Fast food has been around for a long time and over the years, we’ve seen lots of restaurants and diners come and go. For every McDonald’s, Burger King, and Pizza Hut, there’s a Burger Chef, Wimpy’s, and Showbiz Pizza.
Some of them were once at the top of their game but sadly, couldn’t keep up with the times.
So today, let’s honor these bygone fast food restaurants and take a look at 15 of them we miss the most.
15. Lum’s
Hotdogs steamed? Sounds delicious! While it does sound a bit unhealthy, there’s no doubt that it’s a truly unique fast food item that only Lum’s used to offer. First opened in 1956 in Miami Beach, Florida, this family restaurant began as a hotdog stand before expanding quickly in the 60s. It got so big that KFC wanted to be partners and they even owned Caesar’s Palace by 1969! However, its massive expansion proved too much to handle and Lum’s had to file for bankruptcy in 1982. The last known branch remained open in Bellevue, Nebraska until 2017.
14. Red Barn
Themed restaurants were pretty big back in the day and Red Barn was one of those establishments that hopped the trend. This country themed fast food restaurant was known for its locations being shaped exactly like its name: a red barn. It had iconic meals like the Big Barney and the Barn Buster, which are both considered to be predecessors to the Big Mac and the Quarter Pounder. It was also the first chain who introduced self-service salad bars. In its heyday, Red Barn had over 400 branches across the United States, Canada, and even Australia. Eventually, its parent company decided to cease operations and focus their resources elsewhere, leaving Red Barn to shut down by 1988 and its last ever branch closing by 2020.
13. Sandy’s
When four men (who were former McDonald’s franchisees) set out to make a burger chain to rival the Golden Arches, it’s bound to make some noise right? Well that’s exactly what happened when Sandy’s was opened. The owners were committed to taking everything great with McDonald’s and made it even better with cost efficient logistics and excellent management. While Sandy’s had a successful run, it still couldn’t keep up with the massive success of other fast food chains and it was eventually bought by Hardee’s in 1971. At first, it was a deal wherein Sandy’s maintained its own identity but slowly, most of their branches eventually converted into Hardee’s.
12. Carrols
Carrols was an east coast favorite that first opened in Syracuse, New York in the 1960s. It was known for their iconic Club Burgers (which are basically double decker sandwiches) and the Looney Tunes cup that their drinks came in. During its time, it was definitely a go to for people who wanted classic american comfort food like burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Carrols was a great restaurant who only had to close down because its parent company, the Carrols Restaurant Group, struck a deal with Burger King in 1975 and eventually became its largest franchisee in the world.
11. D’Lites
We all know that fast food is inherently unhealthy. So when D’Lites was established, they set out to change that. Fitness was big during the late 70s and there was a distinct lack of healthy options when it came to fast food. This is where D’Lites come in. They offered low fat and low calorie menu items that include extra lean ground beef, whole grain bread, and several vegetarian options. D’Lites was definitely ahead of its time. People at the time couldn’t appreciate its nutrition focused approach so it went bankrupt by 1986.
10. Beefsteak Charlie’s
While its first branch opened more than a hundred years ago, Beefsteak Charlie’s didn’t really hit its stride as a chain of restaurants until 1976. During this time, it started franchising and managed to open over 60 restaurants by the early 80s. It was known for its all-you-can-eat salad bars. This focus on quantity over quality proved to be difficult to sustain, which led to it closing up shop for good in 2009. It’s definitely a much-loved restaurant, with several sitcoms like Friends and Will & Grace referencing it in certain episodes.
9. Pup ‘N’ Taco
Hotdogs or Tacos? This is a question that bothered Californians back in 1956. Fortunately, Pup ‘N’ Taco came to solve this burning problem. They famously offered hotdogs, tacos, tostadas, pastrami sandwiches, and burgers under one roof. This delighted customers enough that they were able to open over 100 stores in the area. Eventually, Taco Bell came to town and just bought out nearly every branch of Pup ‘N’ Taco in existence except for three locations in Albuquerque, New Mexico which remained open until 2013.
8. Yogi Bear’s Honey Fried Chicken
In the 1960s, there was a growing demand for fried chicken and KFC had no real competitors. So when Eugene Broome, a South Carolina restaurant entrepreneur, decided to open up shop and sell his own southern style fried chicken, he teamed up with Hanna-Barbera to bring his vision to life. This resulted in the Yogi Bear’s Honey Fried Chicken being made. With such a beloved mascot and a really juicy recipe for fried chicken, this fast food chain was primed for success. Hardees Foods Inc. eventually bought the franchise chain in 1968 and expansion was halted. Slowly, its branches began to close leaving only a single location in Hartsville, South Carolina.
7. Casa Bonita
Sporting its trademark pink facade, this legendary tex mex restaurant was once the go to for anyone looking to have an immersive dining experience along with a serving of all you can eat beef or chicken plates and sopapillas. It first opened its doors in 1974 at Lakewood, Colorado and became a cult favorite among local residents. Its impressive architecture made it an icon and was even designated as a historical landmark. Casa Bonita had to cease operations during 2020 and had to file for bankruptcy by 2021. Fortunately, South Park creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, bought the grand restaurant in 2023 and will work towards improving it and reopening it to the public once more.
6. Doggie Diner
While Doggie Diner served up some of the most delicious hotdogs, burgers, and fries in the San Francisco Bay Area, it was more known for something else: a 7 foot tall, 300 pound fiberglass statue of a dachshund head wearing a chef’s hat and a bowtie. First opened in 1948, Doggie Diner expanded to have over 30 locations with all of them featuring its iconic mascot. It was an endearing restaurant to San Francisco and Oakland natives who would frequent the place to enjoy its hearty meals. By 1986, the Doggie Diner chain went out of business since it couldn’t compete with other fast food giants like McDonald’s or Burger King.
5. Horn & Hardart Automat
Before fast food was a thing, Horn & Hardart set out to bring customers the quick and easy convenience of having food served to them. So in 1902, they opened the first ever Automat, which is essentially an old time-y vending machine. Back then, this was revolutionary and proved to be a success with hundreds of people lining up during their busy days to get a serving of sandwiches, salads, or coffee. This proved to be so popular that it expanded to have over 100 restaurants at its all time peak. Sales began to decline during the explosive rise of other fast food chains and the last Horn & Hardart Automat shut down on April 9, 1991. But all hope isn’t lost since the company found a new owner who is dedicated to bringing this concept back in the 21st century.
4. Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour
We don’t get too many dedicated desserts places these days save for chains like Baskin & Robbins or Dairy Queen. But back in the day, there was another fast food dessert chain that could give these ice cream places a run for their money: Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour. First opening in 1963, this was the go to for comforting desserts and a nostalgic ambiance. If you tried to imagine what an ice cream parlor would look like without ever seeing one, chances are, you’ll imagine something close to what Farrell’s would look like. Due to several changes in ownership and mismanagement of resources, the last Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour had to be closed down on June 8, 2019.
3. Wimpy
Long before we had the fast food juggernauts of today, there was Wimpy. Wimpy’s was a humble burger joint where you could enjoy the standard burgers, milkshakes, and fries. It was named after the Popeye cartoon character, J. Wellington Wimpy who was known for his love of, you guessed it, hamburgers. Wimpy wasn’t something that blew you away with extravagant meals, all it had was a friendly, nostalgic ambiance, excellent service, and great food. Unlike most of the fast food chains we’ve talked about so far, Wimpy is actually still active and running; just not in the United States. The last known US locations closed down in 1977 while its branches across the world flourished and continued to expand to this day.
2. Showbiz Pizza Place
If you wanted to go to a family entertainment center and have pizza all while enjoying the sweet tunes of an animatronic band in the 1980s, your best bet would be to go to Showbiz Pizza Place. This establishment proved to be a massive success with several families choosing to celebrate birthdays or special occasions with pizza while being serenaded by its in-house animatronic band, the Rock-afire Explosion. The success didn’t last long, however, as the last branch of the restaurant and amusement center closed down by the 1990s. This was because its parent company, the Brock Hotel Corporation, bought out another struggling family entertainment center, Chuck E. Cheese’s. After the merger, they prioritized expanding the Chuck E. Cheese’s brand and Showbiz Pizza Place became a thing of the past.
1. Burger Chef
Looking at its sheer size today, you never would’ve thought that McDonald’s would’ve been threatened by any other burger chain. But that’s exactly what Burger Chef did during its time as the 2nd leading fast food burger joint across North America, with over 1200 locations. It had its own iconic meals, the Big Shef and the Super Shef. It was even the first fast food chain to provide a kids meal complete with a toy! It predated McDonald’s Happy Meal by six years. It also patented a flame broiler that grilled burger patties at an efficient rate. In 1982, Burger Chef was sold to Imasco, which also owned the fast food brand, Hardee’s. Eventually, they decided to stick with expanding Hardee’s and most Burger Chef restaurants closed down or were converted into a different store. The last known Burger Chef stayed open until 1996.