Anyone who lived in middle America and grew up in the '80s likely knows the odd name G.D. Ritzy's. First founded in Ohio in 1980, the 1950s-style restaurant grew quickly, with about 100 locations at its peak. Related: Lombardo's Restaurant closing after nearly 100 years Click. Here are a few chains that still exist, just no longer in MoCo: Denny's . At its height, there were 230 White Towers, but the chain died after legal action from White Castle forced them to make significant changes. While the food was popular, the restaurants were never able to break into the market and were sold off to Nathan's in 1998. However, other Big Boy restaurants across the country remain open, sporting the double-decker burgers and iconic mascot that became a staple of American eateries throughout the 20th century. What started as a popular Manhattan restaurant founded in 1914 grew to a huge chain throughout the northeast during the '80s. However, they were doomed by bad business practices, and Burger Chef was sold to Hardee's in 1981. Every Steak and Ale immediately and permanently closed down, as did all of Metromedia's company-owned Bennigan's outlets. It boasted about low-calorie cheese, buns high in fiber and hamburgers made with lean beef. However, the company started out in 1926 as a store on Broadway in New York City that sold nuts. The final spot (in Nevada) closed in 1995. 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. For 33 years, this New York City family-owned, cafeteria-style institution served as a rallying point for hopeful politicians (both JFK and Ed Koch campaigned here), as well as a favorite dining destination for locals. 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. The remaining locations were all converted into Hardee's, and Burger Chef said goodbye for good. Actors like Groucho Marx, Rita Hayworth, and Clark Gable were all regulars and were also featured in the collection of celebrity caricatures that famously lined the restaurant's walls. By the early '60s there were over 200 Henry's locations more than McDonald's had at the time. Later, the Wongs added a place on Third and North. These restaurants were huge, and then all of a sudden they disappeared. Big Apple. And other once beloved chains have not been able to hang on. .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;}}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, Rules Restaurants Have to Follow on 'Triple D'. If you grew up in the '80s, there's a good chance you went to at least one of these restaurants. In 1982, the company was sold to Marriott and used as a foothold to expand their chain, Roy Rogers. "When the hungries hithit the Red Barn!" var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-53563316-1&cid=75e76a5d-d481-4bda-83bc-3ebf14126dcf&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=8620961920464009455'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); However, due to a lack of cohesive menu or recipes, the chain quickly fell apart within a few years. Regrettably, the glitz and glam of the Brown Derby empire faded over time. The Red Barn's menu also included breaded and fried Atlantic cod, and deep-fried chicken made in a Henny Penny fryer, the same commercial fryer first used in KFC by Colonel Sanders, PENNLive reports. The corporate sight shows two locations in Woodbury and Scotch Plains, New Jersey, so perhaps one has a chance of beating the devastating odds of the rest. Many locations were converted to Hardee's in the '90s after the burger chain bought Rax. Over the years the West Hollywood restaurant became famous for its Academy Award after parties as much as it was known for its chili. In 1997, 300 of the remaining . In 2010, per the New York Times, the Chock full O'Nuts restaurant concept was revived as a food stand catering to nostalgic New Yorkers. In the summer of 2014, all Crumbs Bake Shops were closed and the company filed for bankruptcy. every day. The very . But much has been written about what Crumbs Bake Shop did wrong, and what led to the downfall of the once beloved chain. The chain held on as long as it could until its final location, on 42nd Street and Third Avenue in New York City, going under in 1991. Launched in the mid 1960s by a group of disgruntled McDonald's employees, Sandy's offered similar menus to the golden arches, but there were key differences in their business structure. But just as in all industries, nothing is forever. Beefsteak Charlie's was a huge success for a while in the 1980s, according to Retroist. Today, there are an estimated 88,000-plus chain restaurants in the U.S, IBISWorld reports. (Ditto Shea Stadium, which got the wrecking ball in 2009.) The last remaining Lum's, which was in Bellevue, Nebraska, closed in 2017 after 49 years in the business. A staple in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles since 1955, Galco's Old World Grocery is where you may have spent some time as a kid strolling the aisles for a favorite soda pop or two. Unfortunately, the Massachusetts-based company went bankrupt in 2000, and closed all its stores by 2001. Domenic's Capri Italian Restaurant. 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. Founder John Jay Hooker set up a copy cat model of the restaurant and hired popular comedic actress, Minnie Pearl, as the spokesperson. His chain restaurant, which focused on causal dining, never grew to tremendous popularity. 2023 Galvanized Media. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); The chain was sold several times over the years, and filed for bankruptcy in 2008. Some were open 24 hours, while others served alcohol and had set hours of operations. That number had grown to more than 450 locations at the height of Lum's popularity, MeTV reports. All-American Burger was founded in 1963 by Aaron Binde who was a successful stockbroker. However in 1981, things went downhill when they lost their leases, and as time passed, the restaurants small-sized waiting and ordering area led to long waits, which of course meant dissatisfied customers. 18 South Jersey Bars We Used to Close That No Longer Exist. The . A few trips in the old green Squareback through western Maine in the 1980s had introduced us to Cornish, and though for a while our visits were much less frequent, the town stayed with us. Founded in Southern California in 1936, only five Bob's Big Boys remain in operation today. Initially, the chain and its 15 cent hamburgers were a massive success. Beefsteak Charlie's commercials are famous for constantly plaguing viewers with their unlimited salad and shrimp barbut, unfortunately, after getting acquired in 1987, the restaurant slowly went out of business. The Woolworth corporation sold everything from dishcloths to stationary for less than 10 cents. There are now only 18 international locations and 15 in the United States. The first Bud's in Lake Worth was at 928 N. Dixie Highway. Johnson opened a few more locations on his own and then, realizing just what a success he was sitting on, partnered with a local businessman to expand even further, creating one of the first modern-day restaurant franchises (which eventually evengrewto includemotor lodges for travellers), according to The Economist. Despite the taco specification in the chain's name, you had a much wider variety than simply tacos at Pup 'N' Tacos. Even though Shor reopened a year later, the restaurant's heyday had passed. However, the international chain ceased operations in 1999. Since the late 1980s, the Koosh Ball is no longer a national phenomenon, largely because the balls don't actually do anything and aren't actually very good at being balls. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { But by the late '80s, most locations had been sold. The restaurant eventually rebranded itself, changing its name to No Place Like Sam's and Jolly Tiger, however there's still one original Sambo's left in the United Statesthe original restaurant, which is run by the founder's grandson in Santa Barbara, California. A few that received the most mentions were Joe's Deli and Woolworth's Lunch Counter in Albany and Shakey's Pizza in Latham. HoJo's couldn't competewith new menus and cheaper prices, while emerging chains like McDonald's remained more popular with younger consumers. In 1936, Chasen's opened and instantly drew in a flurry of Hollywood clientele. if( 'moc.sihttae.www' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { Today, the total of both stands at under 20 across the country. The chain was sold to TV entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis, who revamped the business and tried to bring it back, but those efforts failed as well. By 2021, there was only a single freestanding Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips left, in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, not far from where the chain began in Columbus. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Named in honor of (and to enjoy the shine of) a one-off restaurant from the 1930s, Beefsteak Charlie's the chain emerged when a restaurateur bought and re-branded the bankrupt chain Steak & Brew in 1975. Instead of settling, Kenny Rogers did what any self-respecting country music legend would do: he bought a majority stake in the Cluckers company! It was known for its burgers, hot dogs, and milkshakes. At its peak, VIP's had more than 50 locations, making it one of the largest restaurant chains ever based in the Northeast. Amazing restaurants have been around for decades, but some iconic American restaurants of the 80s have closed down most, if not all of their locations. 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. It served as competition to other taco fast-food chains like Taco Bell, with its burritos, nachos, enchiladas, and six sauces. Originating in El Paso, Texas, Pancho's Mexican Buffet grew in popularity, thanks to its all-you-can-eat "buffet"-style service. And by the early '90s, Chuck E. Cheese became the name of all locations. The company soon fell into controversy when opponents argued its name was a reference to a derogatory term for African Americans. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { 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. At one point, there were multiple locations of the Texan across Saginaw, Bay and Midland counties. The first VIP's opened in 1968, near the tiny town of Tualatin. In the early 1980s he sold the chain to the Marriott hotel chain, which quickly converted all the Gino's into Roy Rogers. - Vinny T's of Boston (South Portland) - Cotton Street Tropical Bar and Grill - original Bramhall - Pepperclub / Good Egg Cafe - original East Ender - DiPietro's - Full Belly Deli - Cleonice. 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 what is now regarded as a cautionary tale of slapping a famous name on a restaurant and calling it quite, Minnie Pearl's Chicken, named after the country singer Pearl, once had almost 500 locations in business. 1. 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. Despite the rustic exterior, Red Barn was known for being ahead of its time when it came to the food it served. By the early 1990s, there were over 100 DLites locations across the United States. At the peak of their popularity G.D. Ritzys had 95 locations, however these days all but 6 locations have closed. Some of these chains you will surely remember; others may be news to you, but were once near and dear to many. The price? food and drink and health, as well as entertainment, beauty, and other lifestyle That's what Bennigan's, an Irish-themed bar and grill, offered in the 1980s. I miss shopping at K-mart, back in the mid 80's. Report as inappropriate. 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