We've seen all the delicious sit down restaurants we can never go to again, but what about all the amazing fast food places our parents would take us to on the go? Now that's what you call living out your childhood dream. Reading Wetsons slogans Look for the Orange Circles, and Buy a bagful, might make you feel a bit of dj vu. Despite the rumors, Ameches remains a popular favorite. Today, only two locations remain: one in Lake George, New York, and the other in Bangor, Maine. But it was already too late. Unfortunately, Webb could only put on the ritz for so long. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e, This California burger restaurant became all the rage, thanks to an appearance in the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Its sad to see these cute little diners go, but we have replacements. They were too cute and, along with the food, those Queenie Bees made everything way more entertaining. Of course, nothing is going to beat Subway, but this one was Americas first favorite. Knapps was a nice little place though, and we will remember it for its signature dishes. RIP VIP's. Shortly after opening, it was bought by PepsiCo and franchised out. Valles Steak House was considered revolutionary during its time. If you think this sounds too good to be true, youre right. Heres another Bar and Grill to add to our list. Missing those iconic kids' meals? That pitfall sadly brought Chicken George down in 1986, when Holmes filed for liquidation after falling into over $1.4 million in debt to private creditors and the IRS. While it was never more than a regional establishment, The All-American Burger became famous because it was featured in the 1980s teen film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. They did, however, have cheap meals, which made them a primo alternative. But that very year, 99 of those were sold to Taco Bell, all but erasing the brand. The restaurants parent company, Romacorp Inc., filed for bankruptcy in 2005. One food that is better left in the past? The restaurant also started losing to its Kentucky Fried competitor, so they decided to close it. The generous establishment tried to live up to their slogan of "you're going to get spoiled," but unfortunately, they couldn't keep up with their losses. At its height in 1984, there were 102 Pup 'N' Taco locations across California and New Mexico. In 1986, however, the franchise started going down and then filed for bankruptcy. After a while, the restaurant was purchased by Kahala, a franchising company that also bought Cold Stone Creamery in 2007. And controversy makes for good business! Childs was first established in New York City in 1889, and named after the founder, Samuel Childs. However, it is still concentrated in the Midwest and Plains states. Unfortunately, the idea didnt catch on. Mighty Caseys was a fast food chain that started in Atlanta, Georgia in 1980. And though there was a sole storefront holding on for dear life in Nebraska, it too closed in 2017. The restaurant was named after a 1961 hit single by country music singer, Bill Anderson. Now, the two chains are owned by the same company but have downsized to only 20 locations. Beefsteak Charlies opened its doors in Manhattan in the year 1910. There were no longer any La Petite Boulangerie locations by the end of 2000. The brands mascot is a little football player, which remained the restaurants trademark.

With the controversy surrounding the name slowing sales, the chain shuttered for good soon after. La Petite Boulangerie, otherwise known as The Little Bakery, was an American chain that started with only two stores in 1977. And thanks to the boom of fast-food chains in the 1970s and 1980s, we've been able to sip the same shakes and munch on the same fries for decades. Do you have any memories in this place? Carrols was a chain of fast food burger joints from the 1950s and 1970s. One of Minnie Pearls biggest competitors was none other than KFC. Most of their competitors, such as McDonalds, Burger King and Wendys, started creating healthier food choices, which left DLites lagging. Nowadays, there are only a few of the Original House of Pies still operating, all located throughout Houston and Los Angeles. From its inception in 1948, under the guiding hand of founder, Al Ross, Doggie Diner quickly started spreading throughout the area. But as any child of the '70s or '80s knows, Walgreen's once had full-on restaurants, too. The good news is, you can break up with carbs or at least go on a break without it being a completely miserable experience. With over 1,000 locations nationwide, they soon became a regular favorite with a unique twist when it came to the dining experience. With its memorable statues, Bobs Big Boy was known as one of Americas iconic symbols of the 20th century. This throwback place was known for their authentic southern cooking. Sambo's began in 1957 in Santa Barbara, California, reaching peak popularity in the late 1970s with more than 1,100 restaurants in 47 states. Even though it disappeared from the United States, you can still visit the other restaurants youll just have to leave the United States to do so! Doggie Diner was iconic for its trademark mascot, the Dachshund, who also happens to be dressed in a chefs hat and cute bow tie. Brown Jr. in 1992. In fact, all their items had the slogan Home of the Club Burger. Who wouldn't go for a $2 filet mignon? With all this success,you might be wondering just what happened to it? It was originally named Jax Roast Beef, then later changed to Rix Roast Beef. Unlike many of the others though, Ground Road Grill & Bar hasnt completely disappeared. Between 2001 to 2011, TCBY shut well over 1,300 stores, leaving just 405 locations as of 2011. Founded in 1976, the Irish restaurant Bennigans was established in Atlanta, Georgia. After this initial boom, the business started going down and closed more than 47 of their locations as part of their reconstruction plan. But all hope wasn't lost. ), After the movie came out, All-American Burger, which was only in the Los Angeles area, experienced a brief boom. "I used to eat here as a kid at lunchtime with my father," one Yelper wrote. In 1956, Pup 'N' Taco began gracing roadsides in Southern California. Serve customer fast. Sambos was founded in 1957 and experienced healthy growth on the West Coast. These days, you can still find 80 Bobs Big Boy burger joints operational. The restaurant chain grew to over 1,100 locations in the early 1980s, but bad finances forced the company to file for bankruptcy. Howard Johnson's might just hold the title for most sorely-missed failed restaurant chain of not just the '80s, but any era. But then, things took a turn. During their prime, there were over 600 different locations of Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses, nationwide. Henrys was designed to go after their strongest competitor: McDonalds.

It has been open since 1961 and is still serving the same delicious burgers to this day. VIPs had more than 53 locations nationwide, with people flocking in from different places to test the new chain out. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Here are 19 Old Happy Meal Toys That'll Bring You Back to Your Childhood. While most White Castle replicas were created from the outside looking in, Westberg and Simonsen had the benefit of insider knowledge, since the pair were both former White Castle employees. Casa Bonita which in Spanish is translated as Beautiful House was a chain of Mexican themed restaurants that originated in Oklahoma City. After 10 years, their restaurant started to explode in the Chicago area. The chain was sold to a restaurant group started by Avados bankruptcy lender, in 2008. This made them one of the countrys most successful chains, but only for a short time. Their real estate was sold off to Outback Steakhouse, which in turn sold them off to other companies. It eventually became popular and expanded to more and more locations throughout the 1970s. All together, Wags was still a great restaurant that gave us a lot of happy memories! Eventually, they renamed several locations to No Place Like Sam's or Jolly Tiger instead. It was co-founded by entrepreneur John Jay Hooker and the famous country singer, Minnie Pearl, which is how they came up with the name. Here's a look back at nine places we wish we could bring back, if only for one meal. The sale put Walgreen's "completely out of the food business," The New York Times reported. After a while, the brothers wanted to get out of the fast food business and decided to pursue another restaurant idea. Unlike all the other restaurants on this list, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008, and requested a restructuring deal to avoid bankruptcy. His fried chicken joint quickly became one of the country's largest minority-owned chains. At its height, there were nearly 100 restaurants nationally, which was quite the coup for founder Graydon D. Webb. Sadly the last Horn & Hardart location closed in 1991. The chain operated between 1963 and 1981. "Bennigan's was the weakest of the major players," one analyst told the Associated Press at the time. You can still find over 100 locations in Asia, though. In 1965, their first branch opened in Pasadena.

Awesome! In the 1980s and 1990s, the restaurant started growing rapidly, with locations in New Jersey and New York. But in 1987, Beefsteak Charlie's was sold to Bombay Palace Restaurants and went out of business soon thereafter. The name was inspired by Wimpy from the Popeye Cartoon, which was created by E.C. The idea for the chain came from Norman Brinker, vice president of Steak and Ale. The total number of restaurants fell from 249 to 52, thanks to sales declining by more than 80% during the same period. It took 10 years for the chain to die a slow death, which meant children of the '80s did get to experience the Big Barn and the Barnbuster burgers. Perhaps if we tell you its biggest competitor was McDonalds, you might be able to guess how it went down. This chain of restaurants only had 12 operational stores that were eventually sold to Churchs Chicken and Elias Brothers in 1984. Any excuse to travel, right? So what is the difference between the two? It had over 400 locations in the US and abroad during its prime. Charlie Browns is now owned by another company and there are still a few locations around today, mainly in New Jersey, with a few also in New York state. In 1986, the chain closed, but the mascot has remained a part of the local pop culture up until this day. The dining restaurant was based in Milburn, New Jersey. Not long after this initial surge in popularity, Ginos had another growth spurt, expanding to over 300 locations, mostly on the East Coast. } Damons had just $70 million in sales as of 2011, down more than 75% from 2001 when it had nearly $285 million in sales. According to Technomics Tristano, the restaurant exists in the highly competitive mid-scale family-style market, which has been crowded out by fast, casual dining. Howard Johnson's was one of the most recognized brands in the '50s and '60s, but it's all but disappeared since then. By 2011, all the chains closed in the United States and Canada, but KRR is still doing well in many parts of Asia. Its healthy, and it's a better alternative to ice cream. But in 1970, he left that company to build his own Mexican-style chain: Naugles in Southern California. In 2015, a revived Naugles chain was established by Christian Ziebarth, after he discovered that the trademarks had been abandoned by the original successor. By the mid-1960s, Kentucky Fried Chicken founder, Harland Sanders, had sold his interest in the famous franchise. Okay, so we know that we have listed a lot of White Castle copy-cats in this list, but heres one with a different spin to it, which makes it as compelling as the others. The restaurant is named after the founder, but in advertisements, the word Isalys was said to stand for I shall always love you sweetheart.. In the end, their plan failed and the last location was closed in 2008. While steak was quite obviously their game, Mr. Steak unfortunately wasnt juicy enough to keep up with the competition. Its okay though, because after the owner left the company, those who left with him went on to come up with Chilis, which is a popular restaurant up to this day. They also had locations in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. Do you guys want to know how they started? By the 1980s, there were more than 350 Gino's locations throughout the East Coast. After all the changes, it was reborn as Hardees. Really, who could say no? Similar restaurants that were more adaptable to changing tastes became fierce competitors. "Come on into Pup 'n' Taco and give your tummy a treat"we wish we could! Eventually, the burger joint was sold to Marriott, which then converted all Ginos locations into Roy Rogers restaurants. Like many of the other restaurants on our list, Ground Round eventually filed for bankruptcy. After a buyout in the 1980s, the company slowly closed down its locations, with the last one closing in 2000. The restaurant had 125 different locations and served over 50 million meals each year. The restaurant chain was known for its iconic building designs, orange roofs, weather vanes, and peaks. While it took a definite hit, Tony Romas is still active internationally, with restaurants in over 30 countries. The first restaurant was in Riverside, California. Heres a familiar chain that you can breathe a sigh of relief over because it is still alive to this day! if( 'moc.sihttae.www' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Are you sure you want to delete this comment? In recent years, the chain has struggled to continue attracting customers. "They just let Ritzy's somewhat atrophy over the next eight or 10 years, and it dwindled down to seven locations," Webb said to The Dallas Observer in 2004. Currently, there are only around 23 locations left in the US. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that The One '80s Snack You Should Never Eat Again, Says Science. But this business model, along with a sizeable inheritance tax after the founder died, ended up being the company's downfall. Since they couldnt withstand the stiff competition, Mr. Steak eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1987. In 1988, the brothers opened four of their own casual dining restaurants called Baileys Restaurant & Bar. It originally started out as a small chain of restaurants in San Francisco and Oakland. Your ultimate restaurant and supermarket survival guide is here! Although there were a couple of changes made, it has still struggled to survive in recent years, maintaining only 25 restaurants as of 2011. Sadly, the opposite of the Wag's jingle is true today: It's no longer "a great day for Wag's," which is nowhere to be found in the world. Though Beefsteak Charlie's slogan was, "I'll feed you like there's no tomorrow," sadly, tomorrow came for this chain restaurant by the end of the 1980s. In 2004, it was bought by a former franchisee. Then again, they still served some good food, which means theyre entitled to a spot on this list. According to Yelp reviewers, it was going downhill. You might be surprised to find some of your favorite "healthy" foods on this list. Sandys lasted for a good 20 years before McDonalds eventually took over and Sandys shut down. Overall, Wetsons was a mixture of all the fast-food joints put together.

Just the name of this place makes it sound interesting. Eventually, Morrisons was acquired by Piccadilly Cafeterias in 1998. Don Pablos struggled as a fast-casual restaurant, just like the Chipotle Mexican Grill. Since most of their locations could be found along the freeway, they became the most accessible dining destination for travelers. Yankee Doodle Dandy was well known for its red, white, and blue motifs. Some even say this was where McDonalds got the idea for its Big Mac, eight years before it made its debut. 17 Failed Chain Restaurants From the 1990s, Only 1990s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants, Long Island and NYC Places that are no more/Facebook, The One '80s Snack You Should Never Eat Again, Says Science, Only 1970s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants, Only 1980s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants, 8 Bizzare Lawsuits McDonald's Wishes We'd Forget, This Iconic Food Court Chain Is Undergoing a Significant Makeover and Opening New Locations, This Viral Chipotle Hack Can Get You a Shockingly Cheap Burrito, 6 Restaurant Chains We've Lost for Good This Year, Chick-fil-A Is Opening New Locations in These Cities, Chipotle Abruptly Shutters a Restaurant For This Controversial Reason, America's Favorite Fast-Casual Chain Is Cheaper Than Similar Competitors, Survey Shows, There's Major Turmoil Inside America's #1 Fast-Food Chain. Despite its sad demise, we all still remember this place for its yummy, affordable steaks and all the memories that came along with them. Pup N Taco was known for having spots in prime locations, which helped bring in customers. Some of the athletic investors included Andre Agassi, Ken Griffey Jr., Shaq, Wayne Gretzky and Joe Montana, all of whom were quite popular during that era. Despite its success, Blimpie Subs & Salads has been struggling over the last decade. However, in their attempt to keep up with their competition, they started lowering their prices and offering free meals. Who remembers trying out every ice cream flavor at the local Howard Johnson's? Tony Romas domestic sales fell by over 70%, while its total number of U.S. restaurants declined from 162 to 46 between 2001 and 2011. The menu at G.D. Ritzy's stood out for all the ways that you could customize your burgers, drinks, and ice cream. Bennigans suffered due to a lack of brand loyalty, with numerous other restaurants featuring the same style and menu. Because its still in demand, in early 2017 the parent company started offering franchises, so Steak and Ale fans will be happy to know its on the way to being fully revived really soon. In 1954, Wimpys was introduced to the United Kingdom as Wimpy bar. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=120c6341-c97e-4a41-ac16-1f24217c6eb2&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=8795979053511980870'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); And for more 1980s trivia, Only 1980s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants. The restaurant was founded in 1980 by ex Wendys executive, Graydon Webb. The Official All-Star Cafe was founded in 1995 and owned by Planet Hollywood. every day. Yes, as you may have thought, it is indeed owned by the country music star, Kenny Rogers. But after the chain traded hands a few times, it eventually filed for bankruptcy and closed in 1983. If you love seafood, then this restaurant will be on the top of your list. At the beginning of the decade, Gino's discontinued that trademark burger and other fan favorites in an effort to revamp the restaurant. The last location closed down in 2004. Remarkably, they originally only sold an orange drink!

advice every day. And any New York kid in the 1980s grew up loving this chain, thanks to its unlimited portions. The Fun Meal, as they called it, launched in the early '70s and also included stories about Burger Chef lore, including the chain's mascot Jeff, the Burgerini (a magician), Count Fangburger (a vampire), Burgerilla (a gorilla), and Cackleburger (a witch). To make matters worse, there was an oil crisis that caused many economic problems. xhr.send(payload); In 1964, the first ever Blimpie opened in Hoboken, New Jersey. But with more customers came more scrutiny, and it wasn't long before anti-discrimination protests against Sambo's began. I wish it was still here.". Unfortunately, the whole concept of cafeteria dining started to decline by the 1990s. But there is a sliver of good news: Today, two rebranded Gino's Burgers and Chicken remain in Marylandand yes, they do serve the Gino Giant. Because of their quick expansion, they eventually overdid it and, unable to sustain their reach, ended up filing for bankruptcy. The exterior walls were painted red to give the impression of a barn. The restaurant enjoyed its 15 minutes of fame after an episode of South Park was titled Casa Bonita., In 1975, Chi-Chis opened its first store, and by March of 1995 already had 210 locations. This chain started in New York City, in 1913, and expanded throughout the 1950s. Naugles was founded by former Del Taco partner Nick Naugle. All you had to do was grab what you wanted and pay for it as you would with a vending machine. G.D. Ritzys was the place to be during the 1980s. White Tower took just about everything from the original except, maybe, their kitchen sink. It was originally established in Battle Creek, Michigan and was known for its menu of limited breakfast baskets, sandwiches, and luncheon dinner plates. The chain filed for bankruptcy in 2009, because it was part of the struggling, full-service barbecue restaurant segment of the market. Sambo's shut down by the middle of the decade. By 1979, the restaurant chain quickly picked up its popularity. After a few years in business, the chain started to fall behind its competitors and didnt leave much room for financial growth and innovation. The Original House of Pies was a chain of restaurants that was founded in 1965. Pioneer Chicken was a staple in California in the 1980s. Since they were sued by KFC, they didnt really have a choice. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); Unfortunately, their success was very short-lived due to their inability to offer people healthier food options. The Colonels Lady could be described as the restaurant franchise that never was. Nine years after it was established, the chain finally grew to about 102 restaurants in 17 states. Carrols was established in the early 1960s by Herb Slotnick. While most of their locations were closed and all their assets were sold, eight restaurants are still alive and located in Floridas Panhandle, St. Petersburg, Florida and in Enterprise, Alabama. Sadly, all the Wimpy locations in the United States started going under after the death of the owner. But plenty of people are still nostalgic for this restaurant chain. The drug store Walgreen's went into the restaurant business in the '70s by opening Wag's and modeling the locations after Denny's and Big Boy restaurants. Friendlys had their ice cream, KFC was all about fried chicken, and in comparison, HoJos was just too basic. According to one critic. Although this seemed like the easiest way to get food on the go, without having to line up behind a check-out counter. The final restaurant closed in 1989. Its chain, Wag's, had 91 restaurants, all open 24 hours, serving your standard Denny's-esque fare. The company decided to close almost all of their locations, except for one thats still holding out in Miami. In 1975, the mishmash company merged with the hot dog chain, Nathans Famous. At its prime, the chain grew to more than 175 locations all throughout Florida, Ohio, Georgia, and Louisiana, with most of them being in Miami. Dick Naugle had a history of helping build successful restaurant chains. Royal Castle was a hamburger restaurant chain based in Miami, Florida. All Rights Reserved. There were 230 locations in the 1950s, but many closed because of the legal action against them. The restaurant was founded in 1919 and remains one of the countrys oldest chains. In 2008, the company was eventually forced into liquidation, which lead to the abrupt closure of its last 20 locations.