Restaurant

Lone Star Steakhouse - #9

Founded in 1989 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Lone Star Steakhouse & Saloon quickly became a prominent player in the casual dining steakhouse market.

Under the leadership of Jamie B. Coulter, the chain experienced rapid expansion in the early 1990s.

Key milestones:

1992: Went public with 8 restaurants
Mid-90s: Reached peak with over 260 locations
1993 to 1995: Named "best small company" by Forbes magazine

Lone Star's success was short-lived. The chain faced numerous challenges leading to it's downfall, including: Market saturation and competition from other steakhouse chains; Inconsistent food quality; Poor stock market performance despite a booming economy; and controversial management decisions, including price increases and reduced advertising.

The timeline:

2006: Bought out by private equity firm Lone Star Funds
2008-2009: Closed over 50 underperforming locations
2013: Sold to Day Star Restaurant Group
2017: Filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy

Today, one Lone Star Steakhouse remains, but you would be hard-pressed to get to it as it's located in Guam.

Chess King - #48

If you walked through any mall in the 80s and left with an acid-washed jean jacket, parachute pants, or a skinny leather tie, you probably know Chess King. In 1967, traveling salespeople from Melville Corporation's Thom McAn shoe division spotted a gap: young men had nowhere to shop

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Bon-Ton - #47

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙪𝙥 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙞𝙙𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙋𝙚𝙣𝙣𝙨𝙮𝙡𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙖, 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝘽𝙤𝙣-𝙏𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚. Carson's. Younkers. Elder-Beerman. Bergner's. All the same company. All gone. The beginning started in 1898 when Max Grumbacher and his father Samuel open a one-room millinery store in York, Pennsylvania. The Timeline: 𝟭𝟵𝟮𝟵: The company incorporates. "Bon-Ton" (French for "high society") becomes

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Chess King - #48

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Bon-Ton - #47