* 1 slight correction, per comments/google maps there is a 6th Rax in Illinois, my mistake.

@TheMrPeteChannel

5 ай бұрын

Mr. Donut! Just 1 left in the USA!

@TonyWilliams27

4 ай бұрын

Please continue doing more parts videos of forgotten restaurants that are going extinct?

@csnide6702

4 ай бұрын

and Rax was WAY better than Arby's........

@kenm.2793

4 ай бұрын

Illinois is a good state to be in to try these; it has all of them, except for Tony Roma’s, but there’s one right over the Mississippi in Dubuque, IA

@PsychoCheese

4 ай бұрын

I live about 20 minutes away from Rax. I’ve only had it once and it was pretty good. I think I might have to get it again

One common thread for many of these restaurant brands is that, if they are associated with a famous name, as that name fades from the public consciousness, so does the restaurant brand's fortunes.

@ssfc117

4 ай бұрын

Lol what? If a company is famous and then is less famous, they lose money. Wow, real crazy stuff there, Einstein

@richardbell7678

4 ай бұрын

@@ssfc117 Not the company, the name. Tim Horton started a coffee and donut franchise bearing his name that enjoyed sufficient success that everyone knows about "Tim Horton's" brand coffee; even though, few people can tell you anything about Tim Horton, himself. Ponderosa, named for the Ponderosa ranch in the TV series "Bonanza" basically began to fade after "Bonanza" left syndication. Nothing distinguished Ponderosa from its competitors except for its association with "Bonanza", so, when the show was off the air, it lost the free advertising.

@dexopaw

4 ай бұрын

@@ssfc117 He's saying like since nobody knows who Roy Rogers is anymore, the restaurant chain of the same name has also faded from the public consciousness

@slizzysluzzer

4 ай бұрын

Not always true. Tim Horton has been dead for fifty years and his restaurant's still trucking along.

@richardbell7678

4 ай бұрын

@@slizzysluzzer The thing about "Tim Horton's" is that it is differentiated from even other coffee shops. Yes, Tim Horton endorsing his franchise may have launched "Tim Horton's", but it is as famous for its coffee as "McDonald's" was for its fries, before they removed the beef stock (If you want to bring back some echoes of the greatness that was the old "McDonald's" fries, add some beef stock to your mashed potatoes). In many ways, "Tim Horton's" is the exception that proves the rule. I confess that I may cry a little, when the promotion ends, and "Tim Horton's" stops selling the "Bailey's" flavoured coffee, but their regular coffee will keep me coming back.

Ah, you forget the Rax in Joliet, Illinois! Honestly, after your last video, you inspired me to drive an hour to go there, and I gotta say... I think that was the closest I'll ever be to experiencing what the 1970s or '80s looked and felt like.

@jbucata

5 ай бұрын

I ate there once while on a road trip that sent me through Chicago. I liked it a lot, made a mental note to go back there if I'm ever passing through Joliet during daylight hours.

@TheAtkey

5 ай бұрын

There was a Rax in my hometown up until around 2015 or 16, always loved the mushroom melt. I miss it, on the good side a locally owned coffee shop expanded to a second location at the sight and it's really good!

@TheMrPeteChannel

5 ай бұрын

I love old places that never update!

@djamo1969

4 ай бұрын

So, it must’ve been awesome because fast food restaurants were way better then. Either that, or since people didn’t eat out nearly as much back then, it was more of a treat.

@TheAtkey

4 ай бұрын

@@djamo1969 I think a bit of both.

I'm gonna pour one out for Bennigan's... sure, it wasn't particularly unique, but I loved that place.

@aguy7848

4 ай бұрын

As a kid, I always loved going to Bennigan's. I thought the chicken tenders were so good and that shamrock cookie at the end of the meal was always such a highlight. Looking back, though, it probably wasn't anything all that special, but it was still just fun and had a fun atmosphere. At least it got to make a cameo on South Park that one time.

@mikekannely2286

4 ай бұрын

I loved hanging out and drinking the specials at Bennigan's when I was in my 20's... I guess I felt like I was at a "bar"...lol. In reality, I was in a McDonald's for young people who were of drinking age. Still fond memories.

@farmerwithashotgun8623

4 ай бұрын

So did Butters

@GenMilleXial

4 ай бұрын

bro, when i was in high school i made fake IDs, and me and my friends joined the Copper Clover Club. we’d skip lunch in Lakeland and hit up that 30 minute lunch guarantee thing they used to do and pound rare imports. lol

@mikekannely2286

4 ай бұрын

@@GenMilleXial Gotta respect the fake ID for drinking... Pure American teenagers...

Outback and Ruby Tuesday restaurants will soon be on this list.

@alwillk

4 ай бұрын

Surprised subway isn’t on there. Capriotti’s, firehouse, cheba hut are all much better.

@rhombusx

4 ай бұрын

@@alwillk Almost all the other sub chains are better than Subway, but Subway is still well cheaper and even if they closed 90% of Subway, it'd still be bigger than just about every chain.

@504ever4

4 ай бұрын

I don't get what's happening with Outback Steakhouse honestly. But it seems like all of their restaurants are becoming unpopular.

@1970broncoman

4 ай бұрын

I went to an Outback in brazil and it’s super popular there

@Gilthwixt1

4 ай бұрын

@@504ever4If I had to guess, their owners just can't compete with the mega-conglomerate that is Darden foods. Bloomin' Brands is Outback, Bonefish, Carrabba's and Flemings - Meanwhile, Darden is Olive Garden, Longhorn, Cheddar's, Yard House, Capital Grille, Season's 52, Bahama Breeze, Eddie V's, Ruth's Chris, and at one point Red Lobster too. That kind of synergy and bargaining power means they probably have a stranglehold on most markets that Outback would want to exist in.

I used to DJ at Bennigans in Mount Laurel NJ back in the mid eighties. Place was packed every weekend. And the Saint Patrick celebrations were multi day and legendary.

@skinzz2573

5 ай бұрын

My brother worked at that location in the early 80's

@johnnyboy55

4 ай бұрын

@@skinzz2573 I worked there from 84 to 86. ? I might know him.

@skinzz2573

4 ай бұрын

@@johnnyboy55 he worked there Spring/Summer of 83, so u probably just missed him

@littlekingtrashmouth9219

4 ай бұрын

All I remember is the sign

a lot of these franchise places are just like mcDonald. they do not cook anything from scratch. they just cook the frozen food. They are also pre made in pouches and reheated in water to cook. they want to franchise anything to make money, they do not care about the quality of the food.

@stickynorth

6 ай бұрын

They might as well be automated Automat's from the 1930's... Or from the 2030's when Tesla Bots become widespread...

@sonanderson6351

6 ай бұрын

Yes, everyone in the world knows this

@positivepsycho2932

6 ай бұрын

Amazin'!

@davidglad

6 ай бұрын

Whole idea of franchising is to try to make it "turnkey" whereas various books have noted McDonald's and only a few other mega-corps are super successful at the formula. The rest are second-tier at best. While this video of course wouldn't focus on a single exceptional restaurant (or few locations by design) by committed top-notch chefs.

@mrlevhil

5 ай бұрын

​@Paulftate just because your limited education didn't give you the tools to distinguish between Quick Serve and Fast Food restaurants, doesn't give you an excuse to leave a rude comment.

It would be pretty cool if you could put up a map of the remaining locations if you do more parts to this series.

I’ve lived in Florida for over 25 years now, but my parents live in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, very close to where I grew up. One of those 9 Bennigan’s locations is actually there, and it always catches my eye, makes me chuckle, and triggers memories of the 80’s and 90’s. It has the newer logo on the building, but the very large sign near the road is still the classic and more artistic loooking one, complete with neon throughout the whole thing. It’s actually kind of beautiful, and I hope it gets saved if the restaurant ever goes away. My taste in restaurants has changed greatly since the 80’s and 90’s, and I’m also very health-conscious today. So Bennigan’s really doesn’t suit me anymore. But I have fond memories of going there growing up. I can remember them being all over the place. Just in the large metro that I live now, I can still name where about 4 or 5 used to be. Coincidentally, my parents also have one of the very small handful of locations for Ponderosa restaurants there in Mount Pleasant. It’s like a time warp that town. Also have fond memories of TCBY in the mid to late 80’s. My mom was working on her Masters at the university, and would bring me along with her. There was a TCBY right next to campus, and we’d regularly stop there. Back then, frozen yogurt was kind of a new thing, so good, and TCBY was the only place for it anywhere remotely close to us. So it was kind of this modern and cool attraction to go there. I remember they had a root beer flavor one time that was SO good. 😋

@juiceman8108

5 ай бұрын

I went to school at ferris state and big rapids had a benniganns that was pretty good

@mangrove

5 ай бұрын

I went to CMU and left in '07, am pleasantly surprised to know that it's still there. I found one in Busan, South Korea back in '08, but it's long gone now.

@JayBigDadyCy

3 ай бұрын

This is funny because I'm from Michigan too and have lived in Florida for about 18 years. Was just talking about the remaining Bennigans with my fiance and how there is one in Mt. Pleasant. Only went to the CMU campus once and it was the dead of winter and pretty gross out so not the fondest memories 😂

My first job was at Rax. That location later turned into an Arby's and is now a Popeyes.

@GrnXnham

5 ай бұрын

My first job, too! I remember the food being overpriced and not particularly good. Most of the "food" in the salad bar were dried powders that we just added water to 🤮

I’ve passed by the lone Rax location in Joliet, IL and was aware of their history, never went in.

Bennigans had the best Monte Cristo sandwich. Deep fried, powdered sugar and a cup of jam to dip it in 😍 P.s. I also spent some time hanging out in the kitchen due to a tornado in the area, that wasn’t as pleasing…

@terrybeavan4264

5 ай бұрын

Their Monte Cristo was the first one I'd ever had and I've never had another that is half as good as theirs, I miss them for that and the memories of the people I was with when I went there! Some time ago it looked like they were poised to made a comeback, sounds like that isn't gonna happen. Sad!

@scorpiouk5914

5 ай бұрын

Came here to say the same. First ever Monte Cristo and they set the standard for my taste buds. There is a restaurant named "Cheddar's" which is in many states that serves up a decent Monte Cristo.

@hairharbor5080

4 ай бұрын

When I think of Bennigans I just think of that South Park episode.

@GenMilleXial

4 ай бұрын

the only thing that rivaled the Monte Cristo was the Turkey O’Toole for me.

@centralpete6044

4 ай бұрын

@@GenMilleXial was that served on a pretzel bun? I think I recall having eaten that there as well. Thanks for sharing!

Maybe look into the Bill Knapp's chain in the Midwest. They were popular among the geriatric, Krohn's disease and traditional gentle fare crowd, but at some point the family sold it to a venture capital corporation or something similar, which decided to change the décor and menu to try to make it appeal to younger people as a sports bar. The previous customers were offended, the younger people never showed up, and it was collapsing. The family took it back over, apologized all over the place on the radio, restored the old menu and the atmosphere as best they could, but it was too late and they it's now a grocery store bakery brand.

@GenMilleXial

4 ай бұрын

i remember that place. lol. i remember it being like Morrison’s Cafeteria food, but you had to get served.

@pilotgrrl1

2 ай бұрын

It was a place to go after Mass on Sunday. I still miss their hot fudge chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.

@jhoughjr1

2 ай бұрын

Ive got crohn's would be great for food to not be days of torture

No Fuddruckers? No Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse? I think a part 3 should be made. Because I am in a bit of disbelief that the two places I just mentioned didn’t get mentioned in these 2 videos.

@jeffpadilla9891

4 ай бұрын

I loved Fuddruckers, we had one in Charleston.

@SumFgtSomewhere

4 ай бұрын

second fuddruckers

@JayBigDadyCy

3 ай бұрын

Grew up in Michigan and Fuddruckers was one of my fav places as a kid. Their footlong hotdog was amazing. Not just because the hotdog was good, but the bun was unique and toasted to perfection.

@joshthefunkdoc

2 ай бұрын

Fuddruckers walked so Shake Shack could run

@derp2137

2 ай бұрын

Fuddruckers only topped out at 200ish locations and there’s still around 60 left, so not really as huge a decline as the ones on this list

Bennigan's was one of my go-to places when I lived in Hampton Roads, VA. It appeared like it would be an Americana mainstay as the one I frequented was always busy.

@christiangonzales7429

5 ай бұрын

The franchise locations for the most part never closed, only the corporate-owned ones.

Another one is Tastee Freeze, they have 4 stores compared to 1500 in the 60's, with the brand mostly being an ice cream name for pretzel stands now. One of those four is in Alaska of all places and is a community treasure.

I think one of the fundamental flaws in this series is that you seem to assume all of these restaurants did something something wrong to cause their decline, and if there’s no well known reason you have a tendency to assign a phantom reason like “they weren’t modern enough” or “they weren’t unique enough”. Some had issues for sure, but brands come and go with the tide for all sorts of random reasons, such is the nature of business. A&P was the biggest supermarket chain in America for decades, they essentially invented the concept in the 1920s, yet now only a handful are left. It’s not like they did anything wrong, all supermarkets are essentially the same, brands just come and go as time moves on.

@jhoughjr1

2 ай бұрын

If ur business doesnt live its doing somwthing wrong. Its that sinole

Bennigan's had a wonderful chocolate birthday cake and who could forget their birthday song "Happy, Happy Birthday from all of us to you, happy, happy birthday from Bennigan's to you HEY!" One time, we were having dinner at a very popular one in Raleigh, NC and there were something like 10 birthdays that day and the song kept getting faster and less peppier over the course of the evening.

@pilotgrrl1

2 ай бұрын

Restaurants make up their own birthday songs, otherwise they'd have to pay royalties to whoever owns the rights to Happy Birthday.

I remember Tony Roma's, There was a location near me in Queens NY which closed down. Was also able to purchase their ribs at Costco. They were really good on the BBQ.

@DavidLimofLimReport

6 ай бұрын

Tony Romo should have bought it out.

@someperson3883

6 ай бұрын

@@DavidLimofLimReportThat’s what I first thought when I heard it.

@alk61695

6 ай бұрын

@@DavidLimofLimReport Funny when I was younger I always called it Tony Romo's and thought Romo owned the place. Maybe he should.

@1AMdoesSomething

6 ай бұрын

Eh… I don’t know Jim.

@stickynorth

6 ай бұрын

There's still one location about 2 miles from where I live but it's like the last in the entire city and going to it is like dining on a ghost ship in the Atlantic.. It seats 150 in the dining room and you're lucky to see about a half dozen people at any given time. It's so weird. The food is still decent which helps but nobody really eats in anymore... especially since the "unpleasantness"... 75% of orders to this day in restaurants are to go... That speaks volumes to the way the world is going...

Everyone here is talking about Bennigan's but nobody is talking about Country Kitchen.. Man I loved that place

@priceright8963

5 ай бұрын

Ate there a lot in the 90s. Good stuff.

@KamisamanoOtaku

4 ай бұрын

Good memories with my family eating breakfast at Country Kitchen. Sadly, as a kid I doubt I appreciated the rest of their food. Looks like I'll never know if I would as an adult...

@aidenrogatz8071

2 ай бұрын

South Park

I live in Ohio and completely forgot Rax even existed! I was pleasantly surprised they still do and are only over 2 hours away. Next month I'll have to try them out when I take a break from my diet!

@jeffwilson3527

5 ай бұрын

U.S. 23 in Circleville. Rax is waiting for you

I have great memories of TCBY.

I ate several times at a Tony Roma's in Franklin TN in the 1990s. They had a BBQ chicken & BBQ Rib platter that was insanely good. My favorite meal at the time. Sad to see them headed for oblivion.

@TooLooze

5 ай бұрын

I lived in Franklin then but don't remember it. I loved their beef ribs!

@stevenhickey8636

5 ай бұрын

@@TooLooze By Cool Springs Mall

I live near Hartville, Ohio and an extremely popular restaurant there was called Country Kitchen. It had no affiliation with the chain and had opened well before then. However, as the Country Kitchen chain spread, they sued Hartville’s Country Kitchen. It lost, so it was renamed to Hartville Kitchen. It has moved from its original location to a much larger one and has been a destination restaurant ever since. Every day that it’s open, it’s not unusual to see one or two tour busses parked there as tours from out of state bring people in. Part of that is because there is a regular flea market that has evolved into a permanent market as well as antiques and memorabilia.

@forgottenplaces9780

6 ай бұрын

I never knew about the lawsuit, ive been going to that restaurant my whole life, great place.

@inherentmirth5180

5 ай бұрын

The hardware store is the largest independent hardware store in the country.

@hildahilpert5018

5 ай бұрын

I remember TCBY.

There is one Rax restaurant in Illinois near me. I've been there, the food is decent if not locally enjoyed and they've gotten a little busier now that the nearest Arby's closed up.

A Country Kitchen I was in at another state was renamed Country Grill. In the 1970's I also remember eating Shakees pizza. Shakees also had a lot of locations at one time. They also had good fried chicken.

@joshthefunkdoc

2 ай бұрын

Shakeys still has a location around Oceanside, the chicken & mojo potatoes still hold up

In the 80's in Houston Bennigan's had one of the best Happy Hours in town. Always packed!

I'm in Canada so we didnt have "Country Kitchens" but I do remember in the 80s a TV "Bloopers and Outakes" special with footage from attempts to film a commercial there. Repeated camera takes but the spokesman/actor kept saying "Country Chicken" in his lines.

@DugrozReports

5 ай бұрын

Perhaps was it "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" hosted by Dick Clark and Ed McMahon?

@hildahilpert5018

5 ай бұрын

I remember Chicken Delite.Thete were all over the place.Now they are only in Canada and maybe one or two in the Northeast.Really liked them.Rhere was a chain called Copper Kettle .They had one in New Braunfels, .

Bennigans copper clover club was my life for a year. I still have my gold plated pint glass and the t shirt. The monte cristo was legendary, and I still make mine the way they do--fully submerged in oil rather than just using French toast slices. RIP

There used to be a TCBY sign at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas. Every time a team kicked a field goal or an extra point, there was The Country's Best Yogurt.

Some of the chains that I remember as a kid 40-50 years ago that have either declined drastically or gone out of business: Straw Hat Pizza, Mr. Steak, Sam's (ex Sambo's), Lyon's, Doggie Diner, Foster's Freeze...

@WhoGitDaBiscuit

5 ай бұрын

Loved Sambo’s.

Even at my age I can't remember ever going to any of the ones mentioned in either video. Hadn't even heard of some of them. The ones I sometimes went to but haven't seen in thirty years or more are Bob's Big Boy and Long John Silver's. Amazingly, I recently saw Shakey's Pizza all over the Philippines - I thought they were extinct decades ago.

@kendallevans4079

Ай бұрын

Nor me..Many of these places are regional. I've never seen a Bennigan's or Rax in California. Luby's is a TX thing.

You just unlocked a memory three minutes into the video when you mentioned Tony Roma's. I lived in London, Ontario, Canada from 2009-2013 - myself and my girlfriend at the time LOVED Tony Roma's (we went there at least twice a month). Man, I miss that place. Googled it just now and saw that it was permanently closed between 4-5 years ago, likely a Covid-19 casualty. Such a shame :(

I remember a lot of those restaurants. I especially had a fondness for Tony Roma's and Rax. We used to go to Mud Hen games in Toledo and would stop at Rax on the Ohio Turnpike toll plaza.

3:19 - damn that Cowboys reference is close...

@billybandyk0720

6 ай бұрын

Correct u r, Dave. Tony Roma; Tony Romo. Yup; I got that 1.

@DugrozReports

5 ай бұрын

Tony Romo's :)

@billybandyk0720

5 ай бұрын

@@DugrozReports Yup; remember that rib injury that Romo had 1 season vs. 49ers? I'd b sarcastic w/that & say "Tony Romo; the place 4 RIBS". After all; the original slogan was "Tony Roma; the place 4 RIBS".

I had completely forgotten about TCBY until this video. Bennigan's was one of the places my friends & I (and sometimes my family) would jokingly call "TGI Rubygan's" because the three chains in that fake name were almost literally on top of each other nearby and it was common practice for people to wander back & forth between them looking for the one with the shortest wait.

Dude these videos are just built different 💪 💪 💪 keep doing yooo thang

My hometown of Wooster had a TCBY and a Country Kitchen. Both are long gone. There was a Bennigan's in Montrose (between Medina and Akron), and it shut down around 2008. It's now a restaurant called Tres Portillos. Never eaten there, never will.

I was going to suggest Schlotzsky's as an endangered restaurant chain, but I just looked them up and apparently they still have 336 locations around the country, with over 200 of them in Texas. The ones that used to be around me all closed up, but 300+ is still pretty good.

If you do a part 3, two recommendations I have are Blimpies and Ground Round (especially Ground Round theres only 5 left).

I truly miss TCBY! It was a family favorite. Haven't found any frozen yogurt place that's nearly as good. Everything else you mentioned is no great loss

There’s a Bennigan’s in Clear Lake, Iowa. We ate there when we were at the annual Winter Dance Party at the Surf Ballroom.

@ashleycook5798

3 ай бұрын

One in Des Moines, Iowa too.

Wow, this video is nicely cited! I appreciate that.

Hot n' Now would be a good one if you continue this series. At one point they had 150 stores and now there's a single one left in Sturgis Michigan

My former mechanic on my race car once turned wrenches on a car that won a race sponsored by Rax. He still has his Rax jacket he got as being part of the winning crew. Really cool, old school logo.

Hoss' Steakhouse should be on the endangered list. They're quality is in decline, and they've pretty much stagnated

Look up Quincy's. Used to be everywhere in the Southeast, but there maybe only 2 left.

I recognize that delapidated truck at the beginning. That's Tucumcari NM, I lived there for a short time going to that college. That was 14 years ago and that town has further decayed since

I remember a chain in Ohio that was called Dutch Pantry. I liked it,.

@robertdesantis6205

22 күн бұрын

We have one in Clearfield, PA off I-80.

The lone KY Rax is within walking distance of my house. We still eat there regularly.

They used to have a TCBY next to the theater me and my parents went do when I was a little kidlet. On a weekend here and there we'd drive over from our middle of nowhere town to the bigger town nearby, see a movie, and then go have some TCBY! Good memories. I don't remember when that exact location closed but I THINK it's section of the building turned into a jewelry store for a while, before eventually just getting absorbed into the theater itself.

I would add Luby's and Pancho's Mexican Buffet, both based in Texas to this list.

Bennigan's had a Turkey O'Toole which was a turkey with cheese on a pretzel roll and that pretzel roll was awesome.

I worked for one of the few remaining Country Kitchens in Wisconsin from 2008-2017. That location was finally done in by covid. The tired and dated thing is apt, the menu almost never changed the whole time I was there, except the prices kept going up. My location was attached to a hotel, so we did get business from that to keep us going, but it wasn't enough. The guy who ran the place took over from his father. His dad used to have a lot of cks, but by the time I got there it was down to the one. There are still a couple near where I live, but I have no idea how busy they are.

My hometown used to have a TCBY and a Rax. Man, do I feel old.

The Bennigan's in east Memphis was party central through the heart of the fabulous 80s. Both long gone.

Years ago, I used to always go to Tony Roma's on my birthday for ribs. The last time I went there ( I think it was in the mid 90's) I was served ribs that were COLD in the middle! I've never been back to any Tony Roma's since and that particular Tony Roma's was out of business within a year.

My dad took me to Rax a bunch on his night with me. I miss it (and Shakey’s pizza) mostly because of that emotional connection.

Here's one on the near-extinct list: Hot 'n Now Hamburgers. There used to be a bunch of them in the Northeast but now there's ONE left. It's in Sturgis, Michigan.

I'd pitch in Hot n Now. used to have 150 locations, but are now reduced to just one in Michigan. Went there once not knowing until later it used to be a chain.

Oddly, I just stayed at a motel in Illinois with a Bennigan's inside earlier this month. I guess it's one of the 9!!! EDIT: There is also one in Des Moines, Iowa!!! Close to where I live!

I've been to a bimagains recently, I was surprised to see one in borger tx of all places. Their latest remodel was a lot grey and bland for my taste but the food was good and it seemed to have a decent amount of customers. Now that I know it's just one of 9 left in the us im surprised at how well the experience went.

Jeez, I had no idea there were Raxs near me in the Columbus area. Taking the long drive to Lancaster tomorrow.

4:05 many places serve fries. Country kitchen has the best, it's like they are battered or something, it's wonderful. The bemidji location also has a well kept salad bar. Also the best grilled cheese of my childhood. A+.

You should do this same type of video for big box retail chains too, like Best Buy

We have a Rax in Joliet Illinois. No salad/wing/taco bar anymore though. I love their baked potato with broccoli cheddar.

There are two Tony Roma's scheduled to open in USA, according to its website.

When I was a kid in the 80's we had a Cornell's roast beef a Rax and an Arby's. We never went to Arby's but it's the one that's still here. Not sure if Cornell's was a chain or local.

Here in Alberta, both Tony Roma's and Arby's are basically extinct despite being mall staples for years. Red Robin and Chili's also bit it back in 2015 when the first wave of sit down restaurants began a death spiral... Montana's and Kelsey's along with East Side Mario's all but disappeared from Alberta too... And over in BC? Swiss Chalet was once a dominant force in middle-class family dining is gone entirely. It's also on the decline here since COVID when a bunch of franchises went bust despite only being open 2 or 3 years... And of course most of these locations are either still empty or are being demo'd entirely which doesn't bode well for the future of the industry as a whole when that happens...

@DouglasEdward84

6 ай бұрын

That’s interesting Arby’s still has locations in Ontario. Certainly not at peak levels but I can find them.

@a.grimes4202

6 ай бұрын

Arby’s has like 3.5k global locations, they ain’t dying anytime soon.

@MalachiWhite-tw7hl

5 ай бұрын

What is Red Robin's focus? I had a hamburger there and it was perhaps the worst and most overpriced burger I ever had.

@marklittle8805

5 ай бұрын

Swiss Chalet is going well east of BC. I just don't get how it didn't work in BC

I was trying to figure out where I had Tony Roma's before and found that they opened in Myanmar of all places- i remember the experience being great there but to to surprise it's failed there too

I've never even heard of Rax. What about Marie Calendar's? I used to very much like the one that was near us. It closed down quite some years ago now. I'm glad I can still get their food in the grocery store though.

It's so strange, I knew of absolutely none of rhe restaurants in your first video but know three in this (Bennigans, Country Kitchen, and Rax) were never as large as the ones in the other video at their peak.

Country Kitchen just closed in my hometown 2 years ago…it had been there close to 50 years.

A near-extinct restaurant you have to include in part 3 is Hot n Now. There used to be a lot of locations in several states but now there’s only one location left in Sturgis, Michigan. That last location has become a sort of tourist destination for people who miss Hot n Now.

The tony roma's in mall of America was really good. Always loved the waiter we got every year we would go for school shopping. Good times.

I would add Bistin Market as they are shrinking rapidly!

There's one Tony Roma's left in Germany and it is in Berlin. The other three in Munich, Frankfurt and Cologne are permanently closed since the pandemic, IIRC.

I used to beg my mom to take me to Tony Romas because I loved their baby backs so much. Haven’t heard that name in two decades. I can still taste those ribs and their BBQ sauce was my absolute favorite.

I remember going to Bennigans and enjoyed it in the late 2000s! Such as shame they are almost gone!

Should do an ep on Pizza places. I remember a point when Shakeys was all over. . . not to mention Pizza Hut. I do miss country Kitchen Was one of the few places you could regularly get turkey.

Bennigans was fancy in Topeka

I loved Bennigan's as a kid. They put white pepper on their fries and I still love them best served in that manner.

I miss Tony Roma's. We used to celebrate a family anniversary at our local Tony Roma's every year, 2002-2017. I still try and get ribs on that day

I've been to the TCBY off highway 64 in Bartlett, TN its the only frozen yogurt place in the area from what I can remember.

I live within walking distance of a TCBY... I wonder how they stay in business... the only time they are busy in on 99 cent waffle cone wednesdays. How do they still sell a large cone for such a low price is mind boggling.

@forgottenplaces9780

6 ай бұрын

Loss leader

@mabus42

6 ай бұрын

@@forgottenplaces9780 indeed... but the location is dead at all other times... except for a few scorching hot days in the summer. I still don't see how this location remains profitable at all.

Country Kitchen in my hometown was always really good. I had no idea they were a chain, either.

I had completely forgotten about Tony Roma’s. I can’t remember the last time I ate at one.

Rax was crazy! Mostly they were like Arbys. Then at other times they salad bar, pizza, burritos, pita sandwiches, burgers, tacos, soups, and other stuff I'm probably forgetting. I grew up close to a few locations. We however lived close to two 24 hr Arbys. As a teenager, Arbys was the obvious choice.

I've been to one of the Bennigans like 2 years ago, mostly just people at the bar.

@BoratWanksta

2 ай бұрын

I need to visit the Bennigan's in Elgin, eventually. I visited the Joliet Rax in 2022.

I love TCBY. So sad. Hey, Bennigan's had Butters and South Park. That makes them really special. Or are you a Cartman Casa Bonita type person? I've got to go to Casa Bonita. It's in my area and I haven't been since South Park remodeled it. Hey, let's all go down to Stuckey's for a log roll. (I actually like Stuckey's for the business they are.) They used to be all over the place in the late 70s. They were kind-of the 7-11 and rest stop store along the 70s highways. I also love those mom and pop, gift shop, rest room, deli, firework and boiled peanut stores in the south. They were such fun places to visit. I'm also looking forward to my 1st visit to Buc-ee's. I need 120 different flavors of jerky, a mug and a plushy. Only Buc-ee's has it.

I don't know about Rally's but most of the Checkers locations around me have been shutting down. Wouldn't be surprised if they were endangered in the next decade or so.

I’ve eaten at all of these, too. See my comment on the other for a list of other extinct or forgotten places, but I forgot Red Barn, Sizzler, 76 Truck Stop restaurants, Western Sizzlin, Der Weinerschnitzel, Tastee Freez, and i’m sure more.

Don't forget Triple xxx family restaurant. It only has 1 location left in West Lafayette Indiana. People mostly know it for the root beer but it was a chain restaurant back in the day.

There's an extinct restaurant in the South that used to be very popular and deserves a deep dive. It was called Po Folks, and it focused on Southern-style home cooking, such as fried chicken and catfish. I miss it.

@robertdesantis6205

22 күн бұрын

There was one in Greenville, SC. Iced tea in a Mason jar!

The TCBY building is the tallesr building in Arkansas. Now purchased by, and rebranded to, the Simmons Bank tower

Well now there are only 18 country kitchen locations. The one on 42nd Ave. in new Hope Minnesota closed late last year.

The tony Romas in my city had some sort of sewage gas leak that made the whole restaurant smell terrible. It was understandable for a month, not for over a year. Not surprised it's gone

Bennigan’s was my first “adult” after work bar. Had great times there.

Country Chicken was wonderful. Excellent fried chicken, great breakfast buffet. Their Columbia location had a number board for summoning wait staff. Not certain if used in their final years.

There's a Tony Roma's outside of Disneyland. I had no idea it was a chain restaurant lol