A Guy Photographed The Last Surviving Locations Of Old Chain Restaurants – And It’s Haunting

The intrepid author of the Broken Chains blog travels the country documenting the last remaining locations of once-popular chain restaurants. And while the hobby might seem niche, the photographs provide an intense hit of nostalgia. Here, we take a walk down memory lane with some of the blogger’s snaps of forgotten fast food icons...

20. Dog ’N’ Suds

Once a major player in the Midwest’s roadside restaurant scene, Dog ’N’ Suds was known for it’s simple fare of hotdogs and root beer. The drive-in venues were a proponent of carhop service, with waiters and waitresses bringing food directly to vehicles’ windows. This location in Lafayette, Indiana, was opened in 1956 – when the chain was on the up.

Dog ’N’ Suds had been set up by teachers Don Hamacher and Jim Griggs in 1953 in a bid to make some cash in the summer holidays. The success of the chain peaked in 1968 with 650 franchises across 38 states. The company went bankrupt during the 1990s, when there were only eight outlets left. As of 2018 Broken Chains put that number at 14, with the most of them situated around Indiana and Illinois.

19. Maryland Fried Chicken

Contrary to what the name might lead you to believe, Maryland Fried Chicken was actually founded in Florida by Delaware native Albert Constantine. He had been inspired to start the chain by the success of Colonel Harland Sanders’ business KFC, which had taken off in the 1950s, seemingly thanks to the popularity of the restaurants’ so-called “Original Recipe.”

Armed with his own special blend of herbs and spices, Constantine started a fried chicken chain himself; as a template he used his own restaurant, Constantine’s, which he’d opened before KFC even existed. MFC franchises would earn the business millions over the years, before he finally cashed out and sold the business in 1975. In 2018 Broken Chains put the number of restaurants left at roughly 20, with locations in Georgia, South Carolina and Florida.