12 restaurant chains you loved that don't exist anymore

[Metro Jacksonville]

12 restaurant chains you loved that don't exist anymore



One thing we learn in life is that businesses come and go. Even the places once thought to be large enough to last forever. Here's 12 popular North American restaurant chains that did not stand the test of time.

Read More: https://www.moderncities.com/article/2017-dec-12-restaurant-chains-you-loved-that-dont-exist-anymore

[lowlyplanner]

What about Miami Subs?  Their food was actually good, and they had a fascinating rise and fall story.

[Wacca Pilatka]

Good topic.  "Long Gone Regional Chains" is by far the most popular discussion topic of all time on Roadfood, another forum I like to visit.

Lum's is another Florida-born chain that just exists in memory now.

Of course with Maple Street, Metro Diner, the Hyppo, and so forth, northeast Florida seems like ground zero for popular new restaurant concepts to become chains now.

[TimmyB]

I was so glad to see Bill Knapp's on there.  My mom was a 35-year BK employee, and I had hundreds of memories from there.  It was really sad to see the company run into the ground by their final management team.  It was especially painful as I spent the last 30 years living and working in Battle Creek, not a mile from their headquarters.  To see that place become an indoor storage facility was very depressing.

[acme54321]

What about Miami Subs?  Their food was actually good, and they had a fascinating rise and fall story.

They just reopened one in regency and they never went away completely.  I used to love that place as a kid.  Last time I went to one a few years ago it was in some Miami ghetto and they stole my credit card numbers 

[jaxlongtimer]

Of the chains listed, I can recall (locations I remember in brackets) that at least Steak & Ale (Baymeadows), Morrison's (Ameris/Gulf Life Tower, Wells Fargo/Independent Life Tower & more), Roadhouse Grill (Old St. Augustine Road), Howard Johnson's (Phillips Highway), Kenny Rogers (San Jose Blvd.), Bennigans (Regency Square) and Denny's were in Jax.  Not sure, but I believe some of the others were too, my family just didn't patronize them.

How about Jack-in-the-Box (University Blvd. W.)?  It's still around, but not in this area anymore.  At one time, it was owned by the animal food company, Ralston Purina, and I thought its burgers came from one of their factories based on how bad they were.  Even the bushes outside were plastic .  Also still around is Boston Market (San Jose), Swensen's (San Jose), Grandy's (San Jose Blvd.), A&W (Beach Blvd.) and Village Inn (San Jose) but not in Jax anymore.

There was also Victoria Station (Arlington), Big Daddy's nightclub (Beach Blvd.), Valle's Steakhouse (University Blvd. S.), Milligans (a NE Fla. burger chain), Specialty Restaurants (L&N at the Landing) and, in a similarly named corporation (Crawdaddy's on the Southbank and Hendersons/Bugsy's Hideaway/94th Aero Squadron at Craig Airport), Shoney's (University Blvd. W.) and Ryans Steakhouse (University Blvd. W.)   Not sure if Smugglers and Firefox on Baymeadows were chains or not in their day.  Pic N' Save stores also had buffets throughout NE Florida.

Others that may have been in Jax at one time include S&W Cafeteria, Frisch's Big Boy and Burger Chef but I will leave it to others to confirm.

No doubt there are many more but in the day's of yore, chains were far less prevalent than they are today.

Jax's biggest restaurant claim to fame:  Home of the world's first Burger King on University Blvd. near Phillips Highway!

Originally called Insta-Burger, the first Burger King was founded by Keith J. Kramer and his wife’s uncle-in-law Matthew Burns in Jacksonville, Florida. With the help of their “Insta-Broilers”— ovens capable of cooking 400 burgers per hour—the two went on to open multiple Insta-Burger restaurants and become a franchise. In 1959, Kramer and Burns sold the company to Insta-Burger franchisees James McLamore and David R. Edgerton, who changed the name to Burger King. A place called Stan’s Sandwich now operates out of the original location.

http://mentalfloss.com/article/54809/original-locations-15-famous-food-chains

I also think the Hooters on San Jose Blvd. was #2 and for about a year, the company was HQ'd in Jax, having moved from Clearwater.  From here, it moved to Atlanta.  Maybe someone can corroborate this.

[thelakelander]

I've always heard the first Burger King was on Beach Boulevard, not University and Philips. I never went, but I do remember a Chi Chi's on Arlington Expressway and a Clock on North Main Street (near Evergreen Cemetery).

[jaxlongtimer]

I've always heard the first Burger King was on Beach Boulevard, not University and Philips.

Lake, I have heard otherwise but this article, http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/abel-harding/2010-09-03/remembering-burger-kings-jacksonville-roots, in the Times Union from 2010 supports your position:

Nearly six decades ago, Kieth Kramer and Matthew Burns rolled out the “Insta-broiler,” a revolutionary oven said to produce 400 burgers per hour.

The nifty invention drew the attention of Jacksonville businessman Ben Stein, who invested in the company. With burgers priced at 18 cents a piece, a new hamburger joint, Insta-Burger King, became all the rage in 1950s Jacksonville.

Beach Boulevard was home to the first location — Stan’s Sandwich sits there today — and Arlington Expressway and Main St., locations would soon follow.

Stein acquired the national franchise rights and eventually sold the trademark to James McLamore and David Egerton, two Miami businessmen who would lead a nationwide expansion. Burger King had taken off.

[JaxNative68]

a&w drive-in also disappeared. I used to love going the one on beach blvd as a kid. the root beer floats were the best.