Top 30 Iconic Fast Food Chains That Don't Exist Anymore

Although it may have been short-lived, it still captured the essence of the United States. With a focus on patriotic branding and plenty of menu options, Yankee Doodle Dandy quickly expanded from one location in 1966 to over two dozen in less than a decade. Their willingness to branch out made them a versatile option compared to their competitors. Unfortunately, its success was short-lived. By the early 1980s, the owners had grown weary of the fast food industry, and were ready to branch out. After converting two locations into classic sit-down restaurants, they shut the rest of their original eateries down, quickly bringing an end to what could’ve been a serious contender in the modern dining game.

With just six locations, Utah’s The Training Table was able to make a huge impression. They were unique in concept, with customers being able to call the kitchen from their tables. First opening their doors in 1977,a financial scare in 2012 nearly caused them to close, but a last minute buyer kept their heads above water. However, their second chance unfortunately wasn’t enough to keep them afloat. In 2015, misconduct allegations began to circulate, resulting in a lawsuit the following year. That ended up being the final nail in the coffin, and the franchise’s leases were terminated – shutting them down just shy of their forty year anniversary. Recent rumblings have indicated a possible return of the chain in the future.

Traditional restaurants aren’t the only victims of being prematurely shut down. La Petite Boulangerie was a West Coast-based bakery that prided themselves on the freshness of their products. After being bought by PepsiCo in the early 1980s, the patisserie exploded in popularity, with over 100 locations being opened across the nation. Although it appeared to be highly profitable, drama behind the scenes suggested that their ability to turn a profit had been inflated. Things began to go downhill as the brand continued to be acquired by various companies, all while the number of locations dwindled. By the start of the new millennium, the once booming franchise was defunct – a sad, swift end for what had once been an industry giant.

In hindsight, a business born out of spite probably isn’t the best idea. Marno McDermot opened Two Pesos after his proposal to expand the already established Taco Cabana was rejected. His restaurant quickly became a community favorite in Houston, Texas. Things became messy when Taco Cabana attempted to expand into the metro area – and found physical similarities between the two. The taquerias ended up going head to head in court, with Two Pesos being accused of trade dress and stealing the other eatery’s ideas. It soon escalated to the Supreme Court, who ultimately ruled in favor of Taco Cabana. In the ultimate petty move, McDermot opted to sell the chain to the victors rather than comply with the branding changes he would’ve had to implement.

This is proof that winning the battle doesn’t mean you’ve won the war. Following a split between the owners of Chuck E. Cheese, a new pizzeria-arcade hybrid was born– Showbiz Pizza Place. Complete with games and an animatronic band, they found success and became their old partner’s biggest competitor. In 1984, their rival ended up filing for bankruptcy, resulting in their parent company buying the assets and merging the two together again into Showbiz Pizza Time. Although it seemed they would become a household name, the business model was revamped – which included replacing the current animatronic shows with characters from Chuck E. Cheese. Afterwards, it didn’t take long for the Showbiz name to be dropped entirely and the restaurants becoming part of Chuck E. Cheese.

As soon as customers saw the signature clown outside each establishment, they knew they were in for a good time. Founded in the 1930s as Dee’s Restaurant, the first Dee’s Drive-In appeared in the 1950s. By the 1960s, they had become a local icon. At their peak, they served thousands of people a day and amassed over twenty different locations. Despite their success, the family began to focus more on other business ventures in the 1970s, which culminated in their properties being sold to Hardees. The name continued to live on until the early 2000s. Although the drive-in locations were shuttered, a handful of Dee’s Family Restaurants are still in Utah today.

Despite the name, there’s no relation between this defunct eatery and the still-standing Burger King. First popping onto the scene in 1956, Burger Queen quickly became a Florida staple. It didn’t take long for dozens more to be opened across several states. Although they were known for their burgers, they also became known for more unique features, such as the self-serve salad bar. They were so popular that even a name change in the 1980s didn’t have a negative impact on their popularity. However, in 1990, they began to shift their focus to desserts instead– resulting in them becoming operators for Dairy Queen. By the following year, most of the Burger Queen locations had been revamped– bringing about an end to an American classic.

Although it may not have been the first chicken-based restaurant, it made quite an impact during its tenure. Formed in 1979, Chicken George quickly grew in the 1980s. The founder was extremely dedicated to his product, dedicating hundreds of thousands of dollars to the development of his menu alone. That passion came through in the food, and soon they became the largest black-owned fast food company in the entire country. After being bought twice in a two-year period, they eventually filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 1991 and dissolved. It was a sudden and underwhelming end to what had once been a cultural icon.

One look at this Burger King-like logo is all you need to understand their fate. In 1974, Pumper Nic was founded in Argentina and just a year later became that country’s first franchise. They thrived for years before Burger King arrived in the country. A lawsuit ruled in favor of the American company, forcing Pumper Nic to change their branding and name. Despite the legal setbacks, the chain still stood, until the owner handed the reins over to his sons in 1990. They had no interest in continuing the legacy, leading them to sell the eatery in 1995. Things continued to spiral until they officially went bankrupt in 1999 – a sad end for what had once been Argentina’s pride and joy.

An establishment can be so iconic that it's referenced in pop culture for decades – but even that doesn’t ensure its longevity. Horn & Hardart were synonymous with early automation, with their vending machine style of operation becoming the go-to method for countless people. They became a reliable staple during the Great Depression, providing affordable and varied options for those struggling. Its prominence led to it being mentioned in movies and television. However, what had once benefited from industrialization soon became a victim of it. They were quickly outpaced as the era of fast food began. Their attempts to modernize fell short, and by 1991, the last Horn & Hardart closed – and in turn ended an era of casual dining that has yet to make a broad return.

If you’re going to sell and distribute meat to the masses, why not grind them into burgers and sell those, too? That might be what the Erenstein brothers were thinking back in 1962 when they founded Winky’s restaurant chain that served the surrounding Pittsburgh area. Burgers with names like The Big Wink and The Ground Rounder were the orders of the day, while Winky’s also had a fun sense of humor when it came to their television advertising. The fact that the Erensteins essentially had access to their own supply chain definitely helped sell the freshness of their product. Unfortunately, that didn’t assist Winky’s in surviving a poor regional economy, and the chain officially closed for good in 1982.

Mighty Casey’s was something of a regional staple in the Atlanta, Georgia area…until it was bought out and converted to another southeastern franchise by the name of Krystal. That said, non-Georgians could be forgiven for not hearing of either of these chains, but, as the saying goes, “if you know, you know.” That’s because Mighty Casey’s served up delicious dogs, yummy shakes, wings and more to a hungry populace, all the while touting their premium ingredients and service. Mighty Casey’s knew that consumers could get their burgers and dogs anywhere, and did their best to keep their clientele coming back, right to the end.

It was a bygone age, an age prior to the establishment of Hardee’s within the fast-food chain landscape. Here, it was Sandy’s that fed hungry consumers their servings of burgers and fries in the American Midwest. Sandy’s actually started out as a failed attempt to open up a set of McDonald’s franchises in central Illinois, and ended up opening as competition to Mickie D’s burgeoning success back in the late-fifties. Sandy’s held a Scottish theme, but their franchises, which were operator-owned, were encouraged to tailor their service to their local communities. As a result, Sandy’s stood out from the uniform nature of their competitors, although this didn’t stop the chain from being bought out by Hardee’s in the early seventies.

Who said anyone had to choose between ordering hot dogs or tacos during a stop at the local drive-in? Not the founders of Pup ‘N’ Taco, who proudly fed both to hungry Californians throughout the fifties, sixties and seventies. These weren’t the only items on the menu, either, as Pup ‘N’ Taco also served up hot pastrami sandwiches, tostadas and slushies for both dine-in and take out service. The chain also made a name for itself in the pop culture world, thanks to being mentioned in movies like the comedy classic, “Fletch.” Celebrity buzz aside, Pup ‘N’ Taco did just fine for itself until the mid eighties, when all of its franchises were sold off to Taco Bell.

The fast food chain known as Wetson’s seemed to have…well, let’s say “difficulty” in standing out from the pack. This might explain why the greater New York chain felt the need to mimic McDonald’s and White Castle slogans in their own marketing, while also naming their signature sandwich the Big W, in reference to that other famous burger. Regardless, Wetson’s plugged along, but struggled to keep up with the progress Mickie D’s and Burger King were having on the East Coast. The chain barely lasted fifteen years from its founding in 1959, merging with Nathan’s Famous in 1975, although the trademark to the Wetson’s name is still technically held in New York to this day.

Geri’s Hamburgers was a midwestern U.S. chain that was once owned and operated by a former McDonald’s VP, who was actively working to carve out some competition in and around the Illinois and Wisconsin area. What helped set Geri’s apart, at first, was their dedication to a take-out model, as opposed to the comparatively more popular practice of indoor seating. The chain actually didn’t have much room at all inside for customers to eat, although this was tempered later on down the road in an attempt to remain competitively viable with other growing chains. Geri’s lasted until about 1981, with occasional resurrections of the brand happening until the early 2000s, shortly after the last physical location closed in 1999.

Believe it or not, there was a big-time trend, particularly in the sixties and seventies, for celebrities to lend their names to various fast food restaurants. One such celebrity was famous country music personality and comedienne Minnie Pearl and the chain of fried chicken joints that bore her name. A number of factors led to the decline of Minnie Pearl’s Fried Chicken, not the least of which was that each franchise was apparently allowed to tinker with their own recipes, without any brand consistency. This actually didn't stop customers from digging pretty hard into Minnie Pearl’s vittles, but accusations of fraud with regards to their business practices and stock prices led to this chicken chain going foul.

We’re heading to the U.K. for our next entry, Little Chef, a once-popular chain that did its best to replicate the sort of diner experience that’s seen today as “traditional Americana.” This meant capitalizing on roadside service for traveling customers and offering hearty breakfast fare for an affordable price. Competition ultimately put Little Chef out of business by 2018, although the chain’s website is surprisingly still active. This may be due to Little Chef’s trademark also being active, via a Kuwaiti investment, although all of the chain’s locations listed on the website have since shut their doors or been converted into other chains like Greggs, Starbucks or McDonald’s.

We gotta give props to Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour for making it nearly sixty years in the business, opening back in 1963 and enduring straight on to 2019. Piano music and free birthday sundaes were a big part of the Farrell appeal back in the day, as well a fun sense of humor. Their menus were printed to look like a not-so-serious newspaper, with tons of tabloid jokes alongside Farrell’s array of sandwiches, sodas and sweets. A “Low Calorie Menu” even featured fake foods that were designed to laugh away any feelings of guilt associated with any culinary over-indulgence. Ultimately, a buy-out from Marriott and a heavy debt signaled the end for this once proud and beloved eatery.

We ask you: what’s in a name? Well, a lot if you’re the controversially-titled Sambo’s, where the original portmanteau of founder names Sam Battistone Sr. and Newell Bohnett ended up leaning into some racially charged territory. The chain’s visual aesthetic was inspired by the book, “The Story of Little Black Sambo,” which by the 1970s was increasingly perceived as inappropriate in its depiction of characters of color. The seventies saw many franchises battling the public perception of the name and décor, with many deciding to change their name. This trend lasted straight into the modern day, as well, with the last operating Sambo’s (run by Battistone’s grandson), changing its name to “Chad’s” in 2020.

If you can’t beat ‘em…join ‘em. Perhaps this was the idea behind the structural design of Little Tavern, a hamburger chain that flourished in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area for decades. Their franchises were initially designed to closely resemble the popular White Castle and White Tower buildings that were in the area. However, eventually, Little Tavern would develop a “Tudor cottage” style design of their own that served to differentiate the restaurant from the other options. Although Little Tavern would struggle after the original owner, Harry F. Duncan, sold the company in 1981. Little Tavern would limp on through the nineties, officially close up shop in 2008, and sell their recipes to the Laurel, Maryland location, which now operates as Laurel Tavern Donuts.

Never underestimate the power of a good mascot. This might be why the otherwise obscure hot dog and burger chain known as Doggie Diner continues to live on in the memory of Californians today. Doggie Diner had an adorable dachshund head that greeted guests to their chains, and it still exists today as a San Francisco national landmark. The San Francisco Giants even adopted the Doggie Diner name to the hot dogs served in their park, offering further credence to the idea that if you faithfully serve your public with good food and great service, they’ll remember and come back.

We’ve gotta give it up for the late former Baltimore Colts football star Gino Marchetti, because he took his restaurant dream and ran with it, which lives on in one form to this day. That’s because a new venture, Gino’s Burgers & Chicken, is still operating at the time of this writing, although the original Gino’s Hamburgers has sadly become a thing of the past. This was Gino’s first attempt at selling food to the public, and actually did quite well on their home turf, merging with another local spot, Tops Drive Inn. It was when northeastern expansion happened that Gino’s Hamburgers began to struggle, eventually selling to the Marriott Corporation, which discontinued the brand in the mid-eighties.

So, you may have heard the brand phrase “Nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee,” but how about, “Nobody doesn’t like Lyon’s?” Well, it turns out that quite a few customers DID like Lyon’s, a chain of 24-hour diners that was the Sara Lee company’s attempt at competing with Denny’s. The earliest origins of Lyon’s actually date back to the early fifties, and many of the locations were centered around the California area. But nothing lasts forever, with Lyon’s limping along to about 2012, then reopening three locations in 2015, before finally saying farewell two years later.

Let’s face it, no one really heads to fast food restaurants for healthy eats. Still, that didn’t stop D’Lites from trying to provide a healthier alternative, at a point in history prior to the bigger chains even giving a passing thought to lighter fare. The chain was founded in Georgia back in the late seventies, offering up healthier substitutions and ingredients in the land of delicious drive-ins and badass barbeque. In a way, D’Lites were pioneers, but they couldn’t compete when the McDonald’s and Burger Kings of the world also began serving up healthy alternatives. In an ironic twist, many of the remaining D’Lites locations were converted into Hardee’s, which are probably one of the least healthy fast food options out there.

What do you think of when the Walgreens brand of pharmacy and convenience chains comes to mind? How about sit-down dining? Well, that was the idea behind Wag’s, a franchise of 24-hour diner-type establishments owned and operated by the Walgreens folks. They were around primarily during the 1970s and ‘80s, and tried like hell to compete with other big names in that market, such as Denny’s. Unfortunately for Walgreens, the idea of eating in a place that shares similar iconography as the place where you grab cold medicine didn’t take, and Wag’s was sold to the Marriott Hotel Corporation in 1988. Any remaining Wag’s locations were eventually shuttered and turned into places like Shoney’s or IHOPs.

There were few fast food chains that welcomed as many competitors as Kentucky Fried Chicken. One strong contender to the Colonel’s throne was Red Barn, which at one point saw franchises in America, Canada and even Australia. The folks at Red Barn liked to lay claim to being the first to pioneer a salad bar, and their fried chicken was deep fried and prepared in pressure cookers designed exclusively for the Red Barn chain. The chain was eventually laid low by real estate interests, when its parent company allowed their leases to expire and ceased promotion and advertising for the brand. Red Barns closed one-by-one, with the remaining locations being turned into McDonald’s restaurants.

Sure, you’ve all heard of a Big Mac or a Whopper, but what about an Ollieburger? Many customers flocked to the Lum’s chain for this after it obtained the recipe in 1971. Many other family style treats attracted patrons throughout the sixties, seventies and into the eighties. The brand actually did pretty good for itself after humble beginnings as a simple hot dog cart, even managing to snag Hollywood icon Milton Berle as spokesman for a time. The bankruptcy of its parent company sadly led to Lum’s limping off into the sunset, but fear not, for a spiritual successor named Ollie’s Trolley does exist in Washington, D.C. So, head on there if you're searching for a little slice of restaurant nostalgia.

You may be very familiar with all of the main names in the fast food burger wars out there, from McDonald’s and Wendy’s to Burger Chef. Wait, you've never heard of Burger Chef? Well, at one time this fast food brand was so popular that it had its sights set firmly on those golden arches. One of the reasons for its success? It was the first chain to offer a kid’s meal! The company even tried suing McDonald’s when the Happy Meal was introduced back in ‘79, claiming the idea was too close to its own. The Burger Chef branding also included plenty of commercials, as well as a cast of cartoon mascots, including, ahem, “Count Fangburger.” The chain was sold by its parent company, with many remaining restaurants converting into Hardee’s.

We’ve covered a lot of bygone restaurants during this list, but Howard Johnson’s might be one of the most missed. That's largely due to its status as an icon of America, of the open road, of stopping for a quick bite to eat off the highway in the family car. It’s the sort of roadside attraction that, well “attracted” so many diners to the chain, thanks to the restaurant’s family atmosphere and warm, retro decor. Oh, and the clam strips. Definitely the clam strips. One Howard Johnson’s (in name only) did hang on for years in Lake George, New York. However, many questioned its legitimacy, due to its different menu, limited hours and the arrest of its manager for sexual harassment. It closed in 2022.



What defunct fast food brand defined your childhood? Let us know in the comments below.