With over 37,000 restaurants worldwide, it's safe to say McDonald's isn't going anywhere. A version of this story was originally published on April 25, 2022. } ); At the end of the month, it was bought in a rescue deal by former TGI Friday owner Epiris, which saw the restaurant group rebranded as The Big Table. Regrettably, the glitz and glam of the Brown Derby empire faded over time. restaurant reached. Chain restaurants have been around for nearly 100 years, since White Castle and A&W Root Beer stands first sprang up in the early 1920s. Following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in 1984 (according to Columbus Business First), the network shrunk to just 27 outlets by 2010. By the end of the 90s, just 150 locations remained. Initially, the chain and its 15 cent hamburgers were a massive success. It's fairly common for country music stars to expand their brands by brancing into new areas like food and drink. Customers left the chain in droves and sales plummeted, causing the remaining restaurants to eventually close as well. This restaurant was one of a kind. 10 Restaurant Chains That Flopped | HowStuffWorks Beefsteak Charlie's was a huge success for a while in the 1980s, according to Retroist. After starting out in Portland, Oregon in 1963, there were 130 Farrell's locations in all by the mid-1970s, shortly after the chain was acquired by the Marriott Corporation. Before McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Burger King were on every corner, there were chains like Burger Chef and Henry's Hamburgers. The. It gained massive popularity (in part for its fluffy pancakes) and in the years to follow there would be a chain in 47 states. 20 restaurant chains that are dead or dying in Upstate New York The Italian dining chain tumbled into administration days after restaurants were told to shut their doors temporarily due to the virus. And then there are others that maybe had some early success, caught fire but then eventually flamed out whether it took many decades or even less than two years (as you'll see). One of the countless mimics of McDonald's, Henry's Hamburgers was a major player in the '50s, '60s, and '70s. All of its location in the West Coast were closed in 2010. Even poorly rated eateries have their die-hard fans. They tried to change the theme of the restaurant and gave it a sporty vibe but they didnt last long. One of America's first casual dining/sports-bar chains, Bennigan's often lagged behind similar concepts from contemporaries like Fridays, Applebee's, and Chili's. Once a major presence in many east coast regions, the chain's long, slow slide began in 1977, according to Chuck the Writer, when the death of its founder, Donald Valle, led to money issues that imperiled the business. There's Dennys in the UK, how did I not know this. The remaining locations were all converted into Hardee's, and Burger Chef said goodbye for good. In 1981, Hardee's scooped up Burger Chef for $44 million. They offered hamburgers, cajun wings, chopped BBQ sandwiches, and frankfurters. Brigham's - a Boston-area ice cream parlor and restaurant chain that closed in 2013 [2] The food chain was founded by Edward Gold in 1934. But at its peak in the 1960s, there were hundreds of these orange-roofed restaurants . Starting with a small shop in Indiana in 1954, Burger Chef eventually grew to over 1,000 locations and rivaled fast food giant McDonald's. 7 Steakhouse Chains With the Best Quality Meat in America, 5 Outdated Steakhouse Chains That Are Making a Comeback, 9 Steakhouse Menu Red Flags, According to Chefs, two locations in Woodbury and Scotch Plains. In 2008, then-owner Metromedia Restaurant Group, filed for bankruptcy, according to CNN. Skip to main content Get top content in our free newsletter.