Late, lamented (or unlamented) fast-food chains

[kenobi65]

A&W's are very rare here; I only know of one in the whole Portland metro area.

A&W is now owned by the same company (YUM!; seriously, that's their name, they're a client of mine) that also owns KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Long John Silver's.

While there are very few of the old-style A&W drive-ins left, what you're seeing more of now are "combo" restaurants...for example, an A&W sharing a building, and a kitchen, with a Long John Silver's or a Taco Bell.

I miss Boston Market.

They're still around, though there may not be any in your area any more. They grew way too fast in the mid '90s, and have struggled mightily for years. McDonald's owns them now.

And why is it that the tv stations advertise chains like Long John Silver's and Sonic, but we don't have them here?

Because they're more-or-less national chains, even though they aren't in every single market, and it's more efficient for them to buy ad space nationally than in each market that they're in (and avoid the markets that they're not).

I know what you mean about Sonic ads; I've eaten there a few times when I've been out west, and really like them, but there aren't any in Chicago (the nearest ones look to be in St. Louis). Sonic is coast-to-coast, but they have pretty much avoided the northern states. I have a feeling it's because their concept is a drive-in (they generally have *no* inside dining area), and that may not work too well in places where it's really cold for a good chunk of the year.

 

[kenobi65]

I think these companies must have some relationship with PepsiCo, since they are often found together.

Indeed, you could say that.

KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut were all owned by Pepsico. In (IIRC) 1999, Pepsico spun the restaurants off into a separate company, called, at that time, Tricon.

A few years later, Tricon bought another holding company (whose name escapes me at the moment), which got them Long John Silver's and A&W. At about that same time, Tricon changed their name to YUM! Brands.

I'm not positive, but I'd be willing to bet that Pepsico still owns a chunk of YUM!; all of those restaurants serve Pepsi products.

(Oh, and even though you didn't ask...the A&W Root Beer that you can buy in the grocery store is produced by Dr Pepper / Seven-Up; they licensed the name and formula from A&W Restaurants back in the 1970s, long before the restaurants got bought out.)

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

My wife misses Boston Market and Fazoli's. I miss Sonic. They had all of those in KC, but none of them are in Richmond. Nearest Boston Market to us is in D.C., and there is a Sonic and a Fazoli's near the coast somewhere, but over an hour away. It makes us sad.

There is a Boston Market here in Charlottesville.

 

[loki44]

Does anyone remember Sandy's? I think it was a precursor to Hardees.

 

[Alenda]

There is a Sonic in Holly Springs, NC (just minutes from our house). I've only eaten there twice, but their ice cream treats are quite yummy.

There are also Boston Markets and Checkers here in NC. I didn't realize they were so rare in other parts of the country.

Restaurants that I remember fondly from my childhood:

Straw Hat Pizza (based in California). I remember that to my childish tastebuds, this was the best pizza ever.

Shoneys (Don't know if these are still around, but I loved their breakfast!)

And the greatest and most missed restaurant of all time:

Little Caesar's. (SIGH) I have yet to find any restaurant that can replicate the sheer yumminess of Crazy Bread. Just thinking about it makes me want to don a toga and chant "Pizza! Pizza!"

 

[WizarDru]

I know what you mean about Sonic ads; I've eaten there a few times when I've been out west, and really like them, but there aren't any in Chicago (the nearest ones look to be in St. Louis). Sonic is coast-to-coast, but they have pretty much avoided the northern states. I have a feeling it's because their concept is a drive-in (they generally have *no* inside dining area), and that may not work too well in places where it's really cold for a good chunk of the year.

Yeah, that's exactly why, near as I can tell. Let's face facts, folks aren't that motivated to go to a drive-in when it's 12 degrees out and icy. We finally went to our first sonic on a road trip this year as we were passing through Virginia. Until then, I didn't even realize they were a drive-in.

A&Ws and Long John Silvers are nowheres near us, although they are about. I just wish there was a LJS nearer to Philly than Allentown...we'd take the family there plenty.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

And the greatest and most missed restaurant of all time:

Little Caesar's. (SIGH) I have yet to find any restaurant that can replicate the sheer yumminess of Crazy Bread. Just thinking about it makes me want to don a toga and chant "Pizza! Pizza!"

There are plenty of Little Ceasar's around, most of them are in K-Mart's and strip malls.

 

[kenobi65]

Shoneys (Don't know if these are still around, but I loved their breakfast!)

Still around; mostly in the Midwest and South. They always struck me as being pretty much the same as Denny's (and that's not necessarily a compliment):
http://www.shoneys.com/travel/

Little Caesar's. (SIGH) I have yet to find any restaurant that can replicate the sheer yumminess of Crazy Bread. Just thinking about it makes me want to don a toga and chant "Pizza! Pizza!"

As Cthulhu's Librarian notes, they, too, are still around, though there aren't nearly as many of them as there were 10-15 years ago, when they spent like crazy in their knife-fight versus Domino's and Pizza Hut. Little Caesar's used to have the most imaginative ads, too. Too bad.

 

[Alenda]

Cthulu's Librarian wrote: "There are plenty of Little Ceasar's around, most of them are in K-Mart's and strip malls."

OK, so I did a Google Search online and there's a Little Caesar's in Fuquay-Varina!! Just a scant 15 minutes from our house. Ooooooh, I know what's for dinner tonight!

Thanks, CL.

 

[kenobi65]

Fuquay-Varina

That sounds like a swear word in Elven.