June 7, 2022 – Howard Johnson’s

What was once a symbol of Americana is now gone for good. The very last Howard Johnson’s restaurant, which was in Lake George, has permanently closed. It was founded by Howard Deering Johnson, and was at one time the largest restaurant chain the U.S. with over 1,000 locations across the country.
Johnson bought a soda shop in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1925. He improved the flavor of his ice cream by doubling the butterfat and using natural flavorings. He created 28 flavors, and by 1928 was making $240,000 from selling his ice cream at the store and along nearby beaches. The first Howard Johnson’s restaurant opened shortly after. It sold fried clams, baked beans, pot pies, hot dogs, ice cream, and sodas. He teamed up with another local businessman in 1935 to create the first modern restaurant franchise, which was a totally new idea at the time.
HoJo restaurants rapidly expanded, and by 1939 there were more than 100 of them along east coast highways. Johnson chose the locations of his restaurants strategically. He’d study traffic patterns, find key intersections, and look for hilltop sites where his restaurants could be seen from a mile away. The restaurants all featured bright orange roofs, cupolas, and weathervanes to help customers easily identify them.
The first Howard Johnson’s motor lodge opened in Savannah, GA in 1954. By 1975, the company had over 1,000 restaurants and 500 motels in 42 states and Canada. But the late 70s was the beginning of the end for HoJos. With the oil embargo of 1974, the chain lost significant profits as American’s traveled less. They also faced stiff competition from new fast food franchises like McDonald’s.
There were less than 8 restaurants still operating in 2005. With aging restaurants, a stale menu, a lack of marketing, no reinvestment of capital, and increasing competition, they began closing their doors. While there aren’t any restaurants any more, there are are still around 300 Howard Johnson’s hotels, which are now owned by Wyndham. Learn more here.

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c7D0YsgnrE