Restaurant Chains Well Past Their Prime: Part 2

Restaurant Chains well past their prime: New part 2

References:

The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink by Andrew F. Smith

Wallenfang, Maureen (September 24, 2008). “A&W chain banks on state for its rebirth”. Appleton (Wis.) Post-Crescent. pp. A-10.

Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food by Andrew F. Smith

Maynard, James H.; Fowler, Ted M. (April 18, 2002) “Golden Corral Corporation #PUB-1569”
Retrieved 5/12/24

Northwalker

Us Census

Canada Census

Images:

“A&W Root Beer (14152516125).jpg” by Jorge Franganillo is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

"A&W Root Beer Drive-In, W. First St. at Daisy, Santa Ana, 1974" by Orange County Archives is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

“A&W Tottenham Ontario (52362226574).jpg” by Peter Broster from Wales is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

“A&W Prototype, Lexington (32072516776).jpg by Mr. Blue MauMau from USA is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

“Perkins Family Restaurant ^ Bakery - panaramio (1).jpg” by Corey Coyle is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

“Perkins Family Restaurant ^ Bakery - panaramio (2).jpg” by Corey Coyle is licensed under CC BY 3.0.

"This golden corral seafood tour comes complete with tour bus. (we're just jealous)" by CosmoPolitician is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

“Hometown Buffet (Manchester Connecticut) (40654262600).jpg by JJBers from Willimantic Connecticut, USA is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

[williamlloyd]

Rather support local mom and pop restaurants than large chains. With internet reviews it’s easy to spot hidden treasures.
PS — Appreciate a good root-beer float in summer!

[geoffreylee]

A&W is going gangbusters in Canada right now, growing like mad in the last ten years.

[DJVexillum]

I remember going to an old-school A&W hidden in the Adirondacks while on vacation, and while loving it, thought it was a bit outdated and not surprised it was on the decline. Imagine my surprise when a brand new location opened up in Niagara Falls on the American side, just last year!

[judgedredd]

Perkins was a absolute go to. Loved going there but moved away and no locations anywhere close.

[DavidLimofLimReport]

I had one of my first birthday parties at A&W in Malaysia. Remember it so well. Love the root beer.

[kylerlng]

The root beer at the A&W restaurant is different than what you get in stores. I’d recommend it if you have the chance.

[danw]

Red Lobster closed most, if not all, their locations across the country yesterday.

[suntanman]

I thought you were going to mention Old Country Buffet, which collapsed much harder than Golden Corral.

[gerg]

Perkins is great, never really went to the other chains mentioned. Nice video.

[Brian-lcwz]

Perkins and Golden Coral have closed around here in the last 2 years. I didn't think we would miss them but, sometimes we do. So much fast food these days.

[jeffreynowak]

I love your restaurant themed videos, please keep them coming. The A&W near me already closed down years ago. I remember them having good curly fries and bacon cheeseburgers.

[CF-]

I miss Perkins. There used to be one in my area with green ceiling fans. It was torn down about a decade ago to expand the nearby interchange and build a tunnel.

[mcsomeone]

Only time I've been to a standalone A&W was somewhere in either Arizona or Nevada, it was on a random highway exit in the middle of the desert with literally no other buildings visible for miles, it must have had it's own well and septic tank and everything lol, my city also had one that went half and half on a building with long John silver's, long johns did ok for awhile but almost nobody ordered a&w there because they didn't have thier own dedicated counter or anything, most people who walked in would assume it was just long johns with some strange barrel decor. Also that new logo shown scares me, the simplification was bound to happen with current trends and it looks ok but they shouldn't have dropped the orange color, those plain white letters are going to cost them brand recognition.

[jliller]

I'd like to give A&W a try. I don't know that I've ever been to one.

I have never been to a Golden Corral, but I heard too many horror stories before the pandemic so I'm definitely not going now.

Every time I went to a Perkins between about 2000 and 2015 it was always packed on weekend mornings. They must have massively mismanaged things to fail.

[davidmitchell]

The Perkins that was near me was great. The staff was amazing and the milk shakes were the best.

[davidgirkin]

I remember as a kid going to a sit down version of A&W in Michigan in the 1980’s. What was notable is that the waitress would refill your root beer float like it was a regular soda.

[JimHawkwind]

The Golden Corral at Albany and Saratoga had been closed since the pandemic hit back in 2020. I remember going there every Veterans Day for the free dinner.

[bradyeplaysIndieHorror]

Those really stand out to me. I used to wish I could go to A&W more, but there were so few locations. Perkins was my grandparents favorite restaurant. I loved Old Country Buffet, but when they all closed Golden Corral was left, and now that's far away too.

[DraganMan]

I like the buffet restaurants. Really liked Old Country Buffet & even when it became Hometown Buffet, but unfortunately they're all gone in my area. But never cared too much for Golden Corral for some reason.

[danielbowden]

Great video! I was pretty upset when I found out that the A&W in W. Harwich had closed. I had been going to that location all my life. Anyway, you didn't mention that they invented the Bacon cheeseburger in the early 1960s. Anyone want to go back in time with a time machine? Remember not to set your flux capacitor to anything before 1963, unless you are a vegetarian.