List of defunct fast-food restaurant chains

A former Red Barn location in Mississauga, Ontario, now a Mr. Sub restaurant.

This is a list of defunct fast-food chains. A restaurant chain is a set of related restaurants with the same name in many different locations that are either under shared corporate ownership (e.g., McDonald's in the U.S.) or franchising agreements. Typically, the restaurants within a chain are built to a standard format through architectural prototype development and offer a standard menu and/or services.

Defunct fast-food restaurant chains

A former 1970s-era Burger Chef in Essexville, Michigan, occupied by health offices, as seen in October 2008

A former Pup 'N' Taco restaurant on old Route 66, Albuquerque, New Mexico

• The All American Burger – The All American Burger was a regional American fast-food restaurant chain founded in 1968 in Los Angeles by Aaron Binder and made famous in the movie Fast Times At Ridgemont High.^[1][2][3][4] The last location, located in Hollywood, was replaced by a Chipotle in 2010.^[5][6][7]
• Ameche's Drive-in
• Bajio Mexican Grill – was a Mexican food chain that was acquired by Costa Vida in 2011.^{[8][9][10][11]}
• Burger Chef
• Burger Queen
• Chicken George
• Chooks Fresh & Tasty
• Clock
• D'Lites
• Dee's Drive-In
• Doggie Diner
• Druther's
• Forum Cafeterias
• G.D. Ritzy's – A fast food chain with a 1950s diner theme that had specialized in hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, and homemade ice cream, it was founded in 1980 by former Wendy's executive Graydon Webb in Columbus, OH. At one time, the chain had 120 locations, but only three or four franchises survived after the company liquidated by 1991.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17]}
• Geri's Hamburgers
• Gino's Hamburgers
• Heap Big Beef was a chain serving roast beef sandwiches that was launched in the mid-1960s. Franchises International solicited franchisees through ads in national publications such as Life^[18] and through classified ads in local newspapers.^[19] The restaurants used an American Indian theme and a distinctive A-frame building.^[20] Several restaurants were built in various locations across the United States, but the chain was apparently out of business by the early 1970s.
• Henry's Hamburgers
• La Petite Boulangerie
• Little Tavern
• Mighty Casey's
• Naugles – acquired by Del Taco in 1988;^[21] all locations were closed or converted by 1995; fans and new investors are attempting to revive brand in 2015, but it is too early to tell if they can rebuild the chain.^[22]
• Pizza Haven, an Australian pizza chain.^[23][24][25]
• Pumper Nic was a chain in Argentina, founded in 1974 and closed in 1999.
• Pup 'N' Taco
• Red Barn
• Royal Castle – one franchise location survived after chain was liquidated in 1975^[26]
• Sambo's
• Sandy's
• ShowBiz Pizza Place – a restaurant with pizza, arcade games and The Rock-afire Explosion founded in 1980. Rebranded as Chuck E. Cheese's after purchasing the rival chain.
• Shrimp Boats – A chain of seafood restaurants that grew to 95 stores in the southeast, based in Macon GA, from 1955-1974. Seven independent stores still exist in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.^[27]
• Top Hat – This was a 12-store hamburger chain in the Detroit, Michigan area founded in September 1955 by Peter Everet (Edward) Westberg (a former White Castle employee) and Fred A. Simonsen. Chain was sold off in 1984 to Church's Chicken and the Elias Brothers (Bob's Big Boy).
• Tops Drive Inn was a chain of drive-in restaurants located in the Washington, D.C., area. The first opened in Arlington, Virginia, in 1953, and the chain grew to 18 locations. Tops also held the franchise rights to Kentucky Fried Chicken in the Washington region. Tops merged with Gino's Hamburgers in 1967 and its restaurants were subsequently sold or rebranded.^[28]
• Wetson's
• White Tower Hamburgers
• Wimpy Grills – Founded in Bloomington, Indiana in 1934, it eventually grew to 25 locations within the United States and 1,500 outside of the US. The international locations were eventually sold to J. Lyons and Co. in the United Kingdom, which remains open, while all of the American locations eventually closed by 1978.^{[29][30][31][32]}
• Winky's was a Pittsburgh institution in the 1960s and '70s that filed for bankruptcy in 1982.^[33]
• Wuv's, a Ft. Lauderdale burger chain, filed for bankruptcy in 1981.^[34][35]

See also

• List of defunct restaurants of the United States
• List of defunct retailers of the United States
• List of fast food restaurant chains
• List of restaurant chains
• Lists of restaurants

References