Rainforest Café
Rainforest Café changed the game with its clever concept. Twenty years ago, a restaurant that was jungle-themed was an excellent idea, and people loved the plastic trees, waterfalls, and animatronic animals.
On top of the amazing theme, the restaurant served really good food that customers couldn’t get enough of. However, its popularity dwindled, and there are only 23 locations left.
Planet Hollywood
Planet Hollywood was more than a restaurant; it was a cultural phenomenon. The magic of this restaurant wasn’t in its food but in its theme, and many celebrities helped promote it back in the day.
Each location used to make $15 million in sales, and the brand even expanded to other countries. Now there are only six locations left, and the brand is focusing on creating luxury hotels.
Baja Fresh
Baja Fresh started out before Mexican restaurants were popular. In the 1990s, they didn’t have as much competition as they do today. In 2002, the company was bought by Wendy’s and then, everything changed.
Its sales started declining while other Mexican restaurants, such as Chipotle, became huge. There used to be 300 Baja Fresh locations, but now there are 165 currently in business.
TCBY
TCBY stood for ‘This Can’t Be Yogurt’ when the company was created. This drew a lawsuit from a competitor, so it was changed to ‘The Country’s Best Yogurt.’ Although it enjoyed many years of success, the company has struggled to keep its customers in recent years.
It went from 1,800 locations around the country to only 350, and the number is expected to get smaller. With so many newer, trendier frozen yogurt companies around, it’s hard to stay popular.
Quiznos
Quiznos was founded in Denver in 1981. It didn’t take long for the company to open hundreds of locations all over the world. But as quickly as it spread, the chain started vanishing.
The number of Quiznos locations went from 5,000 to only 400, and it seems that it’s only getting smaller. In 2014, the company filed for bankruptcy.
Chi-Chi’s
Chi-Chi’s is a Mexican restaurant chain that was founded in Minnesota. For many years, the company found a lot of success and opened hundreds of restaurants all over the US and Canada.
Unfortunately, there are no Chi-Chi’s left in North America. However, several locations can still be found in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Tony Roma’s
Tony Roma used to oversee the menu for the Playboy Club. In 1972, he opened his first namesake restaurant, and it became a franchise all over the country.
Tony Roma’s had more than 160 locations in the United States, but that number has been significantly reduced. In spite of that, the chain has found success overseas.
Chock Full O’Nuts
Chock Full O’Nuts is a coffee brand that was founded in 1926. Somehow, it survived the Great Depression and reached its peak in the 1970s. Many sandwich and coffee shops were established in the New York area at that time.
When founder William Black passed away in 1983, most locations closed. In 2010, a few locations were reopened, and there are currently six left.
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers was a famous actor and singer, known for his work in Western films. In the 1930s, he earned the nickname ‘King of Cowboys.’ Three decades later, Rogers licensed his name to a chain of burger restaurants.
In 1991, the business was sold to a new owner, and this event triggered the downfall of the company. The Roy Rogers chain went from 600 locations to just 50.
The Brown Derby
The Brown Derby was a staple in Hollywood during its golden age. Movie stars would often visit the restaurant, and many famous movie deals were made there.
Three more restaurants were opened in the Los Angeles area, but by the 1980s, they were all gone. There is currently one Brown Derby left, and you can find it at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, thanks to a licensing deal.
Ground Round
Ground Round was huge in the 1970s and 1980s. The chain was famous for hosting children’s birthday parties, and Bingo the Clown, its mascot, was very popular with kids.
But as times changed, the company did not adapt to newer trends and became outdated. Today, there are fewer than 25 locations open.
Dog n Suds
Dog n Suds was extremely successful in the 1950s. Back then, drive-in-style restaurants with an in-car carhop service were very popular, but this trend didn’t last long.
In 1968, the company had 650 in 38 states, most of them in the Midwest. Today, only ten restaurants are still open.
Damon’s Grill
Damon’s Grill was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1979. It stood out because it was part sports bar and part steakhouse, and its success allowed it to grow to 140 locations.
Damon’s focused on traditional food while other businesses offered more variety to their customers, and this made the company lose popularity. Today, there are only three restaurants left.
Bennigan’s
Bennigan’s was founded in Atlanta in 1976. The Irish-themed restaurant experienced steady growth for many years, but in the last two decades, it has struggled to stay afloat.
The company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and shut down 150 locations overnight. After this heavy blow, the chain is still standing, but with just 13 restaurants left.
Old Country Buffet
Buffets were extremely popular in the early 2000s, and many chains, such as Old Country Buffet, found success at this time. The all-you-can-eat business model worked pretty well for the company for several years.
Sadly, it has experienced a steady decline over the last decade. After declaring bankruptcy more than once and closing many locations, Old Country Buffet has 80 restaurants standing.
Howard Johnson’s
Howard Johnson’s is mostly known for being a hotel and motel chain, but there was a time when it was the largest restaurant chain in the US. During the 1960s and 1970s, the company had over 1,000 restaurants all over the country.
In the 1980s, the restaurants and motels were franchised separately, which caused the restaurant part of the business to lose popularity. Surprisingly, there is only one restaurant left, and it is located in Lake George, New York.
Kewpee
Kewpee is one of the oldest restaurant chains in America. The first location opened its doors in 1918, and now, over 100 years later, the company is still around.
This is no small feat, but the chain is barely hanging on. It went from having 400 locations to just five: one in Michigan, one in Wisconsin, and three in Ohio.
Gino’s Hamburgers
Gino’s Hamburgers was named after one of its co-founders, NFL player Gino Marchetti. Although it was never as successful as other big chains, Gino’s had more than 350 locations during its peak.
In 1982, Gino’s was bought by Marriott Corp., which turned its locations into Roy Rogers restaurants. There are only two restaurants left that are still named Gino’s.
Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips
Much like Roy Rogers, Arthur Treacher was a famous actor who capitalized on his popularity to make it big in the restaurant business. Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips was founded in the 1960s and it expanded rather quickly.
In the 1970s, the price of cod skyrocketed, which was the beginning of the end for the business. Nowadays, there are only seven locations left.
Kenny Rogers Roasters
Country singer Kenny Rogers founded Kenny Rogers Roasters in 1991. The chain’s slogan is ‘World’s Greatest Chicken,’ and for many years, it was.
Nowadays, however, there’s not a single location left in the United States. Yet, the company is still thriving overseas, with most locations operating in Malaysia.
York Steak House
York Steak House restaurants were primarily located in shopping malls. The chain had a knights-of-the-round-table theme that people loved during the 1970s and 1980s.
When the company was sold to new owners in 1989, all locations were shut down except for one. The remaining restaurant is in Columbus, Ohio.
Ollie’s Trolley
John Y. Brown Jr. was the man responsible for making KFC a national chain. He tried to do the same with Ollie’s Trolley, a restaurant he discovered while in Miami Beach, Florida.
Ollie’s Trolley grew to 100 locations nationwide in the 1970s, but it did not manage to achieve the same level of success as KFC. There are only three remaining restaurants in the country.
Blimpie
Blimpie is the oldest submarine sandwich chain in the United States. It was founded in 1964, and it stayed strong for several decades. In the early 2000s, the chain had over 2,000 locations both in the US and overseas.
Today, however, only 250 locations still exist. The original Blimpie restaurant, located in Hoboken, New Jersey, closed in 2017.
Chicken Delight
Before KFC became what it is today, there was Chicken Delight. In the early 1960s, it had over 1,000 locations all over the country and was even a big part of pop culture.
Its fried chicken made appearances in popular TV shows such as Bewitched. Over the years, however, the company lost its sparkle. Nowadays, there are only 25 locations still in operation.
Big Boy
Big Boy used to be one of the biggest restaurant chains in America. It opened in 1936 as Bob’s Pantry and slowly evolved into a big player in the restaurant industry. The most notable thing about this chain is the Big Boy statues that stand outside the restaurants.
These statues are so famous that even The Simpsons did a parody of them. Unfortunately, this chain has lost its popularity over the years. At the moment, there are 200 restaurants left in business.