Ever eat at a “Howard Johnson’s?”

Fyrefox

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In the American east in the 1950’s and 1960’s, Howard Johnson’s restaurants and motor lodges were a big deal, a “landmark for hungry Americans“ and a recognizable place if you were traveling on a family vacation. The restaurants had orange roofs, and featured a then-staggering 28 varieties of ice cream! The kid’s menus were nursery-rhyme themed, and you could order meals like a “Pieman” or “Simple Simon.”

Once boasting about a thousand outlets, Howard Johnson’s closed its last restaurant in 2017, taking another piece of my childhood with it… 😩

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Friday night all-you-can-eat clam strips at Howard Johnsons was a frequent outing for us in the 1970's. I have no idea why, because the clam strip were like breaded rubber bands, but it was "the thing to do".....

My late sister did a short stint as a night manager of a 24-hour Howard Johnsons Restaurant in the late 70's and, let me tell you, she had some tales to tell.
 
My folks favorite restaurant (Howard Johnson's) and we ate there many times when i was a kid (late 30's - mid 50's)
Another chain, here in New England, flying the same orange and blue colors was Dutchland Farms. I don't recall as many but they were very similar in appearance. For those not familiar with"Dutchland", I've posted some info below.

Dutchland Farms was a regional distributor of dairy products based in Brockton, Massachusetts which later expanded into restaurant franchising during the 1930s. Its restaurants were known for their distinctive orange and blue buildings with a trademark windmill atop the entrance. The company promoted the use of Grade "A" dairy milk in its ice cream, while comparable producers at the time still used Grade "B" milk.[2] It competed in the New England market alongside Howard Johnson's into the 1930s; some Dutchland stores were converted to Howard Johnson's units before being acquired as a whole company in 1940.[1]
 
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When I was a little girl, my best friend's mom told us when she was little, in Massachusetts, she knew the real HJ. She said he had a hot dog stand in the street. I'm thinking Worcester but my memory may be off.
 
"Where did Howard Johnsons originate?

Howard Deering Johnson, the chain's founder, started his food empire in 1925 with an ice-cream shop outside Boston. He was an early pioneer of franchising. At one point in the 1960s, a new restaurant opened every nine days.Feb 16, 2017"
www.economist.com

Wikpedia mentions ice cream, not hot dogs, and Quincy, not Worcester.
 
The one near us has a pool, but its been closed for repairs since 2016... Mostly catches tumble weeds.
Yours must be an outdoor one then, or I hope so. :LOL:
The one nearby here, the pool is indoors, and they actually still maintain it, and they hawk passes for the locals who drive by, to purchase to use the pool.
So says the sign out front of it, by the road; that same sign that decades ago, had tempted passers-by with messages of all the ice cream flavors, and other popular meals.
 
Friday night all-you-can-eat clam strips at Howard Johnsons was a frequent outing for us in the 1970's. I have no idea why, because the clam strip were like breaded rubber bands, but it was "the thing to do".....
I had forgotten about the clam strips! You’re right it was a ‘thing’ and yes, they were like rubber bands.
 
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Seems like they were all over the place years ago.
Have been there while on trips around the country, but have no good or bad memories of them at all.
 
Yes. Many times in the 60s. My parents made fun of the "clam strips". We grew up on real Ipswich clams.
It was on the way to visit my sister at UMass
 


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