I have a $20.00 bet with my son. Your responses will depend if I win or lose.

Ruth n Jersey

Ruth n Jersey

Well-known Member
Location
Northern New Jersey
At dinner tonight we were discussing restaurants that have shortened their name or now have a nickname. For McDonalds, some folks call it Mickey Dees. Then there is Ihop that use to be International Pancake House. I'm sure there are many others. Then he mentioned HoJo. What in the world is HoJo? He said it was Howard Johnsons restaurant. I told him I never heard of that and he said they called it that back in the 50's. I told him he was wrong I never heard them call it that in the 50's and I bet him $20.00 that I am right. Do I win ?
 

I think you might be out $20.

I remember the nickname HoJos from way back. My family traveled a lot when I was a kid and that was a place we ate regularly on the road.

Here's the Wikpedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Johnson's
This says their motto was Go Happy, Go HoJo.

I see that one of the remaining two are located in my state to be closed in September.
 

Howard Johnson's was in Connecticut when we lived there, 1980s. It was pretty much universally called "Ho-Jo's" then. Pay up! :)
There was a recent article in our Sunday paper - the last one left is in Lake George, NY.
 
You owe your boy twenty bucks...now that I think back...a fried clam boat and peppermint ice cream full of candy chips...can almost taste them now.
 
Looks like I have to pay up. I just hope my son doesn't decide to treat me and take me to HoJo's. My Mom and Dad stopped there often when we went on vacation. I remember sitting there and my Mom telling me to eat my peas. I hated those things, they looked to be the size of big green golf balls and so mealy. I was threatened with no dessert if I didn't get them down. I use to swallow them whole,with my milk like a vitamin pill, just to get rid of them. I never heard the name HoJo. Live and learn.
 
I don't recall them being called HoJo in the 50s, but they were called that in later years.
I do remember their signs advertising 28 flavors of ice cream.
They started out with restaurants and went into the hotels business later.
 
Howard Johnson's had a hotel chain in Kansas from many years. Went bye-bye some time ago. When we were married in September 1966, I had made reservations at the Howard Johnson's about 60 miles from where we were married. Was pouring rain that night. Some "friends" coated my windshield with Vaseline. The wipers did not want to clear the water due to the Vaseline. My '59 Impala had "dumps" from the exhaust manifold. These same "friends" also stole the dump caps. So, here we were driving down the main street of our town and then 60 miles further... with the exhaust dumping straight out of the manifold and unable see clearly where we were going!!! Finally arrived at the Howard Johnson's. Had just reserved a regular room. The night clerk saw my suit and asked the occasion. When I told him we were married earlier that evening, he upgraded us to the "wedding suite" at no additional cost. Wow! Color TV!!!! Switches on the headboard that controlled the lights in the room. Made it really special. I think we still have a Howard Johnson's ashtray in the wife's china cabinet we "stole" from our room. Of course, back then all rooms were smoking rooms.
Your Howard Johnson's post brought back fond memories as we are only a couple weeks from celebrating our 50th! Thanks!!!!!!
 
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