“Gee, I wonder what happened to that thing I once enjoyed immensely?”
While that may be an incredibly vague question, how many of us haven’t wondered, at one point or another, what happened to the things we’d once enjoyed? The world is in constant motion. Things come and go all the time and based on our interests we may not even be aware of the vast majority of stuff that goes obsolete on a daily basis.
But restaurant chains, unlike hobbies, TV shows or artists that fade into obscurity, are different. We’re used to family owned restaurants to shut down out of nowhere, typically giving way to powerful franchises such as fast food joints. But what do restaurant chains that shut down make room for!?
Obviously, other and more powerful chains. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and go back to when things were easier and potentially yummier. Today, let’s talk about restaurant chains that disappeared and why.
All-Star Café
Who doesn’t like feeling like an all-star? 90’s kids who were lucky enough to have grown up near one of these Planet Hollywood-owned chain restaurants definitely felt like superstars when dining here!
There was so, so much more than just eating at this restaurant, though. The All-Stars Café also tripled as a memorabilia store and gift shop, so diners rarely left without a baggie of goodies and full bellies.
Shaq, Ken Griffey Jr., Joe Montana, and Andre Agassi collaborated and invested in the project, managing to open locations in New York City’s Times Square and Walt Disney World in Orlando. That alone should give you an idea of how much investors believed in the restaurant.
Sadly, the All-Star Café did not rise to the top despite everyone’s huge expectations. It simply couldn’t compete with the Hard Rock Café and many diners said it wasn’t anywhere near as good as Planet Hollywood.
The 10 locations closed down one after another, with the last restaurant, located in Walt Disney World’s Wide World of Sports, closing in 2007
Next is a restaurant that arguably gave birth to the popularity of fast food restaurants but would sadly be killed by them…..
