It had over 400 locations in the US and abroad during its prime. To date, there’s only one more location left in Wisconsin, Racine, and its name was changed from the Red Barn to just The Farm.
The Red Barn experience was undeniably refreshing, which is how it gained so much popularity. People wanted to keep coming back, not just for the food, but for the unique dining experience.
Schrafft’s
There were at least 43 locations on the East Coast by 1937, mostly in New York City, but they also had some chains in Philadelphia and Boston.
The company started going down by the 1980s. With all the competitors they were up against at the time, they sadly did not stand a chance, and decided to close.
Red Barn
As the name indicates, Red Barn is known for, well... its red barns. The exterior walls were painted red to give the impression of a barn.
Since customers could never mistake the Red Barn for any other restaurant, it became quite popular.
Lum’s
Lum’s first launched in 1956 in Miami Beach as a normal hot dog stand, and then it slowly turned into something big.
They originally had four locations in 1961 and were best known for their beer-steamed hot dogs. After their success as a hot dog stand, the owner decided to expand the business.
Lum’s
Lum’s quickly grew in popularity and had over 400 company-owned franchise restaurants by the year 1969, which included locations in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Europe. Because of their quick expansion, they eventually overdid it and, unable to sustain their reach, ended up filing for bankruptcy.
All the original stores were closed by 1982.