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Restaurant chains that no longer exist

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by hondo, Sep 22, 2017.

Page 9 of 20
  1. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    Fantastic thread.

    Chi-Chis -- There are at least two former ones in my town that are now fireworks stores. Weird.
    Quizno's -- I remember when they were all over too. They had a sandwich that I loved and then they discontinued it, basically by no longer stocking the sauce. That seemed idiotic to me and I haven't been to one since.
    Roy Rogers -- Good to hear they're still around. You know those random childhood memories you'll have of grandparents? One of mine is going to Roy Rogers with my grandmother in her Dodge Aspen wagon to get fried chicken.

    The one I still talk about with my family is Rio Bravo, a Tex-Mex outlet when we were growing up in Atlanta in the late 80s/early 90s. We went darned near every weekend, my parents loved the margaritas and I'd put away piles of chips and steak fajitas. I was thrilled to move to Tampa Bay in the late 90s and find one near downtown Tampa, but in time they all went under.
     
    playthrough, Sep 25, 2017
    #97
  2. Monday Morning Sportswriter

    Monday Morning Sportswriter Well-Known Member

    There's at least one wagon ho.
    [​IMG]
     
    Monday Morning Sportswriter, Sep 25, 2017
    #98
  3. Monday Morning Sportswriter

    Monday Morning Sportswriter Well-Known Member

    I don't think that's it because I think many Outbacks are built in less desirable lots or as part of second- and third-tier shopping centers.
     
    Monday Morning Sportswriter, Sep 25, 2017
    #99
  4. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    There was a fascinating Reddit thread on this. A guy who managed a few Quiznos said the company was essentially a scam -- that corporate made more money on franchise fees than from the actual business, so they would force their own stores out of business so they could sell the franchise rights to someone else. It would explain why every single Quiznos that opens closes after a year.
     
    PCLoadLetter, Sep 25, 2017
    #100
  5. Monday Morning Sportswriter

    Monday Morning Sportswriter Well-Known Member

    Correct. A journalism buddy of mine carefully managed his money and decided to invest a good portion of it in bringing the franchise to a particular part of New York. He walked away three months into operating, he knew he couldn't make it and decided to cut his losses.
     
    Monday Morning Sportswriter, Sep 25, 2017
    #101
  6. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    My son and I looked into a Jimmy John's franchise a few years back and were stunned by the cost/fees, etc.

    That said, JJ's has replaced Subway as my favorite sub place. There's one near me but not near enough, I'm like .1-mile outside their delivery zone.

    Can't think of the name of the place, it wasn't a chain. But there was a shop near our office in D.C. that made excellent cheesesteaks. Once a month or so, deputy SE extraordinaire Marc Lancaster would make a run there and bring some back.
     
    Moderator1, Sep 25, 2017
    #102
  7. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    If you live in the BoWash corridor, it's a sin to use a chain for subs. There's bound to be a better neighborhood place close to where you live and where you work.
     
    Michael_ Gee, Sep 25, 2017
    #103
  8. Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!

    Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!! Well-Known Member

    Franchise fees for restaurants are not cheap. Most starter at $50K and typically run closer to six figures.
    One of the few exceptions in Chic-fil-A, which you can buy in at about $10K. The problem is you make much, much less ROI for several years until you have enough equity in the franchise.
     
    Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!, Sep 25, 2017
    #104
  9. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
     
    Riptide, Sep 25, 2017
    #105
  10. Monday Morning Sportswriter

    Monday Morning Sportswriter Well-Known Member

    It's a completely different model there. You need no working capital. They build and own the buildings, you pay the rent as a portion of revenues. And they are very, very exclusive.
     
    Monday Morning Sportswriter, Sep 25, 2017
    #106
  11. Gutter

    Gutter Well-Known Member

    There's one right next to my place of employment.
     
    Gutter, Sep 25, 2017
    #107
  12. Gutter

    Gutter Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]



    Perfect place for a high school kid like myself to eat for $2.
     
    Gutter, Sep 25, 2017
    #108
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