During their prime, there were over 600 different locations of Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses, nationwide. However, because the businesses weren’t doing so well and after a while the owner decided to sell.
Now, the two chains are owned by the same company but have downsized to only 20 locations.
Kenny Rogers Roasters
By 2011, all the chains closed in the United States and Canada, but KRR is still doing well in many parts of Asia.
There is still a total of 156 locations open worldwide, but the country music star is no longer involved.
Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses
These sister steak joints became popular because of the hit TV show Bonanza. They were known as homestyle dining restaurants, and were initially based in Plano, Texas.
Their menus mainly consisted of food selections like seafood, chicken entrees and steaks with side buffets, for a reasonable price.
Bob’s Big Boy
With its memorable statues, Bob’s Big Boy was known as one of America’s iconic symbols of the 20th century. It was founded by Bob Wian in Southern California in 1936, and was originally called Bob’s Pantry.
When it was still popular, Bob’s Big Boy boasted more than 200 different locations across America.
Bob’s Big Boy
Aside from the statue, Bob Wian was also responsible for creating the original double deck hamburger, which included two patties and a bun sliced into three.
These days, you can still find 80 Bob’s Big Boy burger joints operational. Most of them are in Michigan, with a few in Southern California.