Restaurants

The Rise And Fall Of America's Biggest Restaurant Chain: What Went Wrong? By Jay Wilson Sept. 7, 2025 10:19 am EST

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Before there were countless chain restaurants across the globe, there was Howard Johnson's. This chain, that virtually no one remembers anymore , was at one point the largest restaurant business in the United States. At its peak it boasted over 1,000 locations, and like so many other American success stories, it grew from humble beginnings to become a titan of the industry it operated in. Simultaneously, it pioneered franchising, a business style that's become the standard way of working for many chain restaurants across the land, and yet somehow managed to remain a company that felt homey and familiar.

However, if you're lo

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