Nostalgia Place

Republic Bank. Republic First Bank, which did business under the name Republic Bank, had 32 banks located in Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, and New York City. It failed in April 2024.

99 Cents Only Store. Rip 2024.

Quibi was a short video subscription service that launched amid the pandemic and lasted just six months. The service, founded by former Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg, had raised $1.75 billion and recruited a roster of major names across Silicon Valley and Hollywood like Meg Whitman, as CEO, and celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and the Kardashians to host its shows. On launch day, though, Quibi only garnered 300,000 downloads, trailing behind the 4 million Disney Plus had on its launch.

Remembering the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. RIP 2024.

Palisades Amusement Park. New Jersey. Palisades Amusement Park was a 38-acre amusement park located in Bergen County, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City. It was located atop the New Jersey Palisades lying partly in Cliffside Park and partly in Fort Lee. The park operated from 1898 until 1971, remaining one of the most visited amusement parks in the country. It was advertised in Superman comic books and immortalized in the Freddy Cannon song, Palisades Park, which was written by future TV Gong Show host Chuck Barris .

Remembering Reddy Kilowatt, the electric company mascot. Reddy Kilowatt was a cartoon character that served as a corporate spokesman for electric companies in the United States and other countries for over seven decades.

Remembering Bill Knapp’s Restaurants. If you traveled in the Midwest or Florida, it’s a good bet you ate a meal at Bill Knapp’s. At the height of its popularity, Bill Knapp’s operated 69 restaurants. The fare included steak, fish and fried chicken, au gratin potatoes, ham croquettes, cole slaw and those glorious, golden Bill Knapp’s biscuits. They also had meals in a basket, including the “Glorified Steakburger” that weighed in at a third of a pound and cost $1.95. And birthdays were a Bill Knapp specialty. The percentage you saved on your meal was equal to your age, For those of us who came of age in that era, a trip to Bill Knapp’s was a family tradition we’ll never forget.

Bring back memories of the once beloved Howard Johnson's Restaurant. HoJo's was the place. Whether it is a T-shirt, mug, sticker, magnet or button etc., get that warm summer car trip with your folks feeling. .

Howard Johnson's 28 Ice Cream Flavors. Brings back fond memories of those summer family car trips, stopping at HOJO's for a grilled hot dog or fried clams and of course ice cream for dessert.

Howard Johnson's Resaurant or as we called it Hojo's. The place to eat on a summer family trip. Grilled hot dogs. Fried Clams. And 28 flavors of ice cream. Long gone but fondly remembered.

Howard Johnson's 1950's style "Do not disturb" door hanger sign. Howard Johnson, after his great success with his restaurant business, opened his first hotel in 1954. When we were kids on our summer car trip, we loved the restaurants so much, we couldn't wait to stay in the new Howard Johnson's hotel.

Remembering Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 countdown. We listened every week as Casey Kasem counted down the biggest hit records in America. “As the numbers get smaller, the hits get bigger.” He touched us with his long distance dedications and inspired us with his signature sign-off, "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars."

Honoring the legendary Larry Glick. For Glicknicks everywhere. Larry Glick (May 16, 1922 – March 26, 2009) was an American talk radio host, based in Boston, Massachusetts, who presented a long-running show on WBZ and later WHDH through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. His broadcast at WBZ covered all 50 states, In September 2008, he was inducted into the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame. This is a copy of my original maroon silkscreen Glick University T-shirt from 1982.

Remembering the great A&P grocery store. In the 1950's and 1960's the A&P was synonymous with grocery store. The original name was The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co., but we all just called it the A&P.

Remembering Bickfords Restaurants in New York City. Bickford's lunchrooms offered modestly priced fare and extended hours. From the 1920s through the 1970s the chain was a mainstay in the New York City area. Members of the Beat Generation could be found at night in the New York Bickfords. Jack Kerouac sometimes wrote while sitting in Bickfords, and he mentioned the restaurant in Lonesome Traveler. As did William S. Burroughs in Junky and Allen Ginsberg in Howl, "sank all night in submarine light of Bickford's."

Boston Market, known as Boston Chicken until 1995, is an American fast casual restaurant chain. At the height of its success, the chain had approximately 346 company-owned restaurant locations in 28 states and Puerto Rico with 14,000 employees.

Burger Chef was an American fast-food restaurant chain. It began operating in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Burger Chef spread across the United States, following a strategy of opening outlets in smaller towns. By 1972 its number of locations (1,200) was surpassed only by McDonald's (1,600). They offered a double burger, called the Big Shef, and later the quarter-pound hamburger, Super Shef. The chain had two mascots: Burger Chef (voiced by Paul Winchell) and Jeff (the chef's juvenile sidekick). They had the first Kids Meal, 5 years before McDonald’s, as well as the first fast food deal with Star Wars. "There's more to like at Burger Chef."

Burger Chef was an American fast-food restaurant chain. It began operating in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Burger Chef spread across the United States, following a strategy of opening outlets in smaller towns. By 1972 its number of locations (1,200) was surpassed only by McDonald's (1,600). They offered a double burger, called the Big Shef, and later the quarter-pound hamburger, Super Shef. The chain had two mascots: Burger Chef (voiced by Paul Winchell) and Jeff (the chef's juvenile sidekick). They had the first Kids Meal, 5 years before McDonald’s, as well as the first fast food deal with Star Wars. "There's more to like at Burger Chef." This logo from the early 1960s includes their new fun chef.

Remebering Carrols Restaurants. An offshoot of the Tastee-Freez company, Carrols was named after the Tastee-Freez co-owner Leo Marantz's daughter, Carol. McDonald's has the Big Mac and Burger King has the Whopper, but Carrols had the Club Burger. Carrols also sold popular Looney Tunes drinking glasses that can be found in many a local flea market, with plenty more likely tucked away as family keepsakes.

Remembering Clark's Restaurants in Cleveland, Ohio. At one point they had 15 restaurants, including one in Akron and one in Erie, PA. At the end of our meal, we kids were allowed to pick a toy out of Clark's treasure chest.

Remembering Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour Restaurants. 1963 - 2019. Farrell's became known for their offer of a free ice cream sundae to children on their birthday. The parlors had an early 1900s theme, with employees wearing period dress and straw boater hats, and each location featured a player piano. By 1975, there were 120 Farrell's nationwide.

Remembering Gino's Hamburgers. Gino's Hamburgers was a fast-food restaurant chain founded in Baltimore, Maryland by Baltimore Colts defensive end Gino Marchetti and running back Alan Ameche, along with their close friends Joe Campanella and Louis Fischer, in 1957. The chain had 359 company-owned locations when the Marriott Corporation acquired it in 1982. The restaurant was known for hamburgers such as the Sirloiner, which was made from sirloin steak, the Jumbo Gino, which was very similar to the Whopper and the Gino Giant, which predated and later competed with the Big Mac. The company's jingle, played during radio advertisements in the early years was "Everybody goes to Gino's, 'cause Gino's is the place to go!"

Hamburger Hamlet or "The Hamlet", was a chain of restaurants based in Los Angeles. It was loved by Angelenos and the entertainment industry. Opened in 1950 by film actor Harry Lewis with his future wife Marilyn, it grew to a chain of 24 locations, including Chicago and the Washington, D.C. The restaurants served hamburgers topped with what were considered exotic combinations of toppings, such as a bacon cheeseburger with Russian dressing. A famed side dish were the "little fried onions". Tomato relish was provided at each table.

The Hot Shoppes was a chain of family-style restaurants famous for its Mighty Mo burger, "Teen Twist" sandwich, Orange Freeze milkshake, Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake, and a buffet bar that seemed to stretch on for days. During World War II, Hot Shoppes began offering cafeteria-style dining. The cafeterias took off in the 1960s as shopping malls were constructed.

Hometime Buffet. Such a fun place to have dinner. At one time, there were more than 250 restaurants open under the HomeTown Buffet brand, primarily on the West Coast and in the Northeast.

Remembering Jerry's Famous Deli in Los Angeles. The deli chain was noted for its celebrity clientele, which has included Adam Sandler, Will Smith, Shaquille O'Neal. The cast of Seinfeld gathered there every week after they filmed their show. Andy Kaufman once worked at the Studio City location as a busboy.

Remembering the KOO KOO ROO restaurant chain in Los Angeles. 1988 - 2014. At its height in January 1999, Koo Koo Roo had 40 locations.

Lawson's Convenience Store had the greatest song in thier commercial. "Get that juice up to Lawson's in 40 hours. Now, the oranges ripen in the Florida sun. Sweet on the tree they stay. Then they pick 'em and they squeeze just as quick as you please. And the Big O leaves the same day. Roll on, Big O! Get that juice up to Lawson's in 40 hours. Now, one man sleeps while the other man drives On the nonstop Lawson run. And the cold, cold juice in the tank truck caboose stays as fresh as the Florida sun. Roll on, Big O! Get that juice up to Lawson's in 40 hours. Get that juice up to Lawson's in 40 hours."

Remembering the Magic Pan Creperie Restaurant

Remembering Mawby's Hamburger Restaurants. If you grew up in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, it was always a special treat to go to Mawby's near the corner of Cedar and Lee. You could smell the onions cooking as you walked in the door. We'd sit at the counter and watch them cook up the wonderful burgers with paprika seasoned onions and be mesmerized by the bun toasting machine. Mawby's was started in the 1930's and eventually expanded on the East side of Cleveland to Cedar and Warrensville Center and to the Southgate Shopping Center.

Remembering Speedee, McDonald's original mascot. In 1967 he was replaced by Ronald McDonald.

Remembering Minnie Pearl's Chicken Restaurant. In the late 1960s Nashville entrepreneur John Jay Hooker persuaded Grand Ole Opry comedy star Minnie Pearl to lend her name to a chain of fried chicken restaurants established to compete with Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Nedick's was an American chain of fast-food restaurants that originated in New York City in 1913. The name of the chain was formed from the last names of Robert T. Neely and Orville A. Dickinson, who founded the chain with the original stand in a hotel storefront of the Bartholdi Hotel at 23rd Street and Broadway in Manhattan. During the 1950s the chain expanded to other east coast cities. Originally known for making and selling a signature orange drink, Nedick's expanded its menu to include coffee, donuts and hot dogs, with a unique mustard relish in a toasted bun. The chain became known for the orange with white decor of its locations as well as the slogans "Good food is never expensive at Nedick's" and "Always a pleasure".

Remembering Old Country Buffet. A great fun place to have dinner. At one time, there were more than 350 Old Country Buffet restaurants, primarily in the midwest.

Red Coach Grill

Remembering Royal Castle Restaurants. Where I grew up we didn’t have White Castle or even White Tower, for us it was Royal Castle. If you wanted to buy a bag of miniature burgers, this was the place. Royal Castle was a chain throughout Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Louisiana. It advertised its food as "Fit for a king!" Locals absolutely raved about the delicious burgers and their Birch Beer, a version of root beer.