and 36th . 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 In May, the brand and 30 of its restaurants was saved in a rescue deal by Giraffe and Ed's Easy Diner owner Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), although it still resulted in 1,019 job losses at Carluccio's. This restaurant was one of a kind. Lucia's Restaurant. That number had grown to more than 450 locations at the height of Lum's popularity, MeTV reports. During the popularity of this restaurant, it had 10 stores in different in famous locations like Times Square and Walt Disney World.
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