Founded in 1977, the chain focused on gourmet burgers. The chain quickly became successful having over 1,500 locations all around the world. Founded in 1933, this chain was around for nearly seven decades, the last location closing in the year 2000. They offered hamburgers, cajun wings, chopped BBQ sandwiches, and frankfurters. Despite the rustic exterior, Red Barn was known for being ahead of its time when it came to the food it served. Designed to be iconic (hence its distinctive shape), the restaurant and its three additional locations, which followed quickly, became a playground for Hollywood royalty, wannabes and ordinary folks looking to shine for a moment among the stars,Finding Lost Angelesreports. 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. Kenny would be proud. As the popularity and variety of Mexican restaurants grew, Chi-Chi's began to suffer the consequences. No one purchased the rights and trademark of the chain from Golds estate. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Despite having a taco on their name, they served a variety of dishes like hamburgers, pastrami sandwiches, and hotdogs. So, which of these restaurants do you miss the most? Even though Shor reopened a year later, the restaurant's heyday had passed. These are the reasons why these restaurants have been successful over time. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Unfortunately, after filing for bankruptcy in 1998, all but one of the stores were closed. Is this considered an old restaurant chain? Hundreds of restaurants and venues have shut their doors for good as firms have tumbled into administration and launched dramatic restructuring deals to keep them trading. Started in the early 1960s and popular in the 1970s, Mr. Steak managed to hold on until the 1990s, but the family-friendly steakhouse chain has now been defunct since the days Vanilla Ice was at his peak, according to Nation's Restaurant News. Chain restaurants aren't just places where we go to grab a cheap mealto some of us, they're cherished institutions that are a part of our heritage. Arthur Treacher's presentation was decidedly more British than its competitors because of its heavy use of malt vinegar and the involvement of its namesake, Arthur Treacher, the sidekick on the popular "The Merv Griffin Show" and a well-known character actor his many roles as a stuffy English butler. They didnt offer a drive-in and didnt bother to expand and diversify their menu. The eatery was not without controversy though, as the name is a derogatory slang word used towards African Americans. In 1982, the company was sold to Marriott and used as a foothold to expand their chain, Roy Rogers. Over the years the West Hollywood restaurant became famous for its Academy Award after parties as much as it was known for its chili. People lined up just to eat at Mighty Caseys. The series ran on CITV for three series and 33 episodes, between 1990 and 1992. Alongside the administrations, these restaurants have launched CVA restructuring processes to avoid insolvency: The pizza chain finally felt the pressure of its hefty debt burden in 2020 after the pandemic forced its restaurants to shut their doors. Following that sale, more locations were sold in 1984 and 1989, bringing the VIP's story to an end once and for all. The original spot was launched in the 1950s, and the chain grew based on its popular beer-steamed hot dogs, fried seafood, and frosted glass beers. 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. The group had planned to expand with 30 new sites in 2020 but saw growth plans halted by the pandemic, which heavily impacted its sales at city centre and travel hub locations. In 1981, Hardee's scooped up Burger Chef for $44 million. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Chain restaurants like Applebee's, Fridays, Chili's and Outback may dominate highways and mall [], By Libby Birk And by the early 2000s, all the Beefsteak Charlie's restaurants that remained had shuttered. Founded in 1978, there were more than 100 locations by 1985 but by 1987, it had sold 90 percent of its restaurants to Hardee's after ceasing to franchise in 1986 and filing for bankruptcy. Get the best food tips and diet advice Even with the overall success of the fast food and sit down restaurant industry, many chains have been unable to survive recessions, depressions, and major changes in the food industry. They also offered a salad bar, free beverages, and dessert. 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. Pizza Hut said the move would protect about 5,000 jobs across its remaining restaurants as well as the "longevity" of the business. Bar chain Revolution closed six sites permanently and cut 130 roles after its major restructuring was given the go ahead. The chain, which was co-founded by former Masterchef champion Thomasina Miers, closed 10 of its restaurants after Covid-19 hammered profitability. Some of these chains you will surely remember; others may be news to you, but were once near and dear to many. In the summer of 2014, all Crumbs Bake Shops were closed and the company filed for bankruptcy. Here are some of the most iconic American restaurant chains that have fallen from grace. Sadly, the last storefront with the name closed in 1996. However, the chain closed quietly over the years, and the last one was shut down in 1994. 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. If this sounds like a remix of the Big Mac theme song embedded in all of our brains, you're not alone. Oddly enough, you can still find Chi-Chi's restaurants in Belgium, Luxembourg, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. Originally started as a candy store in New York in 1898. McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Burger King weren't always the fast-food giants they are now. But sadly, this restaurant was brought-out by Krystal in 1994. 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. At one point, the flagship store with its gorgeous clocks, Tiffany ceiling, and. They closed out all the All Star Caf stores in 2007. The kiss of death for the franchise came in 2003 when a Hepatitis outbreak in the food supply led to three customer deaths. 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. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); The Healthiest Breakfast Items At McDonald's, 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. But the only place you'll find Chi-Chi's in America is in the grocery store, where Chi-Chi's-branded products remain on the shelves. The Blue Horse, the Nankin, the Lincoln Del. Big Boy has endured since 1936, when the company got its start as Bob's Pantry. 6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e. And a bunch in Puerto Rico. Colts captain Gino Marchetti collaborated with Joe Campanella, Louis Fisher, and Alan Ameche to form this hamburger joint in 1959. In the '90s, one restaurant group decided to capitalize on the era of the supermodel. During the 1970s Henrys Hamburgers began to decline because they could not compete with other fast food chains. However, it hired administrators from KPMG in the summer after the virus halted its turnaround. Mexican restaurant chain Wahaca permanently shut the door to more than a third of its restaurants through its restructuring. 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. There is only one Henrys Hamburger store left and its located at Benton Harbor, Miami. Restaurants, pubs, bar, cafs and leisure venues were forced to shut their doors in March when the virus first struck the UK. For decades from now, we might not even see the popular classics or, of today. Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill. The Howard Johnson's hotel-restaurant chains began in the 1920s and evolved along with the American car culture. The hotel portion of the business has been sold off still existing in name, but with none of the classic HoJo design elements. HoJo's couldn't competewith new menus and cheaper prices, while emerging chains like McDonald's remained more popular with younger consumers. But unfortunately, business did not go well with Chi-chis. An outgrowth of the California-based health food craze of the 1970s, the first Souplantation opened in San Diego in 1978 (per the Los Angeles Times) and expanded across the nation in the 1980s and beyond. A public company with just eight locations in 1992, within a few years it had grown to be a chain with more than 250 units. .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? It was known for serving automated fast food. But they werent able to keep up with the competition and closed their last location in 2008. VIP's Sadly, fast food took a toll on the automat tradition during the 1960s and 70s, causing many Horn & Hardart locations to close. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. } else { As the chain opened more and more restaurants, especially in bigger cities, customers began objecting to the tone-deaf marketing. Beefsteak Charlie's was a huge success for a while in the 1980s, according to Retroist. Sign of the Dove is considered one of the lost gems of New York City after closing and eventually being demolished in 1998. Wasabi said it secured additional funding from its investors as it received approval for rent cuts across its estate. Steak and Ale Two Pesos Wag's Wetson's White Tower Hamburgers - one location remains in Toledo, Ohio [citation needed] The remaining locations were all converted into Hardee's, and Burger Chef said goodbye for good. Classic Restaurants Chains That No Longer Exist or Are Barely Surviving Today, some of the top fast food restaurants include the likes of Taco Bell, Wendy's, Subway, McDonald's etc. However, they were doomed by bad business practices, and Burger Chef was sold to Hardee's in 1981. Sadly, that expansion also set the chain up for incredible failure in the mid-1970s, when the U.S. energy crisis hit. (Also, don't confuse the defunct steakhouse chain with the online butcher Mr. Steak, by the way there's no relation.).