Howard Johnson's Restaurants

[amesman]

Here, we can talk, and post pictures about one of the greatest roadside empires of all time: Howard Johnson's!!

[Anonymous]

those old memories

sigh

[amesman]

yup. I went to the Times Square Howard Johnson's yesterday. Everything but the food was Howard Johnson's :(

[Anonymous]

the food wasnt hojos???????

[amesman]

nope..not at Times Square :(

Lake George, Lake Placid, and Springfield, Vermont still do I think.

Bay City, Michigan does too

[store215]

Best site for Hojo's info and pics:
http://www.autoage.org/

It looks like there is only 1 official HoJo left, along with some scattered others/

[amesman]

A lot of my pictures of Howard Johnson's are on that site. Check them out under the New York State listing.

Rich has my pictures for these locations:

Albany Metro:

Both Albany motor lodges, and 2 Restaurants.
Both East Greenbush restaurants
The Schenectady restaurant


Coxsackie

Kingston

Hyde Park

Saugerties

Poughkeepsie

Times Square

[Zayre88]

I'm pretty sure this Friendly's was an Howard Johnson's restaurant.  It's located just aside Kmart in Augusta ME, in the commercial area that boomed in the 70's 80's...

[store215]

Originally posted by Zayre88
I'm pretty sure this Friendly's was an Howard Johnson's restaurant.  It's located just aside Kmart in Augusta ME, in the commercial area that boomed in the 70's 80's...

Yep, those outside lights look the same as the pic above.

[Zayre88]

Thanks for noticing about the lights!!  I knew the building style looked like Hojo..

[Zayre88]

Many HOJO had a sign with a shape like this one in Portsmouth NH,wich is now a Bickford's.

The location is featured here: http://www.autoage.org/NewHamphire/Portsmouth/portsmouth/portsmouth2.html

[amesman]

yup, that's the standard Trapeziod sign that was used in the 60's. And, yes, the lights you find in a parking lot of an old Howard Johnson's, are in many cases, original.

Also, there are four building designs:

Colonial (1930's to early 50's)

Nim's design(late 50's, early 60's: both restaurant pics above are this phase. They are named because of the architect, Rufis Nims, who designed them.

Concept 65( "T" shape) (Late 60's) Found at Plattsburgh, New York, Lake George, New York, and Glens Falls, New York, plus other locations.

Mansard (70's, early 80's)

[amesman]

Awesome pics, BTW :)

[Rayco7030]

hojo restaurant

[amesman]

Phase 1 that is :) Good find man!

  That cupola is not standard for the tie period though. That was unleashed in the 70's, during Phase 4..heh. However, earlier cupola's were replaced with the beacon cupola.(See pic at top of page, of the Thruway location in Albany, New York).

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by MBZ321
Best site for Hojo's info and pics:
http://www.autoage.org/

It looks like there is only 1 official HoJo left, along with some scattered others/

AmesmanBBTB


What do you mean by Howard Johnsons not being offical?:huh:

[Anonymous]

This is Amesman, board won't let me log in :mad:

What he means by "not official", is that they aren't directly owned by FAI(who owns the restaurants now), and they don't serve all authentic Howard Johnson's food. Example: Timnes Square.

While the atmosphere and look is the same, in many cases, the food is not. :(

BTW: The Motor Lodges(all 500 of them), are owned by Cendant, who owns such names as Ramamda, Supr 8, Knights Inn, Days Inn, etc.

[amesman]

so, guys..got anymore to talk about? :huh::yup: There were other concepts affiliated with Howard Johnson's. They are as follows:

Red Coach Grill

The Ground Round

Bumbleshoots(only lasted two years)

Deli Baker Ice Cream Maker(only lasted two years)

HOJO Junction(fast food version of HOJO's)

Rum Keg Lounge(inside HOJO's restaurants)

[HoJofan206]

How many of you remember the great orange roofed Howard Johnson restaurants?  At one time there were over 1000 of them across the USA.  Now there are less than 10 and the number gets smaller each year.  If you are near one, you better stop and enjoy an old American Tradition.  The former, "Host of the Highways...."

[Zayre88]

Unfortunately i never stopped by an Hojo restaurant.  But their story is amazing.  I like browsing through autoage.com and Hojoland to find more about Howard Johnson's.

[amesman]

This past weekend I finally ate real Howard Johnson's food, at the Springfield, Vermont Howard Johnson's restaurant, with my awesome friend, Brian Florence who owns www.deadmalls.com and www.sodafinder.com. ANYONE who wants to have real authentic HOJO food, besides the frozen food at the supermarket, you MUST go to this restaurant. Zayre, I recommend it for you, since you've never had real HOJO food. Go there, and go there as much as you can, for the future of this restaurant is uncertain.

[HoJofan206]

The Howard Johnson restaurant/lodge empire started going downhill when Howard Johnson handed the reigns of the company down to his son.  He cut costs every way possible and eventually sold the company out to the Emperial Group circa 1980.  The Mariott Group purchased the company around 1985 and started shuttering many stores and changing others to their own format ONLY to leave the restaurant concept all together in/around 1990.  FAI started in 1990 with a few remaining original HoJo restaurants and even tried to update the HoJo look.  Unfortunately, it was too little too late.  The company name no longer meant anything in the words to describe quality.  For years several of the franchised restaurants served true to the orginial beleifs of Howard Johnson himself, but year after year, the propriators returned or the property became to valueable (HoJo's were always located in heavily populated traffic areas) which now hurt the remaining vacant structures, as they are torn down for yet another bland american fast food restaurant.

[HoJofan206]

It is so sad what has become of a truely great piece of Americana.  At one point, Howard Johnson's served more people than McDonald's, Burger King, and Kentucky Fried Chicken combined.  Now, less than 10 restaurants remain.

Of those remaining, Ashbury Park is only open seasonally.
Millington was just auctioned off on March 8th.
Springfield will almost certainly close in June 05.
FAI was a poorly ran company and they should be ashamed of themselves for running a great name into the ground like they did.  Allthough The second Howard Johnson (son) started the great decline with his poor decision making.
All the hard work of the original Howard Johnson--pretty much gone 75 years after.

[d_fife]

Originally posted by HoJofan206
How many of you remember the great orange roofed Howard Johnson restaurants?  At one time there were over 1000 of them across the USA.  Now there are less than 10 and the number gets smaller each year.  If you are near one, you better stop and enjoy an old American Tradition.  The former, "Host of the Highways...."

I think there was a howard johnson's restuarant in Concord off Exit 13. There was a howard johnson's hotel that was in Nashua off Exit 4 or 5 and it got torn down and turned into a car dealer. I few years ago I saw a howard johnson's in greenfield ma.

[amesman]

Hey, Hojofan, you know a lot about Hojo's, like I do..heh. Do you know Rich Kummerlowe, or his site www.autoage.org?

I have sad news. Springfield, VT, is going to close on May 15th, and is going to be demolished, for a new hotel entrance. :mad:

Also, d_file, there indeed was a Howard Johnson's in Greenfield, Mass, but, it closed two years ago, and it is now an Applebees.

[amesman]

Here is the list of the remaining restaurants:

Bangor, Maine - still open(has lost its orange roof).

Springfield, Vermont - closed, to be demolished soon.

Waterbury, Connecticut - still open.

Lake Placid, New York - still open.

Lake George, New York - seasonal location only, interior being renovated.

Times Square, New York City, New York - closing in June.

Asbury Park, New Jersey - seasonal location only.

Millington, Maryland - auctioned off on March 8th, status is questionable.

Key Largo, Florida - seasonal/breakfast only location.

Bay City, Michigan - abruptly closed on May 17th.

[HoJofan206]

Yes Amesman, I love to check out autoage.org and have helped Rich collect a few photo's of former HoJo sights in my part of the country.  Unfortunately, we did not have most of the stores discused on your wonderful sight.  I had heard of Ames, but never seen one.  Also, never saw a Caldor, or Bradlees.  I am guessing most of those chains were up in the north east.  Here in Evansville we have/had Ayre-Way turned to Target, Woolco turned to HIlls turned to Venture, turned to Shopko turned to Burlington coat factory.  We at one time had 4 K-Mart stores--and now have none.  We also have Wal-Mart but EVERYONE has Wal-Mart.  :flaming:

We had a Hojo restaurant here in Evansville from the mid 1950's to 1973.  It was then turned into a very similar style 24 hour restaurant called Jo Jo's.  On Feb 6, 1992 a military plane known as a C-130 crashed on top of the former HoJo's restaurant and the adjacent Drury Inn.  Lots of people lost their lives that day.  It was a tragic day in Evansville history.
JoJo's rebuilt on the same sight--but nothing remains of the original Nims style HoJo.  This really was a sad end to a HoJo
location.

[amesman]

Wow! What is you're name? I'll try and find some of your pics on the site. I have helped Rich alot as well for the New York State locations.

As for Ames Fan Club, I don't actually own this site. I'm just a moderator..heh

[HoJofan206]

My name is Heath Gross.  Here is a list of cities I have sent Rich pics from

Henderson KY
Louisville KY
Lexington KY
Bloomington IN
Columbus IN
Indianapolis IN--not yet posted on autoage.org
Collinsville IL

I enjoy getting pictures for Rich.  He is really a nice guy.
You seem very  nice as well. :bouncing:

[HoJofan206]

I forgot to ask your name as well!  I am sure I have seen some of your pics posted as well.  Nice to be able to put a name with a face :bounce: