We Wish These Failed Restaurants Would Make A Comeback

"Oh, no! But why? I love that place!!" We've all been there — driving by our favorite eatery with its sign taken down. Or, perhaps, already in the parking lot, family in tow ready for a night out, now frowning in disappointment.

As loyal patrons, we might be oblivious to the reasons behind our favorite eateries closing their doors. Sometimes, it's the changing health and food trends that slow the foot traffic. Other times, it's fluctuating economic circumstances, mismanagement, or simply burnout or readiness to move on after years of service. Whatever the cause, we as consumers cannot help but feel nostalgic about our favorite places. When it comes to food, nostalgia plays on the senses — the taste of that burger sauce, the smell of a unique pasta dish with just the right amount of saltiness, or the sight of an old cafe logo that strangely makes the mouth water. Here are once-favored restaurants that no longer exist that we wish would make a comeback (and some of them actually are). Read on and get a dose of that nostalgia.

A predecessor of such bar-food joints as TGI Fridays and Houlihan's, H. A. Winston started as a family-run restaurant in Philadelphia in 1972. A pub setting and a simple menu of hamburgers, sandwiches, and the crowd-favorite french onion soup, paired with affordable prices, attracted families and bar patrons alike. The name H. A. Winston came from the owners' Herb and Allan Spivak's first initials put together with a name on an old sign the brothers found in the original Old City building.

In five years, founder Herb Spivak grew the business from a Philly bar into a franchise chain. Spreading from New Jersey down the coast to Virginia, the burger-focused eatery operated 22 locations by the end of the decade. "It just happened to be the right thing at the right place at the right time," Herb Spivak said in an interview at the time. "I'm not a psychiatrist. To be honest, I really don't know why, but it worked."

In the 1980s, finding staff became more difficult and H. A. Winston began closing locations, some company-owned and some franchised. In July of 1992, the last location on Chestnut and Locust Streets in Philadelphia served its last customer.

The nostalgia for H.A. Winsons centers around its homey atmosphere and the team spirit the staff created in all of the chain's locations. Reminiscing about family gatherings and memorabilia such as T-shirts and signs, online discussion groups bring back the memories of this beloved Philadelphia staple.

Once one the largest U.S. restaurant chains, Howard Johnson closed its last store in 2022. Since 1925, patrons across America had recognized the iconic orange roofs and blue steeples of "HoJo' along many of the nation's highways.

Coming in as a big selling point, a large variety of ice cream flavors awaited dinners with a sweet tooth. "I thought I had every flavor in the world. That '28' [flavors of ice cream] became my trademark," the founder Howard Deering Johnson said. "People of a certain age fondly associate HoJo's with family car trips around the time of the Eisenhower or maybe the Johnson administration," historian Paul Freedman writes in his book, "Ten Restaurants That Changed America."

In the time before drive-throughs, when Americans were on the move, HoJos provided comfort food in a modern setting. Highway travel entered its historic age, driving the business up. In the 1970s and 1980s, fast-food chains grew. Cheap, pre-frozen food served gave Americans quick and easy options. The blue steeple retired, giving way to modernity. The hotel portion of the business started in 1954 remains in business today.

Those who remember the familiar signs of the roadside diner's architecture reminisce about the family road trips that often included a visit for a meal and the memorable food items such as date-nut bread, buttered hotdogs on square toasted buns, and fried clams. Predictability and variety of food and, of course, all of the ice cream flavors still live in people's memories.

As road travel gave Americans a taste of freedom, buffet culture supported the notion. In the 1940s, abundance was just returning to the post-depression and post-war nation. A large variety of choices fit the bill.

The first American buffet started in Vegas with a simple goal in mind: keeping patrons inside the casino buildings. If gamblers didn't have to leave to eat, they'd stay and spend more money. From there, buffets grew across the county, providing an affordable way to dine out.

The turn of the century brought a wave of healthy lifestyles and declined interest in buffets and in cheap mediocre food. Buffet LLC, which owned a multitude of buffet brands, including Old Country Buffet, filed for bankruptcy three times. In 2017 following years of store closures, the corporate entity closed its remaining locations across 25 states. The final closure followed a lawsuit involving food poisoning at a Texan location.

As buffets fell out of fashion, especially after the pandemic, some still miss the affordable way to dine out and feed a crowd. "The price was right to go out with the family and not spend an arm and a leg," one Facebook user reminisces.

What happens when you put together an investor in KFC and a country singer? Kenny Rogers Roasters, that's what! Kenny Rogers partnered with John Y. Brown, a retired governor of Kentucky. In 1991, they opened a restaurant that served a variety of chicken dishes, riding the trend of roasted chicken nationwide. Expanding from the original location, the eatery added turkey, ribs, and sides to its menu and branched out. The company eventually operated 350 locations nationwide, with stores in Europe, Canada, and Asia.

In the early 2000s, Boston Market gained popularity, bringing competition. As trends go, so did this one. America's eating habits once again changed. In 2011, Kenny Rogers Roasters closed its last restaurant in North America.  Today, the company, no longer in the hands of its original owners, operates multiple locations in Asia.

What's missed about Kenny Rogers is the roasted chicken flavor unique to this eatery. Offering an alternative to fried chicken, the chain was considered a healthier fast food option. "It was different from KFC and Popeye's," one Reddit user recalls. "They had good corn bread too."

Chi-Chi's rose to popularity in the 1970s. In a power duo, Green Bay Packer's former wide receiver Max McGee partnered with restaurateur Marno McDermott. The two saw the growing demand for Mexican food in Minneapolis and created this long-living Mexican staple

Chi-chi's served Sonoman food, a milder version of Mexican fare from the Northwestern region of Sonoma. The Tex-Mex eatery brought "salsafication" to America, as the company's catchphrase stated, with more than 200 locations across the Midwest and the East Coast. Popular in the 1980s and 1990s, by the end of the century Chi-Chi's saw a decline in sales. Then, in 2003, a location in Pittsburg was a source of a hepatitis A outbreak, serving some contaminated green onions. Several hundred people got sick and four died as a result. The company never recovered from the unfortunate event, eventually filing for bankruptcy and closing its locations.

Reminiscing about the old favorite, people remember the vibrant atmosphere, festive waitstaff uniforms, and simple and delicious Tex-Mex food options. For those who miss it, we have great news. In 2024, original owner Marno McDermott's son, Michael McDermott announced his plans to reopen Chi-Chi's. He made a deal with Hormel Foods, a company that still owned the brand's trademark. With more details to come this year, Chi-Chi's fans can get ready for a comeback. Some do so by looking forward to new food items on the menu while hoping to leave some in the past.

Chi-Chi's rival, Don Pablo's, joined the Tex-Mex culinary scene in 1985. Originating in Texas, the chain was run by DF&R Restaurants Inc., and following its initial success, it spread to over 100 locations nationwide. Reaching its peak in the 1990s, Don Pablo's brand changed hands, at one point owned by Apple South, a franchise of Applebees.

Throughout the 2000s, the casual dining scene began to change. People preferred quicker options to sit-down restaurant settings. Additionally, Chipotle, the newer and trendier kid on the Tex-Mex block, entered the scene. Other rivals such as Moe's Southwest Grill, Tijuana Flats, and Chili's contributed to Don Pablo's downfall. The chain stayed afloat throughout the first decade of the new century. It filed for bankruptcy in 2016 and finally closed the doors of its last location in 2019.

Why do we wish Dan Pablos would make a comeback? The eatery offered a variety of Mexican staples, but added a bit of a freshness flare with its handmade tortilla stations, freshly squeezed lime juice Margaritas, and attractive menu items such as bottomless chicken tortilla soup options.

Another throwback to the 1970s, Seafood Shanty served patrons in the greater Philadelphia and New Jersey areas. Two opened in Berks County in the early 1970s. As the company grew, it did so with the help of what turned out to be a winning strategy. Taking over existing and struggling seafood restaurants, Seafood Shanty turned things around under its new management. More stores popped up throughout the 1970s and 1980s, with 14 locations opened by 1990.

The eatery focused on the traditionally popular seafood fare — Maine lobster, crab meat, and corn on the cob, along with other sides. In the 1990s, the company faced financial trouble, filing for bankruptcy twice. It closed the last of its locations in 1995. In 2012, a brief reopening of Seafood Shanty excited nostalgic patrons. The venture did not succeed, however, closing the door of the new restaurant in less than a year.

Regional fans of Seafood Shanty reminisce about the long-gone chain. "One nibble and you're hooked," one Facebook user commented under a vintage Seafood Shanty image. "I miss them so much! The bloody Mary's, the oyster crackers with horseradish, the seafood was so fresh and delicious," writes another.

In a world where McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's rule the fast food scene decades after their foundings, it's easy to forget some major players of that game that remained in the past. Such is Burger Chef.

Started in 1957 in Minneapolis, the fast-food chain aimed to present a bit fancier version of Burger King to the consumers. The affordability factor, however, did not suffer as the "triple treat" of a burger, fries, and drink cost $0.45. The chain spread nationwide quickly. By the late 1960s,  Burger Chef ran second only to McDonalds, trailing only 100 stores behind. At its peak, Burger Chef operated 1,200 locations.

A notable fact about Burger Chef is that it was this fast-food chain to introduce a toy package with its meal for children. The company began selling a toy and desert bundle called "Fun Meal" in 1973, predating McDonald's Happy Meal by six years. A unique feature of Burger Chef, now missed by many, was its "Works Bar." A stand in the middle of the restaurant offered patrons options to add veggies and condiments at their own discretion.

Following the purchase of the company by General Foods in 1968 and the expansion of the chain, in 1980s, Burger Chef was sold to a Canadian business entity that also operated Hardee's restaurants. That proved to be the end of Burger Chef, as most of its locations turned into Hardee's. The last Burger Chef store served its final customer in Tennessee in 1996.

The story of Planet Hollywood, true to its namesake and origin, reads like a plot to a movie. Robert Earl founded the chain, with its origins in Orlando in the 1980s. Acquiring the best locations in the major world cities for his restaurants and presenting a unique business model, Earl attracted major Hollywood players to invest in the venture. Stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Whoopi Goldberg, Bruce Willis, and many others jumped in, causing a simple Hollywood memorabilia-themed burger joint to grow quickly. In the 10 years of its operation, 87 restaurants spread to 36 countries. In 1996, Planet Hollywood was worth $ 3.5 billion on the stock market.

Like many themed restaurants popular in the 1990s, Planet Hollywood was a tourist attraction. That was especially true to its original location in Florida on the grounds of Disney World. Movie memorabilia lined the cabinets and walls, providing a trendy setting for a meal. "In some years it was the highest-grossing restaurant in the world. We had one year where we were $1 million a week, $50 million for the year," said Earl in Forbes. The movie industry museum setting attracted customers, some of whom still fondly recall the memories made at Planet Hollywood.

Like many a Hollywood story, this one came crashing to an end. Passed the initial excitement about the brand, repeat businesses dwindled. By 1999, profits sank and most locations closed down. The company filed for bankruptcy. Earl took a step back and reinvented the brand in 2016, but the new stores look and feel nothing like the original. The brand operates only a few restaurants and hotels worldwide.

Remember peanut shells on the restaurant floors? A nightmare for those with allergies, eateries featuring the big peanut mess ran plenty in the past. Ground Round belonged to that category. A sister brand to the aforementioned Howard Johnson's, Ground Round started in 1969. A family-focused atmosphere promoted playful and fun times. The eatery featured a screen with movies and cartoons and the rebellious notion of throwing peanut shells on the floor. Everyone got peanuts and popcorn. Kids got charged for meals based on their weight and had to step on a scale as part of the process. Oh, what fun. Before other kid-oriented eateries entered the market, Ground Round created fond memories for families, who remember the place fondly.

A restaurant that catered to kids and families came as something unique at the time. And so the chain grew to over 200 locations, most company-owned. Business was thriving. In the 1980s, a drunken incident in the parking lot of a Ground Round left a woman dead. Following the incident, Massachusetts implemented a permanent ban on happy hours in effect to this day. The tragedy is also said to have contributed to the raising of the drinking age to 21. In 1993, Ground Round made the headline again. This time, the company was involved in an age discrimination case it eventually lost.

With more casual dining options arising in the 1980s and 1990s, Ground Round just couldn't compete. With declining profits, Ground Round's owners filed for bankruptcy. In a dramatic fashion on Valentine's Day weekend in 2004, all company-owned restaurants were ordered to shut down.

Joseph Shea from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, had fond memories of Ground Round from his childhood. And so he set out to resurrect one. With only four locations operating under licensed deals elsewhere in the country, Shea reached an agreement with the owner of the trademark and purchased the rights. He plans to open a rebranded Ground Round in 2025.