Since then, the chain's diner-style restaurants have lost out to quick-service competitors in the burger business. So today, around 200 Big Boys are in business, primarily in the Midwest.
1. Big Boy
Patricia Marroquin / Shutterstock
Big Boy statue at the Bob's Big Boy Express in Santa Paula, California.
Big Boy has endured since 1936, when the company got its start as Bob's Pantry. At one time, the chain was a giant in the restaurant industry — in more ways than one.
In 1979, 1,000 plus Big Boy hamburger joints greeted customers across the U.S. with towering statues of the chain's chubby, cheery mascot.
Since then, the chain's diner-style restaurants have lost out to quick-service competitors in the burger business. So today, around 200 Big Boys are in business, primarily in the Midwest.
2. Rainforest Cafe
EQRoy / Shutterstock
Rainforest Cafe doesn't quite have the roar it once did.
You can’t help loving Rainforest Cafe, with its plastic jungles, intermittent thunderstorms and animatronic gorillas. Plus, whenever someone is served one of the erupting brownie desserts, the whole restaurant has the fun of screaming, "Volcano!"
Though it has been more than 20 years since the theme restaurant fad peaked, Rainforest Cafe continues to survive, though it's not roaring as loudly as it once did.
The chain's website shows 17 Rainforest Cafes are currently in business in the U.S., down from a high of 32. Another five locations operate outside the U.S.
3. Quiznos
CHRISTIAN DE ARAUJO / Shutterstock
The Quiznos sandwich chain has been shrinking and shrinking.
The first Quiznos opened in Denver in 1981, and it wasn't long before the chain's tasty and toasty subs could be found throughout the U.S. and around the world.
But in recent years, Quiznos shops have been vanishing about as quickly as they spread. In January 2019, fewer than 400 were left in the U.S. — down from some 5,000 locations in 2007, Restaurant Business reported.
The chain took a beating during the Great Recession and filed for bankruptcy in 2014. Fans of Quiznos are hoping to see some magic worked by the company's new owner, an investment firm with experience turning troubled businesses around.
4. Baja Fresh
Ken Wolter / Shutterstock
Baja Fresh has disappointed loyal fans by pulling out of large swaths of the U.S.
Before Chipotle, Qdoba and Moe's, there was Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, a burrito chain that started in 1990. It grew quickly on the popularity of its fresh ingredients and its tangy, dark and mysterious "Salsa Baja" at the restaurants' salsa bars.
In 2002, Wendy's bought Baja Fresh — and that's when things started going downhill. Wendy's would sell the burrito business at a loss just four years later as sales declined.
Baja Fresh once had as many as 300 restaurants, but the chain has been shrinking and pulling out of some parts of the U.S. The company reported that there were 165 Baja Fresh locations in 2017.
5. Tony Roma's
Ken Wolter / Shutterstock
Tony Roma's boasts that it has "over 150 family restaurant locations on six continents." But the chain's website showsonly 15 of those are in the U.S., where the company got its start.
Tony Roma, who was oversaw the menu for the Playboy Club, opened his first namesake restaurant in Miami in 1972. It became a franchise through an investment from Clint Murchison Jr., the founder of the Dallas Cowboys.
At one time Tony Roma's operated more than 160 stores in the U.S., but American customers eventually lost their enthusiasm for the chain's ribs and other barbecue fare.
6. TCBY
Susan Montgomery / Shutterstock
TCBY has been melting away.
TCBY originally stood for "This Can't Be Yogurt," but the company later switched to "The Country's Best Yogurt" after its original name drew a lawsuit from a competitor.
Now, the acronym might as well stand for "This Chain Brings Yawns." TCBY — which got its start in Arkansas in 1981 — has struggled to compete against newer, trendier frozen yogurt franchises.
The company reportedly had nearly 1,800 locations in the early 2000s. The website shows that today, there are only around 350, and stores keep closing. A TCBY in Lincoln, Nebraska, went out of business in 2017 after more than three decades.
7. Roy Rogers
Jonesdr77 / Wikimedia Commons
Today, there are only 50 locations serving up old favorites like the Double R Bar Burger.
In the late 1960s, Roy Rogers — "King of the Cowboys" in old movie westerns — licensed his name to a chain of burger restaurants. By 1991, there were more than 600 locations, mostly in the northeastern U.S. and mid-Atlantic.
And then, the business was sold. The restaurants were turned into Hardee's burger joints — and fans of the Roy Rogers brand were furious. The customer revolt was so powerful that Hardee's tried switching the name back.
But the damage was done. The Roy Rogers chain went off into the sunset, though in recent years it has been trying to make a comeback. Today, there are 50 locations serving up old favorites like the Double R Bar Burger.
8. Kenny Rogers Roasters
hilalabdullah / Shutterstock
Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurants have disappeared from the U.S. but are all over Asia.
Country singer Kenny Rogers (the guy who sang, "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em") founded a chain of rotisserie chicken joints in 1991 with the help of former KFC investor John Y. Brown.
The restaurants became a part of American pop culture. In a 1996 episode of Seinfeld, Kramer declares war on a brightly lit KRR across from his apartment — and then gets hooked on the chicken.
Rerun viewers who've never heard of Kenny Rogers Roasters may be baffled, because the chain no longer exists in North America. But it's thriving across Asia: A Malaysian company operates scores of locations throughout the region.
9. Blimpie
Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons
Blimpie sandwich shops are still around, but there are a lot fewer of them than there used to be.
If you were a fan of Tina Fey's sitcom 30 Rock you may remember Blimpie as an occasional punch line. Its subs were a fave of loser character J.D. Lutz.
In recent decades, Blimpie has been a loser, too. It has lost a lot of "footprint."
At the chain's peak in the early 2000s, close to 2,000 Blimpie shops could be found throughout the U.S. and overseas. But now, the company's website shows around 250 locations. The world's first Blimpie — in Hoboken, New Jersey — closed in 2017.
10. Chi-Chi's
Nicholas Eckhart / Wikimedia Commons
Chi-Chi's went out of business in the U.S. and Canada in the mid-2000s.
Like Kenny Rogers Roasters, Chi-Chi's no longer exists in North America, though the Tex-Mex restaurants can still be found overseas, including in Belgium and Luxembourg. So if you're craving Chi-Chi's Mexican fried ice cream, you'll need to book a flight.
But the Chi-Chi's brand may be as close as your nearest supermarket. Hormel — the company best known for Spam — sells Chi-Chi's salsa, chips and other products.
At one time, Chi-Chi's had more than 200 restaurants, but its U.S. and Canada locations were all gone by late 2004 following bankruptcy and hepatitis. An outbreak linked to green onions at a Chi-Chi's near Pittsburgh killed four people in late 2003.
11. Bennigan's
Lori Martin / Shutterstock
Bennigan's is an Irish-themed chain of pubs that has struggled to stand out.
Bennigan’s is an Irish-themed restaurant chain that was founded in Atlanta in 1976. It was near death, but is trying to make a comeback.
In 2007, the owners filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation and shut down 150 restaurants overnight.
The chain had been having difficulty standing out against competitors like TGI Friday's and Chili's. Despite Bennigan's Irish pub roots, the menu featured Southwestern-style appetizers and tempura shrimp.
Today, there are 13 Bennigan's locations in the U.S., stretching from Texas to New Jersey, according to the chain's website.
12. Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips
Eric Fidler / Flickr
This Arthur Treacher's in Washington, D.C., when out of business -- like hundreds of others.
Arthur Treacher was a movie actor who specialized in playing British butlers. Just think of that old search engine Ask Jeeves. Treacher, in fact, played a butler named Jeeves in a couple of movies in the 1930s.
The fish and chips restaurants that carried his name got their start in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. The chain expanded rapidly, and at its peak there were over 800 locations nationwide.
But the company’s downfall began when the price of cod skyrocketed in the late 1970s. Just seven standalone Arthur Treacher's survive, in Ohio and New York.
Honorable Mention:
Old Country Buffet
Chock Full O' Nuts
These Chain Chain Restaurants May Be The Next To Go Under
1. Big Boy
Patricia Marroquin / Shutterstock
Big Boy statue at the Bob's Big Boy Express in Santa Paula, California.
Big Boy has endured since 1936, when the company got its start as Bob's Pantry. At one time, the chain was a giant in the restaurant industry — in more ways than one.
In 1979, 1,000 plus Big Boy hamburger joints greeted customers across the U.S. with towering statues of the chain's chubby, cheery mascot.
Since then, the chain's diner-style restaurants have lost out to quick-service competitors in the burger business. So today, around 200 Big Boys are in business, primarily in the Midwest.
2. Rainforest Cafe
EQRoy / Shutterstock
Rainforest Cafe doesn't quite have the roar it once did.
You can’t help loving Rainforest Cafe, with its plastic jungles, intermittent thunderstorms and animatronic gorillas. Plus, whenever someone is served one of the erupting brownie desserts, the whole restaurant has the fun of screaming, "Volcano!"
Though it has been more than 20 years since the theme restaurant fad peaked, Rainforest Cafe continues to survive, though it's not roaring as loudly as it once did.
The chain's website shows 17 Rainforest Cafes are currently in business in the U.S., down from a high of 32. Another five locations operate outside the U.S.
3. Quiznos
CHRISTIAN DE ARAUJO / Shutterstock
The Quiznos sandwich chain has been shrinking and shrinking.
The first Quiznos opened in Denver in 1981, and it wasn't long before the chain's tasty and toasty subs could be found throughout the U.S. and around the world.
But in recent years, Quiznos shops have been vanishing about as quickly as they spread. In January 2019, fewer than 400 were left in the U.S. — down from some 5,000 locations in 2007, Restaurant Business reported.
The chain took a beating during the Great Recession and filed for bankruptcy in 2014. Fans of Quiznos are hoping to see some magic worked by the company's new owner, an investment firm with experience turning troubled businesses around.
4. Baja Fresh
Ken Wolter / Shutterstock
Baja Fresh has disappointed loyal fans by pulling out of large swaths of the U.S.
Before Chipotle, Qdoba and Moe's, there was Baja Fresh Mexican Grill, a burrito chain that started in 1990. It grew quickly on the popularity of its fresh ingredients and its tangy, dark and mysterious "Salsa Baja" at the restaurants' salsa bars.
In 2002, Wendy's bought Baja Fresh — and that's when things started going downhill. Wendy's would sell the burrito business at a loss just four years later as sales declined.
Baja Fresh once had as many as 300 restaurants, but the chain has been shrinking and pulling out of some parts of the U.S. The company reported that there were 165 Baja Fresh locations in 2017.
5. Tony Roma's
Ken Wolter / Shutterstock
Tony Roma's boasts that it has "over 150 family restaurant locations on six continents." But the chain's website showsonly 15 of those are in the U.S., where the company got its start.
Tony Roma, who was oversaw the menu for the Playboy Club, opened his first namesake restaurant in Miami in 1972. It became a franchise through an investment from Clint Murchison Jr., the founder of the Dallas Cowboys.
At one time Tony Roma's operated more than 160 stores in the U.S., but American customers eventually lost their enthusiasm for the chain's ribs and other barbecue fare.
6. TCBY
Susan Montgomery / Shutterstock
TCBY has been melting away.
TCBY originally stood for "This Can't Be Yogurt," but the company later switched to "The Country's Best Yogurt" after its original name drew a lawsuit from a competitor.
Now, the acronym might as well stand for "This Chain Brings Yawns." TCBY — which got its start in Arkansas in 1981 — has struggled to compete against newer, trendier frozen yogurt franchises.
The company reportedly had nearly 1,800 locations in the early 2000s. The website shows that today, there are only around 350, and stores keep closing. A TCBY in Lincoln, Nebraska, went out of business in 2017 after more than three decades.
7. Roy Rogers
Jonesdr77 / Wikimedia Commons
Today, there are only 50 locations serving up old favorites like the Double R Bar Burger.
In the late 1960s, Roy Rogers — "King of the Cowboys" in old movie westerns — licensed his name to a chain of burger restaurants. By 1991, there were more than 600 locations, mostly in the northeastern U.S. and mid-Atlantic.
And then, the business was sold. The restaurants were turned into Hardee's burger joints — and fans of the Roy Rogers brand were furious. The customer revolt was so powerful that Hardee's tried switching the name back.
But the damage was done. The Roy Rogers chain went off into the sunset, though in recent years it has been trying to make a comeback. Today, there are 50 locations serving up old favorites like the Double R Bar Burger.
8. Kenny Rogers Roasters
hilalabdullah / Shutterstock
Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurants have disappeared from the U.S. but are all over Asia.
Country singer Kenny Rogers (the guy who sang, "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em") founded a chain of rotisserie chicken joints in 1991 with the help of former KFC investor John Y. Brown.
The restaurants became a part of American pop culture. In a 1996 episode of Seinfeld, Kramer declares war on a brightly lit KRR across from his apartment — and then gets hooked on the chicken.
Rerun viewers who've never heard of Kenny Rogers Roasters may be baffled, because the chain no longer exists in North America. But it's thriving across Asia: A Malaysian company operates scores of locations throughout the region.
9. Blimpie
Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons
Blimpie sandwich shops are still around, but there are a lot fewer of them than there used to be.
If you were a fan of Tina Fey's sitcom 30 Rock you may remember Blimpie as an occasional punch line. Its subs were a fave of loser character J.D. Lutz.
In recent decades, Blimpie has been a loser, too. It has lost a lot of "footprint."
At the chain's peak in the early 2000s, close to 2,000 Blimpie shops could be found throughout the U.S. and overseas. But now, the company's website shows around 250 locations. The world's first Blimpie — in Hoboken, New Jersey — closed in 2017.
10. Chi-Chi's
Nicholas Eckhart / Wikimedia Commons
Chi-Chi's went out of business in the U.S. and Canada in the mid-2000s.
Like Kenny Rogers Roasters, Chi-Chi's no longer exists in North America, though the Tex-Mex restaurants can still be found overseas, including in Belgium and Luxembourg. So if you're craving Chi-Chi's Mexican fried ice cream, you'll need to book a flight.
But the Chi-Chi's brand may be as close as your nearest supermarket. Hormel — the company best known for Spam — sells Chi-Chi's salsa, chips and other products.
At one time, Chi-Chi's had more than 200 restaurants, but its U.S. and Canada locations were all gone by late 2004 following bankruptcy and hepatitis. An outbreak linked to green onions at a Chi-Chi's near Pittsburgh killed four people in late 2003.
11. Bennigan's
Lori Martin / Shutterstock
Bennigan's is an Irish-themed chain of pubs that has struggled to stand out.
Bennigan’s is an Irish-themed restaurant chain that was founded in Atlanta in 1976. It was near death, but is trying to make a comeback.
In 2007, the owners filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation and shut down 150 restaurants overnight.
The chain had been having difficulty standing out against competitors like TGI Friday's and Chili's. Despite Bennigan's Irish pub roots, the menu featured Southwestern-style appetizers and tempura shrimp.
Today, there are 13 Bennigan's locations in the U.S., stretching from Texas to New Jersey, according to the chain's website.
12. Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips
Eric Fidler / Flickr
This Arthur Treacher's in Washington, D.C., when out of business -- like hundreds of others.
Arthur Treacher was a movie actor who specialized in playing British butlers. Just think of that old search engine Ask Jeeves. Treacher, in fact, played a butler named Jeeves in a couple of movies in the 1930s.
The fish and chips restaurants that carried his name got their start in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. The chain expanded rapidly, and at its peak there were over 800 locations nationwide.
But the company’s downfall began when the price of cod skyrocketed in the late 1970s. Just seven standalone Arthur Treacher's survive, in Ohio and New York.
Honorable Mention:
Old Country Buffet
Chock Full O' Nuts
These Chain Chain Restaurants May Be The Next To Go Under
RIP blimpie used to be big here in NYC until subways came through and crushed the buildings...
I won’t lose any sleep
