Sambo’s was founded in 1957 and experienced healthy growth on the West Coast. There were over 1,100 locations open by the late 1970s.
The name started to spread to the northeast, where it became quite popular. Although it was famous for the food, most people know Sambo’s for the controversy surrounding its name.
Gino’s Hamburgers
Gino’s Hamburgers was opened by football hall-of-famer Gino Marchetti, in 1957.
The chain started growing in popularity by the 1960s, and it became a culinary mainstay, with its slogan “Everybody goes to Gino’s.”
Gino’s Hamburgers
Not long after this initial surge in popularity, Gino’s had another growth spurt, expanding to over 300 locations, mostly on the East Coast. Gino’s also opened locations in the Midwest, but unfortunately, everything was short-lived.
Eventually, the burger joint was sold to Marriott, which then converted all Gino’s locations into Roy Rogers restaurants.
Sambo’s
As you may not have known, the name “Sambo” is a derogatory term. While the company claimed the name was a derivative of the owner’s names combined, it made people uncomfortable and therefore caused everyone to stop dining at the restaurant.
The business went bankrupt and attempted to rebrand themselves multiple times before eventually giving up and shutting down completely. The very last Sambo’s is in Santa Barbara, California.
D’Lites
D’Lites was founded in 1978 and, within less than a decade, the fast food chain had soon expanded to over 100 locations nationwide.
Unfortunately, their success was very short-lived due to their inability to offer people healthier food options.