List of defunct fast-food restaurant chains

A former Red Barn location in Mississauga, Ontario, now a Mr. Sub restaurant.

This is a list of defunct fast-food chains. A restaurant chain is a set of related restaurants with the same name in many different locations that are either under shared corporate ownership (e.g., McDonald's in the U.S.) or franchising agreements. Typically, the restaurants within a chain are built to a standard format through architectural prototype development and offer a standard menu and/or services.

Defunct fast-food restaurant chains

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

A former 1970s-era Burger Chef in Essexville, Michigan, occupied by health offices, as seen in October 2008

A former Pup 'N' Taco restaurant on old Route 66, Albuquerque, New Mexico

• The All American Burger – The All American Burger was a regional American fast-food restaurant chain founded in 1968 in Los Angeles by Aaron Binder and made famous in the movie Fast Times At Ridgemont High.^[1][2][3][4] The last location, located in Hollywood, was replaced by a Chipotle in 2010.^[5][6]
• Ameche's Drive-in
• Bajio Mexican Grill – was a Mexican food chain that was acquired by Costa Vida in 2011.^{[7][8][9][10]}
• BBF/Burger Boy Food-O-Rama
• Burger Chef
• Burger Queen
• Chicken George
• Chooks Fresh & Tasty
• Clock
• D'Lites
• Dee's Drive-In
• Doggie_Diner
• Druther's
• Forum Cafeterias
• G.D. Ritzy's – A fast food chain with a 1950s diner theme that had specialized in hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, and homemade ice cream, it was founded in 1980 by former Wendy's executive Graydon Webb in Columbus, OH. At one time, the chain had 120 locations, but only three or four franchises survived after the company liquidated by 1991.^{[11][12][13][14][15][16]}
• Geri's Hamburgers
• Gino's Hamburgers
• Heap Big Beef was a chain serving roast beef sandwiches that was launched in the mid-1960s. Franchises International solicited franchisees through ads in national publications such as Life.^[17] The restaurants used an American Indian theme and a distinctive A-frame building.^[18] Several restaurants were built in various regions in the United States, but the chain was apparently out of business by the early 1970s.
• Henry's Hamburgers
• La Petite Boulangerie
• Little Tavern
• Mighty Casey's
• Naugles – acquired by Del Taco in 1988;^[19] all locations were closed or converted by 1995; fans and new investors are attempting to revive brand in 2015, but it is too early to tell if they can rebuild the chain.^[20]
• Pumper Nic was a chain in Argentina, founded in 1974 and closed in 1999.
• Pup 'N' Taco
• Red Barn
• Royal Castle – one franchise location survived after chain was liquidated in 1975^[21]
• Sandy's
• ShowBiz Pizza Place - a restaurant with pizza, arcade games and The Rock-afire Explosion founded in 1980. Rebranded as Chuck E. Cheese's after purchasing the rival chain.
• Shrimp Boats - A chain of seafood restaurants that grew to 95 stores in the southeast, based in Macon GA, from 1955-1974. Seven independent stores still exist in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.^[22]
• Top Hat – This was a 12-store hamburger chain in the Detroit, Michigan area founded in September 1955 by Peter Everet (Edward) Westberg (a former White Castle employee) and Fred A. Simonsen. Chain was sold off in 1984 to Church's Chicken and the Elias Brothers (Bob's Big Boy).
• Wetson's
• White Tower Hamburgers
• Wimpy Grills – Founded in Bloomington, Indiana in 1934, it eventually grew to 25 locations within the United States and 1,500 outside of the US. The international locations were eventually sold to J. Lyons and Co. in the United Kingdom, which remains open, while all of the American locations eventually closed by 1978.^{[23][24][25][26]}
• Winky's was a Pittsburgh institution in the 1960s and '70s that filed for bankruptcy in 1982.^[27]
• Wuv's, a Ft. Lauderdale burger chain, filed for bankruptcy in 1981.^[28][29]

See also

• List of defunct restaurants of the United States
• List of defunct retailers of the United States
• List of fast food restaurant chains
• List of restaurant chains
• Lists of restaurants

References

1. "SEC Administrative Ruling 3-4857" (pdf). Security and Exchange Commission. June 30, 1975.
2. "All American Burger To File Under Chapter 11". Wall Street Journal. April 20, 1981. p. 38. (subscription required (help)). Alternate Link via ProQuest.
3. "All-American Burger Franchises". Wall Street Journal. January 16, 1980. p. 43. (subscription required (help)). Alternate Link via ProQuest.
4. Delugach, Al (October 8, 1981). "All-American Burger Founder Is Accused of Fraud by the SEC". Los Angeles Times. p. G3. (subscription required (help)). Alternate Link via ProQuest.
5. "Chipotle Lovers Rejoice! New Location Opening on Sunset". Weho Daily. October 9, 2010.
6. Tomicki, Hadley (April 30, 2010). "Is Burritofication Kinda Like Scarification?". Grub Street.
7. "Costa Vida, Bajio to merge". Provo Daily Herald. February 16, 2011.
8. Warnock, Caleb (February 17, 2011). "Bajios to become Costa Vidas". Provo Daily Herald.
9. "Utah firm acquires Bajio brand". Salt Lake Tribune. October 30, 2009.
10. Andrus, Elyssa (January 14, 2003). "Bodacious burros and speedy service at Bajio". Provo Daily Herald.
11. Ball, Brian R. (September 13, 2012). "Restaurant vet Graydon Webb lands at PSB Realty". Business First.
12. Eaton, Dan (April 14, 2008). "New era dawning at Rise & Dine with new leadership team in place". Business First.
13. Brawley, Peggy (June 4, 1984). "Here's the Scoop!". People (magazine).
14. Phillips, Jeff (October 22, 1990). "Ritzy's Discussing Sales of Assets". Business First. Link via ProQuest.
15. Phillips, Jeff (February 24, 1992). "Ritzy's Owners Seek $100,000 From Franchisee". Business First. Link via ProQuest.
16. Stuertz, Mark (October 28, 2004). "Ritzy Flitz: Ritzy's making a comeback". Dallas Observer.
17. "Heap Big Beef franchise solicitation ad". Life. June 23, 1967. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
18. "A-Frame Chains & Other Eateries (page 1)". RoadsideArchitecture.com. Retrieved April 13, 2016.
19. Galante, Mary Ann (February 2, 1988). "Ganging Up on Taco Bell: Restaurateur Will Merge Del Taco, Naugles to Battle Industry Leader". Los Angeles Times.
20. Luna, Nancy (August 5, 2015). "Fast food hero or failure? Naugles' co-owner faces fan support and backlash". Orange County Register. There was a possibility that we could have opened and had a small trickle of customers come only once or twice and then forget about it. Then Naugles would have breathed its last dying breath and be gone for good.
21. Fiero, Peter (April 10, 1975). "Polk's Business: Royal Castle Wants To Quit". Lakeland Ledger. p. 6B.
22. "Shrimp Boats: The Story of a Shipwreck and its Survivors". Marie, Let's Eat (blog). November 13, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2015.
23. "Edward V. Gold, 70, the Founder Of the Wimpy's Restaurant Chain". New York Times. October 16, 1977. p. 42. (subscription required (help)). Alternate Link via ProQuest.
24. "Restaurant Chain Formed". New York Times. April 5, 1957. p. 50. (subscription required (help)). Alternate Link via ProQuest.
25. Lazarus, George (July 28, 1978). "Wimpy's for sale; is there 2d Ray Kroc?". Chicago Tribune. p. D9. Alternate Link via ProQuest.
26. "Edward V. Gold, 'Wimpy' Entrepreneur". Washington Post. October 17, 1977. p. C6. (subscription required (help)). Alternate Link via ProQuest.
27. McDonough, Tim (July 8, 1982). "Winky Woes: Sewickley-Based Chain Is Trying To Make The Best Of Bankruptcy". Pittsburgh Press. p. S9.
28. "Wuv's Chain Files Under Chapter 11". New York Times. December 23, 1981.
29. Edwards, John G. (September 30, 1986). "ESM Can Keep Money Awarded In Earlier Fraud". Sun Sentinel.