Somehow we got on this topic over the weekend, talking about popular chains or franchises and if we’ve ever been to an original location. I thought of two at the time, and remembered a third later on.
I have been to the original Starbucks near Pike Place Market in Seattle.
I have been to the original Pizzeria Uno in Chicago.
And I have been to Macy’s “flagship” store in New York which I assume is the original location.
What original locations have you been to?
I’ve been to the original Frank Pepe’s pizzeria in New Haven, CT.
The original Motel 6 and the original Hamburger Habit are and the original Kinko’s was in Santa Barbara. I’ve been to all of them.
The original Islands restaurant opened in West L.A. when I was in High School and I ate there.
Not a franchise but I’ve got buffalo wings at the original bar in Buffalo that invented them (probably, the origin is disputed)
And similarly I’ve brought Turkish delight at the shop in Istanbul that claims (over the strenuous objections of the Iranians) to have invented it.
Visited the original Kentucky Fried Chicken in Corbin, KY.
The original Filene’s Basement in Boston’s Downtown Crossing, and the original Lechmere store on First St in Cambridge, both now defunct.
Been to the original Biggby in East Lansing, MI
Here’s the secret: you haven’t been to the original Starbucks. That one was a block northwest at Virginia and Western, and has for some reason (marketing) been whitewashed out of existence.
I had ice cream at the original Ben and Jerry’s ice cream parlor in Burlington, VT, in 1981. I bought archery equipment at the original Dick’s Sporting Goods in Binghamton, NY in 1984. I never heard of either company before I was their customer.
The original Wendy’s in downtown Columbus, now gone.
I’ve tried to find the original Mr Hero on Cleveland’s west side but failed to locate it. Supposedly it was on West 41st St but that street is broken up into a bunch of short sections and is mostly residential.
McDonald’s; not really the original, but close enough. It was happenstance that we got off the 5 due to standstill traffic and were driving along Florence. I saw it and thought “that’s old school” but something in the back of my mind was triggered. I had a passenger do a quick google and we found it not just any old McDonald. So we looped back around to it for funsies.
Same here. I’ve also been to the original 5 Guys in Virginia. In fact, at that time, there were only two of them, both in that area.
The original Borders Books in Ann Arbor MI.
Guys or restaurants?
Bought whole beans and my first coffee press at the original.
My parents met at the original Shakey’s Pizza in Sacramento, and I went there many years later. I sometimes joke that I owe my existence to Shakey’s Pizza.
I’ve been to Staples store #1 a little west of Boston.
To those who have been to the original Statbucks (or not, as the case may be), Nordstrom’s and Sur La Table both got their start nearby, although I don’t know the exact locations. I think UPS got its start in Seattle, too.
I’ve been to the first Häagen-Dazs store, which is still going strong in Brooklyn Heights.
I’ve been to Pegasus Books in Vancouver, where Mike got the funding to start Dark Horse Comics.