Defunct restaurant chains you miss (meal, consumer, potato, prices)
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I know! Our Don Pablo's in Langhorne PA was THRIVING, but they closed it down. If it was a company decision, then it was a bad one, and they sure picked the wrong branch to close. This place was always crowded--for restaurant, bar, and takeout.
Same with our Chevy's in Lawrenceville NJ. Always crowded for lunch and dinner, but closed anyway.
The one Don Pablo's left in the entire area happens to be very near my home. They are always packed in the evenings, especially on weekends, and even for lunch are very busy.
There are a lot of locally owned Mexican restaurants around that have really good food, but Don Pablo's is always busier than any of them.
Maybe that's why I thought Tomy Roma's was awful when we ate at the one across the street from Disneyland a couple of years ago. Back in high school I thought it was a treat.
I think that is it exactly: we have gotten accustom to really good bar b cue; If you haven't had the real thing or when you are very young you often like things that are just so so. Even when it comes to wine, I used to think any wine was good, now I am much more particular about what kind and color I will drink..
I just thought of another chain I used to love but think is gone or close to it. It was aregional chain in the mid Atlantic states: Ground Round. If I have a quarter for every $10 I spent at the one in Alexandria, Va, in the 80s I would be rich right now...
I just thought of another chain I used to love but think is gone or close to it. It was aregional chain in the mid Atlantic states: Ground Round. If I have a quarter for every $10 I spent at the one in Alexandria, Va, in the 80s I would be rich right now...
They probably had to close Ground Round due to suits from all those people with freaky peanut allergies. There were unlimited peanuts, and people used to throw shells on the floor!
I think that was the first place I'd ever had (or heard of) potato skins.
They probably had to close Ground Round due to suits from all those people with freaky peanut allergies. There were unlimited peanuts, and people used to throw shells on the floor!
I think that was the first place I'd ever had (or heard of) potato skins.
Five Guys still has buckets of peanuts on the tables and people throw shells on the floor. I am surprised that they still do this, the other places that I know of that used to allow it don't anymore.
Yes, but Five Guys has 8,000 warning signs all over their store, inside and out, to warn about the deadly peanut. I don't remember Ground Round doing that, but that was back before the peanut allergy thing was invented.
I grew up in the Pittsburgh area and at one time Winky's was a major competitor to McDonald's. I don't think they ever expanded outside of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Their competitor to the big Mac was the Big Wink.
Winky's Hamburgers was a chain of hamburger fast food restaurants in and near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their slogans were "Fast Food Cheap" and "Winky's Makes You Happy To be Hungry". Their signs advertised "Winky's Hamburger 15¢"; other sandwiches offered were The Big Wink, The Great One, and The Ground Rounder. Hot dogs also were on the menu. One of the television commercials for the chain featured a puppet monster reading a list of signs featuring the names of the towns where restaurants were located. Upon learning that there was no Winky's in Wilmerding, the monster ate the panel, exclaiming, "There's no Winky's in Wilmerding!"
The first Winky's restaurant opened in 1962, and the chain went out of business in 1982.
They probably had to close Ground Round due to suits from all those people with freaky peanut allergies. There were unlimited peanuts, and people used to throw shells on the floor!
I think that was the first place I'd ever had (or heard of) potato skins.
The Ground Round was started up by Howard Johnson in 1969. Like most franchises, it overexpanded and eventually closed about half of their stores and are mostly located in the East Coast and the Mid Atlantic states. They have been in bankruptcy court at least once.
Actually, the peanuts were discontinued NOT due to allergies but due to two fires in separate locations that were aggravated by the peanut shells.
Steak And Ale. Man they were delicious, I was really sad when they closed.
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