Ah, the 1990s.
It was a time of Beanie Babies and Blockbuster, ofSaved by the Belland slap bracelets.
It was a decade that embraced Nirvana and Hanson equallyand that is truly something special.
Roy Rogers/Facebook
But besides the toys, TV shows,movies, and music, there was the food.
And we’re not just talking abouticonic ’90s snackslikeDunkaroosand Fruit by the Foot.
And for another trip down memory lane, check out these15 Classic American Desserts That Deserve a Comeback.
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Planet Hollywood
In the 1990s, restaurants became a source of star-studded entertainment in and of themselves.
Is there a more ’90s list of people than that?
Planet Hollywoods popped up everywhere.
@steviep187/Flickr
There were nearly 90 worldwide during the chain’s heyday in the mid-1990s, asThe Telegraphreported.
But now, only nine locations remain.
We feel ya, Terminator.
Roy Rogers/Facebook
The chain, which was owned by Planet Hollywood, first popped up in New York in 1995.
The following year, Planet Hollywoodfiled for bankruptcyand The Official All-Star Cafe went down with it.
And for even more nostalgia,Only 1970s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants.
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“When we open up again people are like, ‘Oh my God, Roy Rogers is back.
At its height, there were more than 100 locations across the country.
Then,Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes closed all 97 remaining locations during the pandemic.
Paul Simpson/Flickr
In the ’90s, there were dozens of MaggieMoo’s stores.
But in the end, he abandons his cause after becoming hooked on the delicious rotisserie chicken.
Basically, it was the best publicity Kenny Rogers Roasters could’ve asked for.
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But it turns out, that concept wasn’t good enough to last.
Sometimes it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” the general manager of ESPN Zonesaid toThe Baltimore Sunin 1998.
So sad, yet so true.
Adrienne D./Yelp
This 7-day smoothie diet will help you shed those last few pounds.
AfterPillsbury bought Steak and Ale in the ’80s, the chain went national with 280 locations.
But competition grew fierce in the casual-dining chain arena.
John/Flickr
… Now I have to find another restaurant.
What am I gonna do?"
The struggle is real.
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And if your meal didn’t end with a sparkling chocolate volcano, you were doing something seriously wrong.
Like all the other themed restaurants you’ve read about here, Rainforest Cafe struggled to maintain its luster.
Only about half of itsU.S.
Casa Bonita Denver/Facebook
After all, it’s expensive operating a rainforest.
Gorillas make running a restaurant pretty hard, it turns out.
Want to keep the nostalgia going?Only 1990s Kids Will Remember These Restaurants.
Old Time D.C./Facebook
If not, then you probably recallSouth Park’s legendary takeon the Mexican-themed restaurant chain.
Sadly, all the Casa Bonitas closed by 2011, except for one.
So if you’re lucky enough to live near Lakewood, Colorado, check out the last casa standing.
A Tribute to Chi Chi’s Mexican Restaurant/Facebook
Six decades after its start in the 1920s,Little Tavern had grownto nearly 40 locations.
After the regional chain was bought out in the 1980s, things took a turn.
And by the mid-1990s, Little Tavern suffered financial issues and these local favorites started closing one by one.
Courtesy of Charlie Brown’s
With prices like that, what child of any era wouldn’t have loved Little Tavern?
Learn how to harness the power of tea to lose weight.
Chi-Chi’s
Children of the ’90s probably remember Chi-Chi’s for its chimichangas and fried ice cream.
Bring Back Hot’n’Now to Wisconsin Now/Facebook
But that reign ended pretty abruptly.
The outbreak left four dead and affected over 650 others.
That was the end of Chi-Chi’sand rightfully so.
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Sure, the steak was great.
But it was all about that salad bar.
Today,14 Charlie Brown’s locations still remainin New York and New Jersey.
Pizza Haven / Facebook
Soon, everyone was able to experience the glory of olives as a burger topping.
But by the 2000s,Hot ‘n Now was forced to closetwo-thirds of its locations.
Today, only one last restaurant remains in Sturgis, Michigan.
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And yes, that includes the olive burger.
At its peak in the ’60s, this California-based chain had 750 restaurants across the country.
But for ’90s kids, Bob’s Big Boy had a very different significance.
David Wilson/Flickr
Despite its iconic status, the beloved California burger chain went under in the 2000s.
So Bob and his big boy are still kickin’ it on this earth.
They ultimately filed for bankruptcy by the late 1990s.
On thePizza Haven Facebook page, fans still wax poetic about the chain’s glory days.
“Used to order the extra large and not share it with my sisters.”
Big brothers in the ’90s really were just like Buzz fromHome Alone.
Though they did have a few locations, the restaurant chain’s life was short.
Krystal bought them out in 1994, so the majority of Mighty Casey’s got turned into Krystals instead.
Mighty Casey’s might’ve struck out, but Atlantans remember them fondly.
“I remember them for their chili dogs,” one person wrote on amessage boardin 2007.
“I miss Mighty Casey’s,” another wrote.
After all, Geri’s mascot looked suspiciously like the original representative for McDonald’s, Mr. Speedee.
If you were a Geri’s fan, you canshow your love with this T-shirt.
Or reach out to theYelp reviewer, who wrote: “Was the best of all time!
We should start a campaign to bring back Geri’s.”
You two could get that petition going.
A previous version of this article was originally published in 2019.
It has been updated to include new information.
