Name some stores in your area that have gone out of business and that you miss. Mine are:
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Ponderosa- Closed January 2007.The food started to suck and it was run poorly.

Kentucky Fried Chicken- Closed 1986. Im not shure what happened here because I was too young to remember.

Little Caesars- Closed 1997.
Woolworth's- Closed 1997.
KMart- Closed 1998.

Pharmhouse- Closed 1998. It was a discount department store. It was a run down building and when WalMart came, it started to do poorly.

Dominoe's- Closed around 1992. Rumor is that someone found a rats tail in their pizza and the health department shut them down.

I miss Little Caesar's too.

I also miss regular, non-SuperCenter, Wal-Marts.

Caldor. Ames, G.Fox, Sage Allen, D&L, Finast, Edwards

Suncoast Video

Tower Records

Rax Roast Beef (Their Beef sandwiches were so good)
Bojangels Chicken & Biscuits (They had the best Sausage and Biscuits)
Fuddruckers (Best Hamburgers i've ever eaten)
Whataburger (I wish they would bring this Restaurant back to Nashville)

The Burger King around shut down back in fall 2005. It kept failing health inspections and eventually closed down. Since then, they replaced it with a Huddle House and it's even worse than Burger King...

Little Caesars is finally making a comeback here!!

I miss Red Barn.
Burger Chef.

TCBY I moved to a small town about a year and a half ago, and they don't have TCBY. Man I loved that yogurt.

Little Caesars is finally making a comeback here!!

I miss Red Barn.
Burger Chef.

I had forgotten about Burger Chef. I use to love their burgers when i was a kid. We also lost Little Caesars years ago and they finally opened up a new one in 2007. I use to love the deal they had where you buy a pizza and get one free. To bad they don't have that anymore.

Caldors and Bradlees.

Little Caesar's, Baskin Robbins, Spring Snow, Sugar Shack Video(a little mom and pop video rental place, God I miss it!)

Rax Roast Beef (Their Beef sandwiches were so good)
Bojangels Chicken & Biscuits (They had the best Sausage and Biscuits)
Fuddruckers (Best Hamburgers i've ever eaten)
Whataburger (I wish they would bring this Restaurant back to Nashville)

When was Whataburger ever in Nashville? because i never recall them being here.

The Pharm, which was a local drugstore chain that was bought a few months ago by Rite Aid.
Food Town, a local supermarket chain.
Farmer Jacks, another local grocery store chain (it replaced the Churchill's near my house).

Hills and Ames department stores. They made fabulous nachos.

When was Whataburger ever in Nashville? because i never recall them being here.


They were right across the street from Rivergate Mall, (on Gallatin Road) back in the late 70's. In fact the building is still there, but it's a flower shop now. (it's a pink building) My brother use to work there while he was still in High School. They also had a few other locations in Nashville as well, but being a kid back then, i couldn't tell you what street they were on. I loved that Restaurant and still hope one day they will come back to this area.
BYW, It's good to see a fellow Nashvillian on SO.:wave:

GAS:

Phillips 66 (I remember seeing one somewhere in Cincinnati in the early 1980s, as well as the Hamilton, Ohio, phone book in 1985)

76 (left in 1997, most became Citgo, which in turn became other brands after Citgo left in 2006; as of last year the brand is alive and well in California, Washington, and Oregon)

Sohio (bought out by BP in 1987)

Amoco (bought out by BP in 1998, exactly ten years ago tomorrow/Monday)

PHARMACIES:

Revco (bought out by CVS in 1997)

The Pharm, which was a local drugstore chain that was bought a few months ago by Rite Aid.

Wow, Don, I thought Rite Aid was having problems! Many of their stores down Dayton way closed, and Walgreen's and CVS took advantage big time!

I seem to remember The Pharm having a location in Fairborn in the late 1990s as far as Dayton is concerned.

Anyone remember Judy's? They copied the Wendy's franchise. Everything was very similar to Wendy's from the hamburgers to the building they were in, except the colors. (Judy's was blue) They even had a girl as their logo just like Wendy's does. They were around in the late 70's to the early 80's. Wendy's finally ended up suing them and they changed their name to Judy Judy Judy's, i believe, before going out of Business.

Burger Chef (became Mr. Cook in our area and then died completely by the mid '90s)

Mr. Burger (franchises simply became their own named place--ours is now Burger Zone)

TG&Y--a five and dime chain
Howard's BrandDiscount
Gibson's--another discount chain. Became the first in our area to actually combine a grocery with discount store under one roof (years before Walmart did it)

Golden Corral Steakhouse--our location closed in 1996 (I worked there six years til the day it closed) and what they call Corrals now resemble nothing like what we were. the Goldens today are nothing but BIG BUFFET eateries.

haha I miss Ponderosa too...I used to go there all the time when I was little.

They closed down Jack in the box on the east coast. I remember really enjoying their burgers as a kid.

Wow, Don, I thought Rite Aid was having problems! Many of their stores down Dayton way closed, and Walgreen's and CVS took advantage big time!

I seem to remember The Pharm having a location in Fairborn in the late 1990s as far as Dayton is concerned.
We have about a million Rite Aids in our city...which is a small city anway. They all overtook Eckerd's. haha so I guess they're having no problem around here.

Janney's Ace Hardware
CVS drugstores.
Blue Ribbon Photo
Thackeray Books

Cleveland stores:
Medic drugstores
Finast supermarket, which later became part of the Tops Supermarket chain.

As far as drugstores are concerned, we could stand to have less Walgreens. Ugh. They've succeeded in running out every drug store that's tried coming in. ohno: There's nothing there I can't get at WM or Target for way less $. Wouldn't miss them at all.

Saved A Center.

As far as drugstores are concerned, we could stand to have less Walgreens. Ugh. They've succeeded in running out every drug store that's tried coming in. ohno: There's nothing there I can't get at WM or Target for way less $. Wouldn't miss them at all.

Walgreens has taken over Illinois like the plague. They're all over the place. There are like seven of them within ten minutes of my house.

Walgreens has taken over Illinois like the plague. They're all over the place. There are like seven of them within ten minutes of my house.
That's ridiculous.

Osco came to town several years ago and decided to build all their stores right next to or across the street from a Walgreen's. There are no more Oscos. ohno:

Our Dairy Queen went down in '99 (shame).

Tops went a few years ago and was taken over by Price Chopper.

I miss Ames too. What mom couldn't find in Wal*Mart, she found there.

T.J. Max's

**** Robin. In the Chicago area - great steakburgers and shakes at a great price !

I can't believe they edited out the word for rooster !

Goody's family clothing store which just recently closed and the Phar-Mor drug store which closed in the 1990's. Both were great stores.

"Woolworths"
"Just Closeouts" I loved that place, we would go there every Sunday since they were always closed on Saturdays.
"Silvermans" The one I used to go to closed 10 years ago.

More:

Burger Chef (as somebody mentioned)

Kenny Rogers Roasters (there's one in the US of A still operating, in Ontario, California; I will make it a point to go there one day, perhaps when I visit Culver City and tour the neighborhood where The Wonder Years was filmed, LOL! I've also heard that the airports in Orlando and Minneapolis have them, as well, something KRR's website did not mention last I checked)

Pizza Inn- my favorite pizza restaurant
Godfathers Pizza- was also very good.
Burger Queen- one of my favorite hamburger restaurants growing up.
Minnie Pearl's Chicken- yes, thats right, the famous Minnie Pearl had her own chicken chain.

My town has lost its McDonald's. :(

My town has lost its McDonald's. :(

Really, you hardly ever see a McDonalds close down.

Our McDonalds was at the mall in town, and it was doing great too. I went there at least once a week, and they always had a lot of costumers. But when they opened there back in 1998, they signed a 10-year-long contract. And now, in 2008, the contract wasn't renewed, because the mall practically threw them out. Hopefully, we'll get a new McDonalds soon, but it will probably be in the outskirts of the town, and you will only be able to get there by car, and I don't have a driver's license. :(

Our McDonalds was at the mall in town, and it was doing great too. I went there at least once a week, and they always had a lot of costumers. But when they opened there back in 1998, they signed a 10-year-long contract. And now, in 2008, the contract wasn't renewed, because the mall practically threw them out. Hopefully, we'll get a new McDonalds soon, but it will probably be in the outskirts of the town, and you will only be able to get there by car, and I don't have a driver's license. :(

That's really ashame. As long as a business is doing good and paying their rent, i see no reason not to renew the contract. The same thing happend to Taco Bell at our mall several years ago. I just don't understand it.

I don't understand it either. I guess someone else has offered to pay a lot of rent for that space. I don't even know what it is yet. We'll have to wait and see. I'm hoping for a new McDonalds here in Örnsköldsvik though, even if it's in the outskirts of town. Especially since Sundsvall, a town 100 miles south from us, has at least three different McDonalds. It's a somewhat bigger town than Örnsköldsvik, but still...

I don't understand it either. I guess someone else has offered to pay a lot of rent for that space. I don't even know what it is yet. We'll have to wait and see. I'm hoping for a new McDonalds here in Örnsköldsvik though, even if it's in the outskirts of town. Especially since Sundsvall, a town 100 miles south from us, has at least three different McDonalds. It's a somewhat bigger town than Örnsköldsvik, but still...
Jeez...and it seems like every tiny town and big city in the whole world has a McDonald's. If it was so popular at the mall, I can't see why the owner wouldn't consider building somewhere in town. Hopefully a place more centrally located than the outskirts though. We have a lot of new restaurants that have opened here, but they are all clear out west in a new section that they are building up. It's not convenient for most people in the city.

Godfathers Pizza- was also very good.

We have two still. I didn't know how far around the US they went! For some reason, I though it was just a local or statewide thing; I think because the commercials had that local production quality look to them. I love their taco pizza.

I don't understand it either. I guess someone else has offered to pay a lot of rent for that space. I don't even know what it is yet. We'll have to wait and see. I'm hoping for a new McDonalds here in Örnsköldsvik though, even if it's in the outskirts of town. Especially since Sundsvall, a town 100 miles south from us, has at least three different McDonalds. It's a somewhat bigger town than Örnsköldsvik, but still...

A Mall is just like any other business, they're just trying to make more money and if that means bumping a business for another, thats what they will do. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you in hope that Mickey D's builds another store in your area.

We have two still. I didn't know how far around the US they went! For some reason, I though it was just a local or statewide thing; I think because the commercials had that local production quality look to them. I love their taco pizza.

They were here for years and i always thought they did good business. But one of their employees was arrested for being on America's Most Wanted and after that, it just went down hill and they finally closed it down in the early 2000's. We use to go there for the Buffet.

Pizza Inn- my favorite pizza restaurant
Godfathers Pizza- was also very good.
Burger Queen- one of my favorite hamburger restaurants growing up.
Minnie Pearl's Chicken- yes, thats right, the famous Minnie Pearl had her own chicken chain.

My part of Toledo also had a Pizza Inn and a Godfather's Pizza. They both made good pizzas.

Burger Chef (became Mr. Cook in our area and then died completely by the mid '90s)

Mr. Burger (franchises simply became their own named place--ours is now Burger Zone)

I remember Burger Chef! They had a few in NJ when I was a kid.

Other stores i miss from my NJ days:

Herman's - A big sporting goods chain in the time before Sports Authority, Modell's, Dicks, etc.
As long as I'm giving a shout out to departed Sporting Goods Stores, I'll mention Masco's Sporting Goods, a small NJ chian of stores where I worked during my HighSchool /College years. I learned how to pretend to work there.

Meyer's - Meyers was this really cool toy/hobby store we went to all the time. I bought a lot of Star Wars figures there. They also sold a lot of fancy dolls and hobby stuff.

Rickels and Channel - Two hardware/home stores that reigned supreme before Home Depot pushed everyone out of business.

Woolworths
Towers dept store
The A&P around the corner (Now a trip for groceries is at least a half mile away)
Magoo's ice cream parlour (Best ice cream EVER...great atmosphere); the place that was my teen hang-out
A&W "carhop" stores!~ We still have A&Ws in all the malls around here but, there was just SOMETHING about having a cute teen girl bring your food to your car ;)

I only live in quite a small town and quite a few of the shops have stayed the same over the years...I do remember that we used to have a Wimpy's (a fast food restaurant in the style of McDonalds/Burger King) that, as a six/seven-year-old kid, I used to love. The milkshakes there were good too. It's been gone for a while, since I was about 10 or 11, maybe even earlier. I wouldn't say I miss it, but I did enjoy going there, as back when I was a young kid, going to get a burger and fries at a fast food place was THE dining occasion for me! I remember being about seven and always looking forward to going to McDonalds. Nowadays I'm not so bothered. I don't exactly think McD's is bad, I'll occasionally have a meal from there, but there are other places that are better.

Pizza Inn- my favorite pizza restaurant
Godfathers Pizza- was also very good.
Burger Queen- one of my favorite hamburger restaurants growing up.
Minnie Pearl's Chicken- yes, thats right, the famous Minnie Pearl had her own chicken chain.


I loved Godfathers Pizza, we had one on Kraft Street in the 80's and that was the best pizza I ever ate. They have a Godfathers in Pembroke, Ky but its different from the one we had here in the 80's. Its not half as good.

We have a pizza place in our town called "Il Padrino". That's actually Italian for "The Godfather". I don't think it's the same chain though. :lol:

^ Never can tell! Just look at McDonalds, its all across the globe. lol!

Not in my town anymore though. :crying:

There's only one Dunkin' Donuts in Toledo, and there used to be more 7Elevens.

There's only one Dunkin' Donuts in Toledo, and there used to be more 7Elevens.

I don't know if we have any more 7 Elevens in this are as well. I believe they all changed their name to Circle K.

My town doesn't have a Dairy Queen (gone now for about 15 years) or Domino's Pizza (came to town TWICE and failed both times).

Heck we don't even have a good Chinese place!!

There's only one Dunkin' Donuts in Toledo, and there used to be more 7Elevens.

There's now a second Dunkin in Toledo, and locations in the Toledo suburbs of Maumee, Oregon, Sylvania and Perrysburg.

Not in my town anymore though. :crying:
Now we've got a new McDonalds right outside town, but it's hard to get there if you don't drive a car. :(

If I were still a member of the driving and out there shopping crowd, I'd miss the Sears in our town, it was there for decades and one c ould buy anything there but food stuffs, it was torn down to install a Metro train to run thru our town.... I think they called it progress, my foot.....

Sears, Robert Hall and Woolworths

Oh growing up with the 5&10 stores like Woolworth, Kresge, Newberry's was a true wonderful time to be growing up, the lunch counters where you could sit at counter a order a very tasty lunch or other choices....and store full of stuff from a needle to a canary and so much in between.

• Venture
• National (Grocery Supermarket)
• Funcoland
• Famous Barr
• Sears
• K-Mart
• Sam Goody
• Blockbuster Video

These are the stores are not in my town anymore

Toys R Us and Hollywood Video, for obvious reasons.

All of these stores have closed in my city
( in the last 50 years):


Hart's Family Center
Kresger's ( became K-Mart)
K-mart
Heck's
Buckeye Mart
Jupiter's
Scott's Department Store
Montgomery Ward
Service Merchandise
Woolworth's
WoolCo (Full line discount department store,
not same as Woolworth's five & dime)
Gold Circle
Value City Department Store
Bentz Department Store
Bing's Department Store
Lazarus
Macy's
Elder Beerman
JoAnn's Fabric
The Nut Shop
Kay Bee Toys (KB Toys)

Rich's Men Clothing
Robert Hall's
Artwell's
Deb Shop
Kenney's Shoes
Payless Shoes

Clossman's Hardware
Ace Hardware
Sears
Ray Thomas Lumber
Finlaw Lumber

Big Bear Supermarket (Hart's came from it)
Meyer's (Groceries)
IGA Food Market's

Drug Emporium
Gray's Drug Store
Super X Drug Store
Hoot's Drug Store

I know it is a lot. We use to be a very thriving city, now .... :(

Borders Books and Music

Patrick's Roadhouse landmark restaurant closed due to covid lockdowns....the owner owes huge back rent and can't do it. Another covid tragedy. Article talks about many stars who ate there.


Iconic PCH diner, Patrick’s Roadhouse closed, campaign launched to save it
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by Scott Snowden
April 24, 2024
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Restaurant: A landmark feature for anyone cruising the Pacific Coast Highway, Patrick’s Roadhouse offered an impressive and extensive menu. Scott Snowden
Legendary Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) diner, Patrick’s Roadhouse has closed and current owner, Anthony Fischler, is attempting to renegotiate a new, long-term lease with the building’s landlord. However, he needs $250,000 to cover back rent and building maintenance, which he hopes to raise through a GoFundMe campaign.

With its instantly recognizable green exterior and equally-as-unique kitsch-themed interior, Patrick’s Roadhouse appealed to both locals and tourists, serving as a memorable pit stop for anyone embarking on a West Coast road trip.

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The wacky restaurant was founded by Bill Fischler in 1973 and has served stars like Lucille Ball, Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many, many others. It even gets a mention in the epic 1991 movie Point Break.

There’s even a tale on the diner’s website that tells of one time when Schwarzenegger was eating at his usual table and his mother wasn’t too impressed with what he’d ordered. She barged into the kitchen and announced to everyone that she was cooking instead. The end result was something called Bauernfrühstück, which is German for “farmer’s breakfast” and so it was renamed “The Governator” for easier pronunciation and put on the menu for all to order.

Patrick’s Roadhouse owner Anthony Fischler confirmed this, telling the Daily Press, “Oh yes, that’s 100% true. She [Schwarzenegger’s mom] basically took over the kitchen, you did not want to mess with her,” he said.

Over the years, it has earned numerous accolades, including “Best Diner in California,” “Best Banana Cream Pie in the USA” and this year it was awarded “Best Diner in the USA.” It has even been featured on two episodes of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

“This is a prized possession of this community, it really is,” Kurt Benjamin, local resident and organizer of the GoFundMe Campaign said. “It’s something worth embracing … I know it’s hard to explain the mystique that it’s built, but it’s a place where anyone can go and just do their own thing. The food is amazing and the service is warm and friendly, but if you want some privacy, then that’s fine as well.”

Benjamin himself is born and bred on the Westside and has been taking his family to Patrick’s Roadhouse for as long as he can remember. He stresses that he has no financial ties to the diner, rather he simply wanted to offer his professional skills and expertise in business and legal affairs and try to save his favorite restaurant.

The iconic eatery has turned a profit throughout its 51-year history, but like so many others, it struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic relying very much on takeout orders. During that time, the restaurant located on the corner of Entrada Drive and the PCH supported the local community by using food that would otherwise spoil to provide free meals to frontline workers and students.

Despite their best efforts, they found themselves unable to meet the demands of accumulated rent when the deferral period ended and the large lump sum recently came due. As such a GoFundMe appeal has been launched in an effort to save this popular venue.

According to Fischler, the ultimate goal is to secure a new long-term lease and to raise a total of $250,000, with $200,000 to be allocated for back rent and $50,000 for immediate building improvements. Those improvements will help rejuvenate the establishment and ensure its immediate reopening.

“We’ve had quite a lot of interest from very big, high net-worth individuals who have come forward and conversations have begun, but it’s all very tentative and nothing has been signed,” Fischler says, also confirming that he’s spoken to Schwarzenegger as well.

Fischler stresses that the company that owns the land is not being unreasonable and they’re open to potential offers, once that specific amount of money has been raised. “There’s even been talk of trying to make the building a historical landmark,” he says.

Something similar happened to what is now Dogtown Coffee. The 2003 Main Street site was once upon a time the home to Jeff Ho Surfboards and Zephyr Productions, arguably the single most important location in the history of skateboarding. It is, to all intents and purposes, where skateboarding came to life. Following a threat of demolition, a public campaign resulted in the building being designated a city landmark in 2007.

Patrick’s Roadhouse, like Dogtown Coffee and even Ursula’s Costumes, are landmarks in Santa Monica’s rich and not-nearly-widely-known-enough history, illustrating its essential contributions to contemporary culture.

No proceeds whatsoever from the GoFundMe appeal will be used unless a new lease is secured and the amount is fully funded. Sadly, until then, Patrick’s Roadhouse will remain closed indefinitely.


In my good walking life, I walked down the canyon near my apt and walked to Patrick's......

Who would have THUNK all the losses!!!!

Local and regional: Castle Photo. Centre Supermarkets. Kash 'n Karry Supermarkets. Westhaven Drugs.

National: Kmart. Sears. Value City. Circuit City. Media Play.

B. Dalton Bookstore. Borders Books. Highland Appliance. Blockbuster Video.

Camelot Music. Peaches Records. Hollywood Video. Waldenbooks.

Local stores. The Andersons General Store. The Open Pantry and Sterling Dairy convenience store chains.

I miss KMART and Shop Rite. (There is still one near here but its farther north)

Local/Regional: Grand Union, Filene's, Steinbach's, T.J. Cinnamon's
Albany Public Supermarket, Suburban Gal, Marweidel's, Jordan Marsh

Robert Hall
Sears
Woolworth