The 1980s were a remarkable era for family-friendly dining in America. Numerous restaurants flourished during this time, with a multitude of corporate and franchised locations springing up across the country. However, as locally owned boutique restaurants gain popularity in cities nationwide, chain restaurants seem to be dwindling. Here are seven iconic restaurants the enjoyed that enjoyed their heyday in the 1980s but are now nearly extinct.
Steak & Ale
- Founded in 1966 by Norman Brinker
- Filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2008 and closed for good
- Had as many as 280 locations in the 1980s
- Announced in April 2024 that Steak & Ale is being revived
Howard Johnson’s
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- Began as a drug store/soda fountain
- The first restaurant in 1929 by 32-year-old Howard Deering Johnson
- HoJo’s was the largest American restaurant chain in the 1950s and ’60s, with more than 1,000 restaurants by 1979
- Today, after multiple company ownership changes, only one Howard Johnson’s restaurant is still in operation
Bonanza Steakhouse
- Founded in 1963 by Dan Blocker, who played “Hoss” on the show Bonanza
- First location opened in Westport, Connecticut
- Peaked in 1989 with nearly 600 locations
- As of April 2024, only three Bonanza locations remain in the U.S.
D’Lites
- Founded in 1978 in Norcross, GA
- Brought a nutritious flavor to fast food
- More than 100 stores open by 1985
- By end of 1986, all were closed due to bankruptcy, caused in large part by the fact other fast food restaurants began offering more nutritious options
Chi-Chi’s
- Founded in Richfield, MN, in 1975
- Co-founder’s wife’s nickname was Chi Chi
- Rose in popularity in the 1980s, and had 210 locations by 1995
- Filed for bankruptcy in October 2003
- In November 2003, Chi-Chi’s had the largest hepatitis A outbreak in American history
Rax Roast Beef
- Peaked in the 1980s with more than 500 locations
- The company has declared bankruptcy more than once
- As of 2024, there are only six Rax locations still in operation
ShowBiz Pizza
- The first ShowBiz Pizza opened in March of 1980 in Kansas City, Missouri
- The “house band” was called the Rock-afire Explosion
- By 1981, there were 90 ShowBiz Pizza locations — 42 franchises and 48 company-owned
- Today, there are only a handful of ShowBiz locations still open, none of which are in the U.S.
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