EvenMcDonald’s, the biggest fast-food chain in the U.S, has an unassuming origin story.
Once loved for their quirks or great food, they became outdated or garnered abad reputationsbefore even breaking out.
These brands saw the beginnings of growth but never quite made it to national ubiquity.
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And some are still working on theircomeback tours.
Here’s a look at what happened to these B-listers of the restaurant world.
But it wasn’t quite meant to be.
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Bad business mixed with the hardship of the pandemic seemed to be the root cause.
A hip gastropub with heaping portions of food and an edgy atmosphereit was a recipe for success.
Over the next decade, the restaurant expanded its footprint across the country, reaching 44 locations in 2010.
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The growth proved unsustainable, however.
In the late aughts, the brand vowed to stop usingtrans fatsin its foods.
However, a buyer successfully scooped it up and it managed to keep operations afloat for now.
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Prior to that, the cafeteria was the talk of the town.
Only a decade later, the chainclosed its original locationand the following year it was reduced to 57 restaurants.
Today, there are fewer than 30 Marie Callender’s remaining.
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The chain split from its sister company Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, which filed for bankruptcy in 2011.
A version of this story was originally published in August 2022.
It has been updated to include new information.
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