Nostalgic Retail Series
Sweet Tomatoes began its journey in 1978 in San Diego, California, with a vision to provide fresh, wholesome food in a welcoming, family-friendly environment. Its all-you-can-eat buffet featured salads, soups, pastas, and baked goods made from scratch. The concept resonated with customers, and Sweet Tomatoes expanded across the country, becoming
Nostalgic Retail Series
ShowBiz Pizza Place has a really interesting beginning and a fate which lives on through Chuck E. Cheese. Wikipedia summed it up best: "Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell, responsible for creating the first widely recognized video game, Pong, headed a project in the mid-1970s for Atari to launch the first
Nostalgic Retail Series
Founded in 1983 in St. Cloud, Minnesota by Roe Hatlen and C. Dennis Scott, Old Country Buffet quickly became a staple in the American dining scene. Hatlen and Scott leveraged their experience from International King’s Table to create a buffet-style operation that was both economical and appealing to customers.
Nostalgic Retail Series
Go ahead...say it. This is a hotel chain, not a restaurant chain. Well, you are partially correct. Howard Deering Johnson opened the first Howard Johnson's restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1925. "The first Howard Johnson's restaurant received a tremendous boost in 1929, owing to
Restaurant
From over 100 locations in 17 states to 5 locations in Florida, here is the Po' Folks' story: Founded in 1975 in Anderson, South Carolina by Malcolm Hare, the American family restaurant chain's name was inspired by the 1961 song of the same name by Bill
Restaurant
Lum's was founded in 1956 in Miami Beach, Florida by Stuart and Clifford Perlman when they purchased Lum's hot dog stand for $10,000. "Lum's began aggressively expanding and franchising; the signature item was hot a hot dog steamed in beer." [Wikipedia]
Nostalgic Retail Series
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
Nostalgic Retail Series
Founded in Portland, Oregon in 1963 by Bob Farrell and Ken McCarthy, this chain of ice cream parlors and sandwiches was know for it early 1900's theme (including employee uniforms) and the famous player piano at each location. Purchased by Marriott Corporation in 1975, Farrell's grew
Nostalgic Retail Series
Founded in Richfield, Minnessota in 1976, Chi-Chi's was founded by Marno McDermott and former Green Bay Packer, Max McGee. Marno's wife carried the nickname Chi Chi which is why the Mexican restaurant was so-named. It was known as the first Mexican-inspired restaurant chain. In 1987, Hormel
Restaurant
Founded in Indianapolis in 1954, Burger Chef was created by Frank and Donald Thomas as a result of their patented flame broiler (patented under the parent company, General Equipment Corporation). Burger Chef grew at an astounding pace with a core focus of small, suburban towns across the United States. In
Nostalgic Retail Series
Founded in late 1991 with celebrity backers like Sly Stallone, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Plaanet Hollywood is a themed restaurant that built on Hollywood and celebrities. Aggressive expansion took place throughout the 90’s, including adding a sports themed restaurant, Official All Star Cafe. Running fast and
Restaurant
Founded in 1991 by the musician, Kenny Rogers and former KFC CEO John Y. Brown Jr., this wood-fired rotisserie chicken chain's first location was in Coral Springs, FL. The chain grew to 350+ restaurants internationally and then faced a lawsuit in 1992 from Clucker's over claims