Iconic Restaurant Chains That Most People Today Won’t Ever Get A Chance To Experience
Ahh, the joys of taking a trip to a chain restaurant with the family and having a great meal at a reasonable price. It was always exciting when you knew mom and dad were going to treat you to a meal you'd never get at home, especially with seemingly endless franchises to choose from. Unfortunately, not every restaurant chain can stand the test of time, and for a variety of different reasons — some more disturbing than others — plenty of classic eateries have had to close their doors. Do you remember eating a hot meal at any of these defunct joints?
Burger Chef
This popular burger joint, at one point in time, rivaled McDonald's with over 1,000 locations nationwide. Unfortunately, in 1981, it was sold to Hardee's due to irresponsible business practices.
Howard Johnson's
Launched in the 1920s, this restaurant/hotel chain had over 1,000 establishments by the '60s. After a few decades, however, the restaurants died out, and the hotel part was sold. There was only one Howard Johnson's still in business in 2016, and in 2017, it closed for good.
Lum's
In 1956, two brothers, Clifford and Stuart Pearlman, launched the first Lum's in Florida. Their "beer-steamed" hotdogs were popular enough for the two to open 400 locations, but the brothers eventually sold the chain to KFC for $4 million.
Kenny Rogers Roasters
Immortalized in a classic episode of Seinfeld, this chicken chain was launched in 1990 by country singer Kenny Rogers. Unfortunately, the chain just couldn't break into an already saturated market, and in 1998, Nathan's bought up the restaurants.
