You don’t want to see a restaurant go out of business unless it’s because of a public health hazard. Even the worst-rated restaurants have their ardent supporters. In this business, there are many more misses than hits, so it’s always a sad day when a long-standing fixture closes its doors for the final time. Just watch the final episode of Cheers to see what I mean. Here are 30 chains that have gone out of business that you either hated to see go or liked to detest.
25+ Defunct Restaurant That You Might’ve Forgotten
Burger Chef
During its heyday, Burger Chef was on par with McDonald’s in terms of sales. However, overzealous expansion ultimately led to its death. Donald and Frank Thomas were only attempting to operate a product display business when they were arrested. Soft serve ice cream machines and flame broilers were among the cutting-edge restaurant equipment that their father developed at the time. Burger Chef was born in 1958 as a result of the renowned demo shop. It was the first restaurant to serve a kid’s meal that included a toy, as well as the first to sell a burger, fries, and drink combo. Don Draper and his associate Peggy Olson land the Burger Chef account on AMC’s Mad Men in 1969, according to the show.
Burger Chef
Sambo’s
When Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett named their breakfast establishment after the letters of their names in 1957, they had no intention of causing a sensation. In fact, when they learned about “The Story of Little Black Sambo,” they immediately jumped on the jungle motif and went with it. By 1979, the company had more than 1,100 outlets. The title figure, Sambo, was actually a dark-skinned Indian kid, but the name was considered derogatory to African Americans because of its association with slavery. It didn’t help that Sambo, who was riding a tiger, was only half-naked at the time. Even the most impressively fluffy pancakes and the most competitive prices were unable to quell overwhelming opposition.
Sambo’s
ShowBiz Pizza Place
It was universally adored by children of all ages. It got on the nerves of the parents. The concept was essentially pizza served with loud arcade games and rides on the side as an accompaniment to the pizza. Among the characters in ShowBiz’s animatronic stage show, “Rock-afire Explosion,” were Billy Bob, a hillbilly bear; a keyboard-banging gorilla; and a mouse who appeared to be more like a mouse dressed as a cheerleader. The first site, in Kansas City, Missouri, opened its doors in 1980. Between 1988 and 1992, Chuck E. Cheese’s acquired and converted all of the ShowBiz locations in the United States.
ShowBiz Pizza Place
Steve’s Ice Cream
Steve Herrell’s dessert was permanently altered when he threw a Heath bar into his ice cream on the spur of the moment. His first parlor, located in Somerville, Massachusetts, opened its doors in 1973. His concept influenced goods such as Dairy Queen’s Blizzard and eventually gave rise to modern gourmet ice creams like Ben & Jerry’s. Several companies, including Ben & Jerry’s, Cold Stone Creamery, Amy’s Ice Cream, and others, borrowed their cues from Herrell. In 1977, he decided to sell his chain. When prepackaged Steve’s Ice Cream became available in grocery stores in the late 1980s, several franchised businesses were forced to close their doors. The chain was forced to lock its doors permanently in the late 1990s.
Steve’s Ice Cream
Red Barn
They were easy to see because of their massive red barns, and the song was quite catchy: “When the hungries strike, hit the Red Barn!” During the 1960s and 1970s, the company expanded to 400 locations. Additionally, Red Barn included products that its direct competitors did not, such as fried chicken, fish sandwiches, and a salad bar, in addition to hamburgers. At the time, the salad bar was a rather novel concept. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King just had more resources, yet Red Barn’s appeal has endured to this day. Red Barn has its own Facebook group, which boasts more than 5,000 members.
Red Barn
Carrols
Fans in the Northeast are still grieving over the closure of this local franchise restaurant. During the 1960s and 1970s, around 150 eateries sprouted up throughout New York and Pennsylvania. Carrols was a huge step up from McDonald’s and Burger King in terms of quality, but by 1977, the modest chain had been forced out of business by the big players. Grown men shed tears as they recall the three-decker Club Burger with the unique Royal Sauce they had. Among the scrumptious dishes were a delicious fish sandwich and crispy fried chicken. A collection of Carrols’ rare Looney Tune’s glassware is almost certain to be found in the attics of Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo.
Carrols
Fashion Café
This one is a little tricky. Entrepreneurs Tommaso and Francesco Buti persuaded four leggy supermodels to pose as important investors in order to gain their trust and business. The first of eight branches globally, located in Manhattan, opened its doors to customers in 1995. Even with Naomi Campbell’s fish and chips recipe and the Versaces sipping cocktails in the lounge, the Buti brothers’ prosecution for fraud in 2000 effectively put an end to the idea. Furthermore, as author Matt Haig pointed out, “the connection between models and food was not immediately obvious, and ‘fashion’ was not a theme that elicited feelings of hunger in the audience.”
Fashion Café
Scholl’s Colonial Cafeteria
On-field excursions, Scholl’s was a huge hit with government personnel, tourists, and schoolchildren and teachers alike. It wasn’t uncommon to see charter buses parked in front of the building. Scholl’s was well-known for serving clients of all races long before the civil rights movement began to gain momentum. It hired immigrants as well as members of the Scholl family’s wider network. Clergy or other religious authorities of any denomination were given complimentary meals, and the restaurants were heavily active in feeding the homeless. The last location closed in 2001 as a result of the increased rent and a significant decline in business following the September 11th attacks.
Scholl’s Colonial Cafeteria
Beefsteak Charlie’s
The first Beefsteak Charlie’s restaurant in New York City opened its doors in 1910. Larry Ellman, a restaurateur, liked the name and decided to use it after discovering that it had not been copyrighted yet. In the 1970s and 1980s, he expanded his own concept to 60 locations around the East Coast before selling it in 1987. Two years later, the company went bankrupt. Nobody knows how Beefsteak Charlie’s managed to generate a profit throughout the years. Steaks that were larger than your head were sold for rock-bottom costs. The salad bar, which contained a shrimp cocktail, was open to everyone who wanted to indulge. Not only that, but beer, wine, and sangria were all provided at no cost and in unlimited quantities.
Beefsteak Charlie’s
Horn & Hardart Automats
Automats were colossal spaces that shined with chrome, marble, and mirrors, to name a few materials. Due to the large selection of dishes available, exploring the vending machines and heated buffet tables took longer than actually eating the meal. After you’d deposited your cash and removed a sandwich or slice of pie from the small glass compartment, a pair of hands emerged out of nowhere with a replacement sandwich or slice of pie. As more people relocated to the suburbs and fast-food companies popped up, the number of automats fell. Horn & Hardart, the latest of which was based in New York City, closed its doors in 1991. The Smithsonian Institution has a permanent exhibit dedicated to it.
Horn & Hardart Automats
Chicken George
Over the course of nearly 12 years, this Baltimore-based fast-food franchise-operated six sites. At the time, it was the largest fast-food corporation owned by African-Americans in the United States of America. Before declaring bankruptcy in 1991, the company was sold twice. Theodore Holmes, the company’s founder, spent a small fortune designing the menu and guaranteeing its high quality. Other soul dishes were available at the restaurant, in addition to chicken. Gumbo and fish and chips were also available. Chicken George was a fictional character in the 1977 ABC miniseries “Roots,” which was based on the novel “Roots” by Alex Haley, which was about slavery.
Chicken George
Minnie Pearl’s Chicken
A Nashville attorney named John Jay Hooker, who worked in the late 1960s, admired the success of Kentucky Fried Chicken. He contacted Minnie Pearl, whose claims to fame included appearances at the Grand Ole Opry and the television show “Hee Haw,” as well as the price tag that was permanently dangling from the hat she wore. The chicken box was decorated with yellow daisies and featured a photograph of Cousin Minnie holding a drumstick in her hands. According to all accounts, the chicken was overly salty. Cookies, honey packets, and moist towelettes were included in the package. When Hooker and his business partners were being probed for financial crimes, the 567 eateries began to close their doors.
Minnie Pearl’s Chicken
Wimpy Grills
Wimpy was named after the character from the cartoon “Popeye,” who would “gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger you had for lunch today.” It was created by Edward Gold in 1954 and had 26 outlets spread across six states at the time of its closure. Everything on the menu was burgers and breakfast stuff, and that was about it. There were 1,500 locations in total around the world at one point. It is incredible that, before his death, Gold had sold the rights for international usage, but he had failed to sell the trademark rights for use in the United States. The few remaining restaurants in the United States were forced to close their doors.
Wimpy Grills
Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill
Doug Guller, the company’s founder, is most known for coining the phrase “breastaurant.” In 2006, he established Bikinis in Austin, Texas, and the name says it all. Waitresses were dressed in bikini tops, extremely short shorts, and cowboy boots for the occasion. The wings, tacos, and burgers were not required to be particularly memorable, and they were not. On an episode of “Undercover Boss” from 2014, Guller made headlines when he offered a cheerful, attentive waitress breast augmentation surgery at his own expense. Later, he purchased a ghost town in Texas and renamed it Bikinis. By December 2018, all 14 of the company’s outlets had been closed.
Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill
Don Pablo’s
This is a full-service establishment. The Tex-Mex restaurant brand has a successful run. It was established in Lubbock, Texas, in 1985 and had a total of 120 outposts at its prime. Nothing on the menu was particularly innovative, but the typical burritos, chimichangas, salsa, and tortillas were all made from scratch, as was everything else. Furthermore, the restaurants were visually appealing. You had the impression that you were in an old Mexican village on the set of a movie studio. It’s possible that Don Pablo’s was simply unlucky. Ownership changed hands multiple times, and the businesses that had ambitious ambitions to expand were particularly vulnerable to insolvency.
Don Pablo’s
Royal Canadian Pancake House
This little New York City chain had a cult following when it first opened its doors. In an odd twist of fate, the menu had little to do with traditional Canadian morning fare or techniques of preparation. The pancakes served at the restaurant were the size of huge pizzas, and the business was well-known for them. In fact, you brought leftovers in a pizza box home with you. Other popular items included the Womlette, which is a waffle topped with an omelet, and the Canadian Cracker, which is a waffle topped with layers of fried eggs and cheese. According to reports, the proprietor was indicted for ethical offenses. The chain went out of business in 1998.
Royal Canadian Pancake House
Henry’s Hamburgers
The original Henry’s is still in operation and celebrating its 60th anniversary in Benton Harbor, Michigan, but the chain was widespread in the 1960s and 1970s, reaching all the way across the country. You might recall the building’s characteristic green-striped border and the name written in cursive on the side of the structure. A red and green neon sign greeted customers, with the tagline “Aren’t you hungry for a Henry’s?” Henry’s was well-known for its affordability. In the 1960s, it advertised a deal of ten burgers for a dollar. The failure to broaden the menu, as well as mergers and ownership changes, contributed to the company’s demise.
Henry’s Hamburgers
White Tower Hamburgers
Apparently, White Tower was hoping that people would mistake it for White Castle. It was built in a similar style to White Castle, with white fortress-like structures, and it opened in 1926, five years after White Castle. The White Tower also had the Towerettes, a group of servers who were costumed in a strange manner, like nurses, in order to represent cleanliness. White Castle filed a lawsuit against the restaurant company, accusing it of unfair competition, hiring away one of its operators, and secretly photographing its new building designs. That marked the beginning of the end for them. White Tower reached its zenith in the 1950s, and today, only the Toledo, Ohio, the tower is still in operation.
White Tower Hamburgers
G.D. Ritzy’s Luxury Grill And Ice Creams
The atmosphere at Ritzy’s was extremely chill. The evocative art deco emblem was a nod to the Great Gatsby era. The hexagonal tile floor had a strangely hypnotic effect on me. The meals for the children were served in small cardboard convertibles. Crushed peanuts and fresh strawberry slices were sandwiched between two flawlessly grilled burgers at the 120-location business. Chocolate shakes are still a popular topic of discussion among nostalgic bloggers. Many of Ritzy’s supporters believe that the company has grown too quickly. In the early 1990s, stores began to close without providing an explanation. Three remain in Evansville, Indiana, and two brothers have recently recreated the concept in Clintonville, Ohio, according to the Associated Press.
G.D. Ritzy’s Luxury Grill And Ice Creams
The Original House of Pies
Al Lapin Jr., popularly recognized as the founder of International House of Pancakes and Orange Julius, established his first restaurant in Houston in 1965. The pi symbol was featured prominently in the innovative circular logo, which was inspired by cottage-style white buildings with pink trim. The egg-cream custard pie, sweet potato pie, and Texas pecan fudge were among the 60-pie assortment. They were small morsels of bliss on a plate. In the 1970s, eight franchisees brought a class action case against the company, which was extremely expensive to resolve. Although the corporation went out of business in 1986, four separately owned stores are still in operation in Houston.
The Original House Of Pies
Bresler’s Ice Cream
William J. Bresler was able to survive the Great Depression by operating an ice cream stand in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Later, he purchased an ice cream manufacturing plant and began selling ice cream wholesale. In 1954, he took advantage of the drive-in restaurant trend by opening Henry’s Hamburgers in his garage. It was given that name in honor of his brother. 1962 marked the beginning of the Bresler’s 33 Flavors ice cream franchise. Bresler passed away in 1985. As of 1987, the chain had 300 locations when it was sold to the Oberweis Dairy Company. Bresler’s Ice Cream was renamed, and frozen yogurt was added to the lineup.
Bresler’s Ice Cream
Boston Sea Party
Surprisingly little information is available about this chain that was inspired by the Bicentennial of the United States. Approximately 1976 marked the year that International Multifoods began constructing restaurants in major convention locations. Customers had their Christmas party deposits forfeited when the Houston store abruptly shuttered in 1994, according to the Houston Business Journal, although the restaurant in Atlanta remained open until at least 2000, according to the publication. Brick floors, white linen, and candles are all things that come to mind. The waitresses came costumed as characters such as Betsy Ross or Paul Revere. Diners could choose from live Maine lobster, filet mignon, or fresh grilled fish, and they could help themselves to an unlimited buffet.
Boston Sea Party
Koo Koo Roo
To their credit, the two Los Angeles restaurateurs who launched the brand in 1988 provided high-quality, low-calorie chicken at a time when their competitors were deep-frying their chicken. When Koo Koo Roo, named after the crow of a rooster, first went public in the 1990s, it appeared to be a promising venture. The skinless chicken breasts were marinated in vegetable oil and then broiled until cooked through. Beans and salads in the Mediterranean style were the only side dishes. The high cost of rent in California, along with fierce competition, proved to be the death knell for Koo Koo Roo, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2003.
Koo Koo Roo
Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse
If you’ve ever eaten in one of these establishments, you’ll remember it. Timber, an animatronic talking pine tree, advised Timber’s favorite dishes, which he enjoyed. As you cut into your steak, creepy moose and buffalo heads appeared out of nowhere and began teaching you about the history of Canada or singing old-time tunes. A raccoon suddenly stuck its head out of a fake tree stump and looked you straight in the eyes. Bugaboo Creek’s alcoholic beverages were in high demand, which was understandable. After the chain went bankrupt in 2010, it was forced to close all 30 of its stores by 2016. Children who have smartphones and iPads are becoming increasingly difficult to impress.
Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse
Pup ‘N’ Taco
First and foremost, the name is terrible and has the potential to be misinterpreted. That could explain why it made its way into movies and Johnny Carson’s monologues, among other places. Pup ‘N’ Taco first opened its doors in 1956 in Long Beach, California. Traditional drive-in dining was provided alongside tacos and pastrami sandwiches, among other things. Until 1965, the “pup” represented the wiener in a hot dog, while the “dog” meant the hot dog itself. Taco Bell purchased 99 stores in major real estate markets in 1984, marking the beginning of the company’s expansion. They were known as Pop ‘N’ Taco until the 2010s in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they were still in operation.
Pup ‘N’ Taco
Lum’s
In 1956, two brothers expanded a 16-seat Miami hot dog business to accommodate more customers. They marinated the wieners in Budweiser and subsequently expanded their menu. From the 1950s to the 1970s, there were 450 Lums in the United States. The awnings of the restaurants were red and white striped, and the railings were made of ornate white iron. Lum’s founders paid $60 million for Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas in 1969 and sold the company to John Y. Brown, the inventor of Kentucky Fried Chicken, in 1971 for a total of $125 million. Lum’s flopped under new management in 1982, despite the existence of a top-secret, 32-spice Ollieburger recipe that had cost Brown $1 million.
Lum’s
Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour
The steep sections, singing waiters, and screeching train whistles are all memories that will last a lifetime. Children that are hyperactive have never had it so good. In 2016, entrepreneur Marcus Lemonis made a significant investment in the struggling 53-year-old restaurant franchise. Lemonis’ money was squandered by two of his senior subordinates, resulting in a loss of approximately $1 million. The director of operations, on the other hand, was unwavering in his commitment to the success of the chain. Lemonis presented the director with a check for $50,000. The episode of “The Profit” on CNBC chronicled the saga. Unfortunately, the last remaining Farrell’s closed its doors in June of this year. Its out-of-date theme and filling fare signaled the end of the show.
Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour
Steak and Ale
In 1966, restaurant magnate Norman Brinker opened the first location of this Tudor-style steakhouse business in Dallas, Texas. Known for its warm, dimly lit rooms, filled armchairs, bookcases, an infinite salad bar, and reasonably priced steaks and prime rib, it is a favorite among locals. It was known as Jolly Ox in regions where references to alcoholic beverages were not permitted in restaurant names. Steak and Ale was sold numerous times until going out of business in 2008. The current owner, Legendary Restaurant Brands, has guaranteed that the restaurant will reopen in 2016. We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Steak And Ale
Official All-Star Café
Although this chain had only ten sites, they were in high-profile areas such as Las Vegas, Cancun, and Walt Disney World. Shaquille O’Neal, Tiger Woods, and Monica Seles were among the many celebrities that contributed to the fund’s success, according to the company. Cindy Crawford and Whoopi Goldberg were in attendance at the Manhattan premiere in 1995. The restaurant-sports memorabilia combination, which was owned by Planet Hollywood, had great ambitions. According to reports, the flash and glam cost $15 million per restaurant. Average, outrageously priced pub cuisine will not get you anywhere, and the novelty will wear off quickly. The final location, which closed in 2007, was the last one left.
Official All Star Café
ESPN Zone
Consider the following to get a sense of the atmosphere: The prototype from 1996 contained a total of 13,000 square feet of television displays. It was just a matter of time before the Disney-owned restaurants became even more bizarre. Dining rooms were more akin to performance spaces. They had two levels that could accommodate 550 visitors, who could watch one of 200 television screens. There were arcades as well as a 10,000-square-foot arena where people could play games. There were also competitions for people who stayed at home all day. No one has any recollection of the meal served. Beginning in 2010, Disney began to close the restaurants. It’s possible that they were a victim of the recession.
ESPN Zone