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12 iconic restaurant chains that no longer exist in America
12 iconic restaurant chains that no longer exist in America
Irene JiangJul 24, 2019, 20:25 IST
Andreas Feininger / Getty Images
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No restaurant chain can live forever, no matter how popular or unique it is.
From America's first food-service automat to a castle-themed buffet to country comedian chicken joints, many classic restaurant chains have come and gone.
Here are 12 iconic restaurant chains that no longer exist in the US.
There was Horn & Hardart, America's first automated restaurants, which accompanied the country through the Gilded Era, the Great Depression, two world wars, the moon landing, and the first season of "Twin Peaks."
There was a steakhouse with animatronic mascots, an Oklahoman Mexican-style eatertainment chain with grottos and roaming mariachi bands, and a vaguely medieval-themed SoCal cult-favorite buffet.
The success of these chains at their peak ranged from mild to wild, but they were all at some point a part of America's cultural consciousness.
Here are some of the most iconic American restaurant chains that have fallen from grace.
BURGER CHEF — Once the second largest chain in America, Burger Chef pioneered the fast-food meal combo: burger, fries, and a drink. In 1982, Burger Chef was absorbed into Hardee's/Carl's Jr.
HOWARD JOHNSON'S — Hospitality mogul Howard Johnson's small-town soda fountain became a nationwide restaurant chain, and then he founded an iconic motel chain. Though at its peak in the 1970s Howard Johnson's had over 1,000 restaurants, there is now only one left, in Lake George, New York.
CHI-CHI'S — Founded in Minneapolis in 1975 by Marno McDermit and former football star Max McGee, Chi-Chi's was synonymous with Tex-Mex cuisine, fried ice cream, and chimichangas for nearly three decades. Then in 2003, four people died and over 600 became ill after eating some bad green onions. Chi-Chi's filed for bankruptcy soon after and closed its last US location in 2004.
Oddly enough, you can still find Chi-Chi's restaurants in Belgium, Luxembourg, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
DOGGIE DINER — A staple in the Bay Area, the Doggie Diner, founded in 1948, was more local than most of the chains on this list, but no less iconic due to its giant cartoon doggie heads. The chain closed in 1986, but Napa resident Kip Atchley recently acquired the rights to the trademark and plans to bring the chain back.
HORN & HARDART — Over a century before fully automated restaurant Eatsa came and went, there was Horn & Hardart. Starting in 1902, coin-operated vending machines spat out hot, fresh, and affordable cafeteria food. The last automat closed in New York in 1991, but the brand was revived in 2017.
WIMPY — This burger chain inspired by "Popeye" character J. Wellington Wimpy had a brief and feeble existence in the US, reaching 26 US locations before dying with its founder in 1977. But even though Wimpy never truly found its place in America, it traveled around the globe, opening in India, Israel, and Europe. Now, it's headquartered in South Africa, where there are more than 500 locations.
MINNIE PEARL'S CHICKEN — Two Nashville attorneys seeking to ride KFC's success convinced Nashville musical comedian Minnie Pearl to lend her name to a chicken franchise. But, Minnie Pearl's Chicken would go down in the 1970s in one of the biggest flops in franchising history.
RED BARN — A small-town burger chain founded in Ohio in 1961, Red Barn at its peak had hundreds of restaurants across the US, Canada, and Australia. A former Red Barn location in Racine, Wisconsin, still operates with a similar theme and menu under the name "The Farm."
WHITE TOWER HAMBURGER — This Milwaukee burger chain born in 1926 imitated White Castle's fortress-like architecture and signature tiny burgers until the latter sued the former on claims of copyright infringement. Tower changed the look of its restaurants to space-age art deco, but after peaking in the 1950s, the chain suffered a gradual decline. One location remains open in Toledo, Ohio.
CASA BONITA — Casa Bonita was a mid-20th-century Midwesterner's idea of an authentic Mexican restaurant. It featured a pirate cave, artificial waterfalls, and roaming mariachi bands, if not authentic Mexican food. One location, a local landmark, remains operational in Lakewood, Colorado.
BUGABOO CREEK — This Canadian-themed steakhouse chain filed for bankruptcy in 2010, and most locations closed soon after. There are several possible reasons why Bugaboo Creek's eventual extinction was less than surprising, perhaps including its creepy talking animatronic animals and the not-so-appetizing name of "Bugaboo."
KENNY ROGERS ROASTERS — Founded in 1991 by country singer and songwriter Kenny Rogers, this chain had a few good years before going bankrupt in 1998. But even though Kenny Rogers Roasters no longer exists in the US, it's wildly popular in Malaysia, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
