Late, lamented (or unlamented) fast-food chains

[Darth K'Trava]

I miss Chi-Chi's - I know they're still around, but not here. I wish we had a Long John Silver's here, too. And a Rocky Rococo's - but not the way they are now, the way they were in 1985. (They say they haven't changed their recipe, but I say BS: I REMEMBER how they tasted, and what we had in Champlain, IL a couple of years ago was NOT it.) Taco Bell is still around, but I wish they still had the BellBeefer. (Yes, I can make them at home, but sometimes it would be convenient to pick one up from them.)

I haven't been to Chi-Chi's but once. They had good food.

I miss Pizza Inn. I know they're still around - I even have one within about 45 miles - but they aren't the same at all since they ditched the castle motif interiors. The ambiance of brick and sconces in enclosed booths somehow made the pizza taste better.

We still have one in town. Right around the corner from where I work. We used to have KAG meetings there.

And finally, I miss Showbiz Pizza. I know Chuck E Cheese is still around, and they bought Showbiz - but back when they were "Showbiz" they still had an actual ARCADE.

Arcade: the real reason you went there!

 

[wingsandsword]

- Chi-Chi's does seem to be slowly vanishing.

Huh, I thought they were gone completely. After that big food poisoning outbreak a little more than a year ago with the hepatitis and several deaths, they all closed down around here. Something about 4 people dying from food poisoning at your places in rapid succession being extremely bad for business. This news article (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_40_38/ai_n6232955) also says the entire chain closed as of September 2004.

If there are any around, where are they?

Oh, and Torm, thanks for the recipe

 

[Torm]

If there are any around, where are they?

Oh, and Torm, thanks for the recipe

No problem.

And you're right - Chi-Chi's IS gone. Didn't realize they had sold out their locations to Outback Steakhouse. Not sure if the company still exists and is licensing the Chi-Chi's name to Hormel for their line of grocery store products, or if Hormel bought what was left of them, but they sell the salsa at the Bi-Lo about two miles from here.

 

[kenobi65]

This news article also says the entire chain closed as of September 2004.

Huh, I'd missed that. Ah, well...I was never a fan of their food, anyway.

Side note: when I worked on the Applebee's account at our ad agency, I once did focus groups in Boston. A lot of the people we talked to there told us that Chili's was where they went for Mexican food there. (While you might call some of Chili's menu "Tex-Mex", it's a real stretch to call it Mexican food.) If there's anyone from Boston reading this thread: is Mexican food really that hard to come by in New England?

 

[kenobi65]

Not sure if the company still exists and is licensing the Chi-Chi's name to Hormel for their line of grocery store products, or if Hormel bought what was left of them, but they sell the salsa at the Bi-Lo about two miles from here.

Acc. to that article that wingandsword found, the company (a holding company called Prandium) still exists...or did as of that writing...but they'd sold the Chi-Chi's trademark to Hormel, at least for use in products sold in grocery stores.

 

[Darth K'Trava]

No problem.

And you're right - Chi-Chi's IS gone. Didn't realize they had sold out their locations to Outback Steakhouse. Not sure if the company still exists and is licensing the Chi-Chi's name to Hormel for their line of grocery store products, or if Hormel bought what was left of them, but they sell the salsa at the Bi-Lo about two miles from here.

Around here, Bi-Lo changed their name to Southern Foods. Don't know if it was a buyout or what...

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

We used ot go down across the border for American food, but I think the last Shakey's Pizza and Sambo's Fmily restaurants are long closed

Still have Shakey's in the Milwaukee area. At least one, anyway; it's so bad that one of my friends refuses to eat there. I've never been, so I can not verifiy to horribleness of the establishment.

Does anyone remember Red Barn? I used to go to one in Northern Virginia, somewhere between Seven Corners and Bailey's Crossroads (or that general area).

 

[Krieg]

Does anyone remember Red Barn? I used to go to one in Northern Virginia, somewhere between Seven Corners and Bailey's Crossroads (or that general area).

Yep...

One local Ohio/Indiana chain that is long gone is Red Barn. To this day I still think they had the best tasting hamburger I ever found at a fast food place.

 

[Templetroll]

I remember a Gino's in Philly, but not Geno's. Gino's had better burgers but guess couldn't fight the big guys.

QD, we actually have one of the Little Ceasar's stuffed dolls. Only 4 inches high, in a toga and an artistically placed strand of chest hair.... you can put your finger in the back of his head to make his mouth move when you said "Pizza! Pizza!"

There used to be a drive-in restaurant in philly, just down the street from the tastycake factory. It was one you could eat in the car, with a tray on the window. They had burgers and all that, and fried chicken. the mascot was a hillbilly I think, at least for the fried chicken.

 

[pogre]

Jack in the Box is still huge in the St. Louis area, but nothing north of Litchfield, IL. Although they used to be everywhere, but I don't know of any Stuckeys still in biz.