Any Colorado dopers know if the Dark Horse in Boulder is still around? That place had the most bizzare amount of (real) stuff attached to the walls/ceiling I’ve ever seen.
The early '70’s playboy pics laminated in the walls by the air-hocky table, that pregnant mannequin hanging from the rafters, all those happy meal toys nailed up behind the bar, and those odd signs on the restroom doors…
The article being referenced is Where do chain restaurants get their antiques?
For what little it’s worth regard authenticity of the artifacts which Cecil wasn’t absolutely certain on in the article, I once went into a TGI Fridays here in Florida and found the sign for a factory my great grandfather managed in upstate New York that closed fifty years beforehand. No guarentee they’re not picking some things and just duplicating them, of course, but it appears real to me…
I liked this column–nice to see that Cecil is now apparently wealthy enough to follow the financial news and get marketing calls from brokers.
Most amusing.
I’ve always been curious about who makes the plastic salamis and cheese that hang in some of the Deli chains (like Druxy’s in Canada).
Having driven three times to Key West from Washington state, I have eaten many a roadside meal at Cracker Barrel restaurants. On my last trip, my wife and I asked an employee why there are no Cracker Barrels in the West. Reply: apparently some guy owns the business name, “Cracker Barrel,” in Washington and Oregon at least (I think there’s one in Idaho) and is unwilling to sell it to the Cracker Barrel chain. I don’t know if he wants a load of money for the name or is planning to start his own restaurant (I suspect the former), but we’ve been Barrel-less forever.
If that man is a Straight Doper, let me say this to him: Get over yourself, you selfish pig, and SELL THE NAME for a reasonable sum so we can enjoy what our fellow Americans have been feasting on for years! It’s not all about you, you dolt.
Then again, we do have Burgerville USA (in the Northwest) and you don’t.
I once talked to an antique buyer whose speciality was old bars. She would visit places such as Montana, find a turn-of-the-century tavern that needed some cash, and rip out all the old fixtures . . . most of which ended up in theme parks and the like.
Who would have thought there’d be such a future in the past?
So, it’s great that we know about Cracker Barrel. But what about the three million other chains that have similar decor? Are there really that many antiques in the world?
sidenote: my freshman college roommate and I used to go dumpster diving, and we found tons of vaguely cool-looking crap, which usually ended up on top of our tall furniture … we always said that we were one cigar-store indian away from being a TGI Friday’s (and I think we were right!)
I know that TGIFridays must have stuff mass-produced because I’ve seen the same “apothecary” sign in every single one I’ve been to. Applebees is nearly all mass-produced junk (“Wizard of Oz” reproduction posters, street signs, etc) filled in around the edges with items of local interest, which is actually sort of a nice touch.
And anyone in the West lamenting about the absence of Cracker Barrel restaurants. Blech! Be careful what you wish for!
I watched as the muckamucks of the Hard Rock Cafes drove the prices of old electric guitars through the roof. Now I wonder if Cracker Barrel is doing the same to antique signs, crates, and kitchen utensils. (Nott points an accusing finger and whispers, “A fox on both your louses.” )
Being that I live but a few miles from Cracker Barrel headquarters, and my employer is just down the street, I would be happy to follow up on the inquiry if asked.
That story doesn’t sound very likely. If the guy owned the trademark he’d own it throughout the country.
As someone who’s never heard of Cracker Barrel I found that column completely uninteresting.
Not to mention that Kraft has been producing a cheese under the name brand Cracker Barrel for at least the last 25 years or so, and it seems likely they would have trademarked the name.
Owning a business name is different from owning a trademark, however. I’m not sure how thoroughly DBA’s (doing business as) are checked to avoid trademark infringement when they are registered.
There is such thing as state trademark registration as well as federal. And there is some protection for unregistered trademarks based on prior use. Presumably this guy used Cracker Barrel as a business name on the West Coast before it was registered as a federal trademark, and thus has prior use rights in those areas he did business in before then.
And Kraft isn’t necessarily conflicting, because one is a cheese and the other is a restaraunt.
As for the plastic salamis, I’d look first to Japan for the suppliers. Many (most?) restaurants in Japan have a window display out front showing all their dishes, sculpted from rubber and plastic. Some of it’s quite realistic. I’ve often been tempted to steal a beer glass (real glass) lined with yellow film and topped with a nice rubbery head of foam, but I know someone would catch me and stereotype all Americans based on my example.
Al
OK, I take back what I said about trademarks.
In some chain restaurants, one can actually see the date of reproduction on the “antique” pieces. The local pizza outift and their Coke signs come to mind. Repros of old crap are big business ™.