# What "Original Locations" have you been to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224 "2025-10-23T15:40:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/1 "2025-10-23T15:40:30Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/2 "2025-10-23T15:44:23Z")
I’ve been to the original Frank Pepe’s pizzeria in New Haven, CT. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/3 "2025-10-23T16:03:54Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/4 "2025-10-23T16:07:51Z")
Not a franchise but I’ve got buffalo wings at the original [bar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor_Bar) in Buffalo that invented them (probably, the origin is disputed) ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/5 "2025-10-23T16:13:08Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Not a franchise but I’ve got buffalo wings at the original [bar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor_Bar) in Buffalo that invented them And similarly I’ve brought Turkish delight at the [shop](https://www.hacibekir.com/Home/index?srsltid=AfmBOoodwwKYSWo4CbXY3Ushdt5NcHCy1W4ts5kZqB48u6OX66yynCUU) in Istanbul that claims (over the strenuous objections of the Iranians) to have invented it. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/6 "2025-10-23T16:16:01Z")
Visited the original Kentucky Fried Chicken in Corbin, KY. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/7 "2025-10-23T16:16:19Z")
The original Filene’s Basement in Boston’s Downtown Crossing, and the original Lechmere store on First St in Cambridge, both now defunct. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/8 "2025-10-23T16:16:32Z")
Been to the original Biggby in East Lansing, MI ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/9 "2025-10-23T16:17:13Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I have been to the original Starbucks near Pike Place Market in Seattle. 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. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/10 "2025-10-23T16:19:03Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/11 "2025-10-23T16:23:05Z")
The original Wendy’s in downtown Columbus, now gone. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/12 "2025-10-23T20:06:47Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/13 "2025-10-23T20:34:40Z")
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. > **[Oldest McDonald's restaurant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldest_McDonald%27s_restaurant)** > > The oldest McDonald's restaurant is a drive-up hamburger stand at 10207 Lakewood Boulevard at Florence Avenue in Downey, California, United States. Opened on August 18, 1953, it is the third McDonald's restaurant outlet to be opened and is the second restaurant franchised by Richard and Maurice McDonald, before the involvement of Ray Kroc in the company. The outlet still retains the original, standardized Golden Arches façade design and is one of Downey's main tourist attractions. Along with it... ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/14 "2025-10-23T20:51:03Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Not a franchise but I’ve got buffalo wings at the original [bar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor_Bar) in Buffalo that invented them 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. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/15 "2025-10-23T21:01:55Z")
The original Borders Books in Ann Arbor MI. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/16 "2025-10-23T21:07:27Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > at that time, there were only two of them Guys or restaurants? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/17 "2025-10-23T21:08:44Z")
Bought whole beans and my first coffee press at the original. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/18 "2025-10-23T21:31:37Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/19 "2025-10-23T21:51:27Z")
I’ve been to the first Häagen-Dazs store, which is still going strong in Brooklyn Heights. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2025, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224/20 "2025-10-23T21:54:07Z")
I’ve been to Pegasus Books in Vancouver, where Mike got the funding to start Dark Horse Comics. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-original-locations-have-you-been-to/1024224.md?page=2)