7 Fast Food Chains That No One Remembers Anymore

An underrated beauty of food is how many of our memories are created around it. We've all heard nostalgia-inducing stories of our parents and grandparents frequenting certain food joints that served the best hamburgers or sandwiches in town — places that, for them, remain unparalleled in taste. Burger Chef, which was at par with McDonald's in the '70s, is one name that pops up quite frequently. Another in the same category is Red Barn. Even today, Reddit threads are discussing these cult-famous spots.

But unlike iconic TV shows, movies, or even fashion from certain eras that can be revisited, these food chains live on only through stories. Most have either been acquired or completely lost their legacy, leaving us to wonder what they were like. To keep the memory of these nostalgia-inducing eateries alive, we've compiled a list of seven gone but not forgotten chain restaurants whose legacies have faded into the shadows of changing times. Because no one who makes the effort to serve good food should be forgotten, wouldn't you agree? Let's take a look.

Howard Johnson's, a name synonymous with 1950s and '60s dining, put up the shutters for the last time in 2022 for its only remaining outlet in New York, concluding a legacy that began in 1925. In its heyday, Howard Johnson's was as big a name in roadside dining as Barbra Streisand or Robert De Niro were in entertainment. Fun fact: The restaurant was recreated to film a scene in the series "Mad Men." It was in the pulse of the zeitgeist when it came to American food. What really turned the game around for this chain was its unique approach to ice cream, something the founder, Howard Deering Johnson, had been studying for a while. Eventually, he hit upon a brilliant idea: doubling the butterfat content in his ice cream compared to what was available on the market. Johnson also went on to develop 28 flavors of ice cream using syrup flavorings.

Ice cream was big at that time, so you can imagine the spell it cast on people. That, along with the novelty factor, turned it into a massive hit. Before long, Howard Johnson's popped up in over 1,000 locations across America, mostly along the roadside, making it the king of the highway and the largest restaurant chain in the United States at the time. This was the same time the automobile industry was booming, so the timing was sweeter than a double scoop on a hot day. The rise in the number of competitors in the 1980s and changing consumer preferences gradually put it out of business, but the people who did experience the chain cannot stop talking about it to this day.

Gino's Hamburgers was founded in 1957 by the NFL Hall of Famer Gino Marchetti and his Baltimore Colts teammates. The chain shot up in popularity soon after its launch, almost immediately becoming an East Coast staple in the '60s and '70s. The showstopper of this chain was the original Gino Giant, which at the time gave McDonald's Big Mac a hard time in terms of burger rivalry. But it was not just the burgers that made Gino's special — it was the atmosphere. The chain was where kids begged their parents to stop after a Little League game and where die-hard Colts fans grabbed a bite before kickoff.

Marchetti and his partners eventually also acquired the Rustler budget steakhouse chain and became the Mid-Atlantic franchisees of Kentucky Fried Chicken, though the latter was branded under its own name. The chain was the exclusive KFC franchisee, meaning that anyone in those states looking for a KFC had to go to Gino's. At one point, Gino's counted more than 350 locations across the Mid-Atlantic region. The chain started to witness a downfall in the '80s, and most outlets were sold to Marriott. Many were also converted to Roy Rogers restaurants. However, two locations in Towson and Glen Burnie, Maryland, remained after a 2010 revival attempt.

Not many know that Pizza Haven was one of the first food joints to offer a dial-a-pizza service in America, so you can imagine the level of excitement back then. Born in 1958 in Seattle, it was introduced by a firm founded by Ron Bean and made a name for itself right away by being the first to offer delivery services. Its pepperoni pizzas are what truly charmed fans. To ensure that customers received hot pizzas on time, the staff used radio phones to communicate orders to drivers who had warming ovens in their cars. At its peak, the chain had around 42 locations throughout California and the Pacific Northwest and employed about 700 people, which was a big number at the time. Later, it also opened franchises in Russia, Poland, and the Middle East.

The rise of well-funded national rivals like Domino's and Pizza Hut in the '90s and a combination of strategic errors and leasing problems gradually led to the brand's collapse. It even reached the point of bankruptcy, and most sites had to close in 1998 due to a missing tax payment. 

During the '50s, it was rare to see the street food stars — hot dogs, tacos, and burgers — sharing the same space, let alone the same roof. But that all changed with Pup 'N' Taco. The chain first popped up in Long Beach, California, in 1956 as a classic drive-in, slinging tacos and pastrami sandwiches. The latter, styled pastrami, which was served with iceberg lettuce and jalapeños, eventually became one of the chain's most iconic dishes. 

By 1965, the brand officially took on the Pup 'N' Taco name and expanded its lineup to include tostadas, burgers, and hot dogs, using a playful pup image to represent the wiener. Variety became its calling card, and soon, Pup 'N' Taco was everywhere, boasting more than 100 locations across the U.S. The name was another ear-grabbing factor, and even American comedian Johnny Carson and Tonight Show host Johnny Carson couldn't resist cracking jokes about it in his monologues throughout the '70s and '80s. Unfortunately, that was also when the chain's popularity started to dip. By 1984, Taco Bell, which had already swooped in to replace other taco stands, bought most of Pup 'N' Taco's locations, except for three in Albuquerque, New Mexico. These outlets later rebranded themselves as Pop 'N' Taco and lasted until the 2010s before finally closing their doors.

If there was one place that stood out for its tastefully designed architecture, along with serving delicious hamburgers, it was Little Tavern. The first location opened in 1927 in Louisville, Kentucky, and by 1937, the chain had opened up at multiple locations. The restaurants featured a distinctive Tudor cottage design with white walls and iconic green gable roofs, setting them apart from typical fast-food establishments (many of which embraced Googie designs inspired by the Space Age, jets, and car culture). Most Little Tavern locations were small and could accommodate only a few seated customers, which created a cozy, intimate dining experience, adding to the brand value.

Affordability was another major draw and made Little Taverns wildly popular. Their signature little burgers, which gained the moniker of "sliders," were priced at one nickel each for years. The chain's slogan itself was "Buy 'Em By the Bag," which encouraged customers to purchase multiple burgers at once. The chain remained a staple in the Washington area for around 62 years. At one point, it reached a total of 50 outlets with customers often frequenting late in the night. Reportedly, it was also a hit with pregnant women who often craved the little burgers, and some even claimed they were a good hangover fix.  But unlike some nostalgic favorites, it eventually faded with time. In the '80s, Little Tavern shops started being sold with a buyer describing them as "a piece of history".  The last remaining outlet came to a close in 2008. 

When it comes to Dee's Drive-In, a fun fact that might fascinate many is that the chain, which was also Utah's original burger joint, had a franchise in South Africa, making it that country's first fast-food restaurant. Founded in 1932 by Dee Anderson, the eatery became a generational favorite and is often revisited in memory through the famous jingle, called "Let's Go To Dee's," that was featured in musical ads. It was the go-to spot for quick bites for Utahns and a cultural icon in itself. The state gradually became peppered with Dee's at different locations, with the quirky feature of giant electric clown signs holding plastic balloons and advertising Deeburgers, hot dogs, and fries at its outlets –– adding substantial recall value. 

The brand had its moments in the sun when more than 50 drive-ins sprouted up in Utah at one point. This, along with a related chain of family restaurants, solidified its place in Utah's fast-food scene. In his autobiography, Anderson credited Dee's success to "absolute cleanliness, a menu of family favorites, fast service, quality food, and modest prices." But in 1982, the business was sold to Hardee's, closing a nostalgic chapter in the history of America's local dining scene.

Carrol's is one of the oldest fast-food joints on our list. Those who remember this chain might best recall it for its Looney Tunes drinking glasses. The fast-food chain emerged in Rochester, New York, in the 1960s and was a go-to spot for locals, especially for its juicy Club Burger — a Carrol's special similar to McDonald's delicious Big Mac. Initially, the eatery was a hit and expanded to more than 150 outlets, most of them in upstate New York and Pennsylvania. 

Reportedly, when it opened a location in Buffalo, there was only one McDonald's in the city. But its success was short-lived. Within a decade, Carrol's restaurants started to disappear. Its founder eventually cut a deal with Burger King, its primary competitor at the time, and most of the chain's outlets were converted. The last surviving Carrol's closed its doors in 1981. Nevertheless, the chain remains one of the most fondly remembered of its time.