NathanLum’s
The family restaurant Lum’s first opened in Miami Beach in the year 1956 as a hot dog stand. It then grew by 1961 when four locations had been opened. They were popular because of their beer-steamed hotdogs. When it was 1969, Lum’s had about 400 company-owned or franchised restaurants in locations like Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Europe. All stores closed down by 1982 after the company filed for bankruptcy.
Steak and Ale
Steak and Ale first came into the business in the year 1966 in Dallas, Texas offering a new and unique way to dine out. It was termed by business people as an affordable steakhouse where you can enjoy the cheap food. Steak and Ale had cheap steaks and also a salad bar. They tried a new business strategy by reducing price and handling free beverages and dessert. The last location ended up being closed in 2008 as this failed. There might be a revival as there are talks of it opening up again…
White Tower
Since White Castle was popular there were a lot of competitors that followed suit. White Castle was set up in 1921, by 1922 White Tower was opened. It was quite the imitation because White Tower could pass as a replica of the former. It copied the architecture, the menu and everything that could be copied. There were about 230 locations during its prime but the last one was shut in 2004 amidst legal battles with other competitors.
Schrafft’s
Schrafft’s was initially a candy shop set up in New York area in the year 1898. It picked up popularity then had multiple locations after it became a full-fledged restaurant. In fact, Schrafft’s during that time, this was the only place that allowed women to dine without being escorted. By 1937 there were 43 Schrafft’s locations on the East Coast but when the 1980s arrived, they were all closed down.
Red Barn
The Red Barn restaurant was iconic for their red barns. The design made it possible for customers to easily differentiate Red Barn from any other restaurant in the game. There were actually over 400 locations in the US and abroad when it was popular. After all of their locations were shut down, there is just one location left in Racine, Wisconsin which then became The Farm.
Minnie Pearl’s Chicken
Minnie Pearl’s Chicken was a fast food chicken restaurant chain that was the main competition for KFC. It was set up by entrepreneur John Jay Hooker along with the country singer Minnie Pearl who allowed them to use her name. It proved to be a good business venture having 500 Minnie Pearl’s Chicken restaurants around the country. However, as time went on, the restaurant was not innovative and it led to all locations being shut in 1973.