# '70s Fast Food restaurant question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 15, 2004, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482 "2004-10-15T23:03:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/61 "2006-04-11T14:33:41Z")
> [@ussentinel](#): > > - Anyone remember Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips? I remember one in Memphis in the '70s that had a sign of a pic of a smiling gent wearing a derby and the upper part was this giant fake umbrella pointing sideways. > > . . . > > - Have the Checkers Hamburgers franchises gone under? We used to have 'em out in the Chicago 'burbs, and now they’re all gone. They made a damn good and inexpensive hamburger. Now when I’m in the Detroit area, I see these places called Rally’s, that LOOK like that they a similiar layout/menu, but I don’t know if it’s the same thing. Arthur Treacher’s is still around, and here’s their homepage [http://www.arthurtreachers.com/](http://www.arthurtreachers.com/) Checkers is still around in the DC area, at least, judging from the number of commercials I hear for them. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/62 "2006-04-11T14:53:53Z")
> [@ussentinel](#): > > - Anyone remember Chicken Unlimited? I thought this was a one-of-a-kind place when I lived in Wisconsin, but a college prof of mine from the Chicago 'burbs said he worked at one while in his teens. There was one in Palatine as of - er - well a couple years ago. It was on Rand Road next to the McDonald’s. > [@ussentinel](#): > > - Have the Checkers Hamburgers franchises gone under? We used to have 'em out in the Chicago 'burbs, and now they’re all gone. They made a damn good and inexpensive hamburger. Now when I’m in the Detroit area, I see these places called Rally’s, that LOOK like that they a similiar layout/menu, but I don’t know if it’s the same thing. They used to have one in Palatine until a few years ago. It was on Rand Road across from Menard’s. My son used to ride his bike there - we LOVED their fries!! ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/63 "2006-04-11T14:56:47Z")
In the Washington, DC area, the “White Castle” clone was “Little Tavern Hamburgers” (buy 'em by the bag!) They’re gone, but you can still recognize the distinct architecture of a Little Tavern in the repurposed buildings. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Swan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Swan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Swan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/64 "2006-04-11T15:05:24Z")
Does Golden Skillet ring any bells? We used to eat at them when I was a kid (25 years ago), but I can’t remember if they were any good. I drove past one about 2 months ago in NC or VA and was tempted to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/65 "2006-04-11T15:10:25Z")
> [@bup](#): > > In the Washington, DC area, the “White Castle” clone was “Little Tavern Hamburgers” (buy 'em by the bag!) > > They’re gone, but you can still recognize the distinct architecture of a Little Tavern in the repurposed buildings. They had the steep, green shigle roofs, right? I remember getting that stuff. I only had it once or twice as a little kid, but my dad ate there for lunch. So I got to hear about how great it was. Whatever happened to Hot Shoppes? ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/66 "2006-04-11T16:55:35Z")
> [@ussentinel](#): > > At the risk of going off-topic, if anyone has any weird themed defuct fastfood restaurant recollections, I’d be curious. Thanks. Sorry. Most of the ones I can remember are/were totally fuct. 😃 But seriously…I also grew up in/around Memphis, and used to hang out at the Shoney’s drive in on Bellevue (now Elvis Presley Blvd.) just up the street from Graceland. They had great hot fudge sundaes and strawberry pie. I remember a place over on S. Third (Hwy 61) that was called Pirtle’s Chicken, and IIRC, it came in a yellow bucket with a picture of a Tennessee Colonel on the side. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/67 "2006-04-11T17:22:28Z")
> [@ussentinel](#): > > While growing up, living in Memphis and travelling to visit relatives in Detroit, I remember one time our family stopped at a fast-food place (likely in Ohio, but maybe Kentucky) called Judy’s. This place seemed EXACTLY like a Wendy’s, same kind of hamburgers, same kind of font lettering on the signs (that I recall). I think there was even a picture of a girl on the cup. The only difference I can remember was the color motif. Wendy’s used yellow on napkins, cups, etc., but this Judy’s place used light blue coloring on cups and stuff. > > Can anyone corroborate such a place (chain) existed? Was it a chain? Was it an offshoot of Wendy’s? I tried googling, etc. and zilch. > > At the risk of pushing my luck, I’ve got some old Archie comics and there are ads in there for an Archie’s Restaurant that was in Joliet, IL in the late '60s, early '70s. Any Dopers out there by chance ever been there and recall what the place was like? At the risk of going off-topic, if anyone has any weird themed defuct fastfood restaurant recollections, I’d be curious. Thanks. There was a Judy’s that fits your description exactly in Beaufort, SC. Their cups had: Judy’s Judy’s Judy’s right down the side. You are not imagining things. ---
**Author:** ![diku](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/68 "2006-04-11T18:08:27Z")
> [@lawoot](#): > > The town where I grew up in Kentucky had an Ollie’s Trolley (my sister worked there - witnessed a stabbing in the parking lot) and an abomination called _Burger Queen_ whose corporate policy seemed to be ‘if a competitor has a successful product, copy it.’ They are no longer around, that I’m aware of. I came in to mention Burger Queen. Had a queen bee as their mascot. They got sued, and changed over to Druther’s. Luckily, Druther’s went away as well. Bad bad bad bad bad food. If you are actually feeling nostalgic about Burger Queen for some reason, go to Marion, KY. There’s a chinese restaraunt there that hasn’t changed stuff from the Burger Queen day’s. They still have the Queen Bee logo on their sign. It’s the same one, and my wife confirms that it was a Burger Queen when she was growing up. ---
**Author:** ![hopesperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e95f7d/32.png) [@hopesperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hopesperson)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/69 "2006-04-11T18:47:26Z")
Growing up on Green Bay in the mid-late 1970s, we had a **Marc’s Big Boy** , a **Mars** (I remember the jingle… “There’s more on the menu at Mars!”) and a **Sambo’s**. And I think I had forgotten about all of them up until a few minutes ago. Come to think of it, I believe the Big Boy building is still there (but it was a different restaurant when I last visited). ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/70 "2006-04-11T18:58:31Z")
We had a Shoney’s here in Knoxville, and my wife and I apparently ate at the one Big Boys in all of NC a few months ago. Anybody remember [D’Lites](http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2002-09-29-fast-food-1acover_x.htm), a “healthy” fast food chain big in the SE in the mid 1980’s? Herschel Walker lost a ton of money when they filed for bankruptcy in 1987 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/71 "2006-04-11T19:54:10Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > We had a Shoney’s here in Knoxville, and my wife and I apparently ate at the one Big Boys in all of NC a few months ago. > > Anybody remember [D’Lites](http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/2002-09-29-fast-food-1acover_x.htm), a “healthy” fast food chain big in the SE in the mid 1980’s? Herschel Walker lost a ton of money when they filed for bankruptcy in 1987 or so. I remember them…they sucked:D. My mom loved going there, though. I miss Burger Chef. I think they went out of business when I was six or seven, but damn, they were good. We begged to go to Burger Chef. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/72 "2006-04-11T20:47:48Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > I remember Ollie’s Trolleys. They had great seasoned french fries and hot dogs and also sold a nice, cheap ice cream cone. When I was a poor student, they were one of the few places I could afford to go “out” to eat at. Then they went belly-up for some reason. > > Similarly, there was Lum’s a great beer joint that folded for no reason I could ever figure out. Yeah, I remember Lums quite well. Very popular in the 1970s. I don’t know what happened to them, but I was hooked on their hot dogs and, especially, the Ollieburger. BTW, I had my first legal beer in a Lums. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/73 "2006-04-11T20:56:51Z")
Anyone remember Wags, with the racoon mascot? They were kinda like Denny’s, Shoney’s, or IHOP. I used to love it when I was a little kid (early-to-mid '80s in Miami). ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/74 "2006-04-11T21:11:13Z")
> [@RTA](#): > > Surely people remember **Sambo’s**? > > It had a sort of “Jungle Book” theme, with a vaguely Afro-Indian boy and Bengal tigers as their mascots. Not too surprising that we don’t see those anymore, but as I recall they lasted until circa 1980. Sambo’s is used in CSA: The Confederate States of America (shameless plug) to great effect. This thread is freaking old. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/75 "2006-04-11T21:33:13Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > Sambo’s is used in CSA: The Confederate States of America (shameless plug) to great effect. > > This thread is freaking old. 😃 Aw, heck! I don’t reply to resurrected threads, usually, but this time I never thought to check the first posting date. :o Oh, well, as long as I’m already here: > [@RTA](#): > > Surely people remember Sambo’s? > > It had a sort of “Jungle Book” theme, with a vaguely Afro-Indian boy and Bengal tigers as their mascots. Not too surprising that we don’t see those anymore, but as I recall they lasted until circa 1980. Not only do I remember 'em, I was a store manager for them early 1979-late 1980. Running a 24x7x365 coffee shop is what made up my mind to return to college and finish my degree. No kidding! They folded about a year and a half after I left, which would make it somewhere in 1982 if I recall correctly, or maybe late 1981. I could be wrong about that. I remember they were in trouble when I started. They had a comprehensive training program, starting with a week in Dallas (Farmer’s Branch, actually) and then a 3-month or so term in a training restaurant. I got Orange, Texas. My trainee partner lasted about 4 weeks before getting himself fired. I was on my feet so much, they were literally numb each night. Just before we were to return to Dallas and undergo “final exams” they cancelled the entire program. Within a year, the local stores were even trying to recruit high school grads for manager training. WTF? Running a Sambo’s was almost like being in boot camp, only with no time off! During that period, they got themselves a new CEO to effect a turnaround, a Mister Harvard Gradjiate, once dissimenated a famous “Let’s Cut the Bullshit” memo. Oh, yeah, THAT got him a lot of respect from those of us in the trenches. When I turned in my keys I predicted the chain would be gone in a year. I was wrong by 6 months. You want any anecdotes or war stories, let me know. I mean, “This is no crap, there I was…” ---
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/76 "2006-04-11T22:05:18Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > They had the steep, green shigle roofs, right? I remember getting that stuff. I only had it once or twice as a little kid, but my dad ate there for lunch. So I got to hear about how great it was. > > Whatever happened to Hot Shoppes? I vaguely remember Hot Shoppes. I think Roy Roger’s bought them out. Didn’t Hot Shoppes have fried chicken? I seem to remember Roy’s advertising about having Hot Shoppes fried chicken now. In fact, in reading this thread I wanted to point out 3 things: Burger Chef had the fun meal before McDonald’s had the happy meal (already done) Little Tavern was the DC clone of White Castle (already done) I loved Roy Rogers. Fixin’s bar! They were #1 in the DC area. I believe they stretched to NYC. There were some independent Roy’s after Hardee’s bought out the Roy Rogers franchisees, but they weren’t the same. Double R-Bar Burger: Best hamburger ever. About your dad and Little Tavern: My mom tells the story about how when my dad was courting her, he lived on a farm out in the country. It was a long drive home in the evening. After leaving, he’d stop by Little Tavern and buy a bag to eat on the way home. A silly story, but kinda sweet that she remembers that 55 years later. When I was in college, on New Year’s Eve (actually New Year’s Day at this point) my drunken friends and I stopped by the SAME Little Tavern my dad would stop at. Another silly story, but a fond one for me for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/77 "2006-04-11T22:27:54Z")
> [@RTA](#): > > Surely people remember Sambo’s? > > It had a sort of “Jungle Book” theme, with a vaguely Afro-Indian boy and Bengal tigers as their mascots. Not too surprising that we don’t see those anymore, but as I recall they lasted until circa 1980. > [@FilmGeek](#): > > Sambo’s is used in CSA: The Confederate States of America (shameless plug) to great effect. > [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > Not only do I remember 'em, I was a store manager for them early 1979-late 1980. Running a 24x7x365 coffee shop is what made up my mind to return to college and finish my degree. No kidding! > > … > > When I turned in my keys I predicted the chain would be gone in a year. I was wrong by 6 months. On at least the West Coast, Sambo’s used to be everywhere. During the 70’s, they were as common as Denny’s–their main competitor in the franchise coffee shop/family restaurant field. Then, as I recall, the company got more heavy-handed with regard to running its stores at the expense of franchisee’s independence and control. All-around quality suffered, business fell off, and restaurants either closed or became independently-run. Then, of course, there was the whole problem with the franchise’s name. It was changed to Season’s around 1983 but by then it was late to save the company. The last time I went to a Sambo’s was on a cold wet night in December 1982 in Lacey, Washington. I was travelling with my high school debate team and it was the only place in town still open. Unfortunately, because it was soon to be closing for good, there was not any food. In particular, I remember one of my friends ordering spaghetti only to be told 20 minutes later that they were out of sauce but they could substitute _gravy_ instead! The whole experience got to be like Monty Python’s “Cheese Shop” sketch set in a dying franchise restaurant chain. Incidentally, there is at least one Sambo’s left. It’s in Lincoln City, Oregon. I drove by it only a couple weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/78 "2006-04-11T22:52:56Z")
Rax had good roast beef. So did Roy Rogers. Are they still around? I also miss Bill Knapps. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/79 "2006-04-11T23:23:40Z")
here in omaha we had a good number of red barn restaurants. when they closed, the buildings were empty for awhile. some of them opened back up as a new business, applause video. the owner of the business met with my boss to buy fire extinguishers for the new locations. after he left, we wondered if video rental was a good idea for a business. we were wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Fringe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b5a626/32.png) [@Fringe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fringe)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482/80 "2006-04-11T23:50:35Z")
> [@cstamets](#): > > There also used to be Rax - a roast beef place similar to Arby’s. > > Rax became an Arby’s franchisee and converted most of their stores to Arby’s (similar to Carrol’s and Burger King). There had been a few Rax left in the Columbus area, but they’ve slowly died off. I think there is only one store left. There is a Rax still open in Harlan, KY if I’m not mistaken. I was there a couple of years ago, it was still a great place. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/70s-fast-food-restaurant-question/269482.md?page=5)