Howard Johnson's Restaurants

[amesman]

Lake Placid, NY has the original Mac and Cheese, hot dog, and Fried Clams. Bangor, Maine has authentic ice cream(there may be other stuff too, not sure), Asbury Park, NJ has no authentic food, Lake George, NY has authentic ice cream, and Waterbury Connecticut has authentic ice cream, and Fried Clams. Also, Waterbury does not have authentic Mac and Cheese, but they come very close. Unless you know the taste of the real deal stuff pretty well, you'd think it was the actual thing. And, it actually could be the real thing..it might just be missing something..hehe.

[HoJofan206]

Did the people working say for sure the place was gonna remain a HoJo at least until 2008? :huh:

[amesman]

That's what they said in a recent article..

[HoJofan206]

I hope it is true, as it has the best chance of being THE last HoJo in the country.

[HoJofan206]

It is sad to think the entire HoJo chain could be gone in less than 3 years.  :no:

[HoJofan206]

I visited the Ashbury Park location this past week.  The place looks original outside (rather worn) but most of the authenic stuff on the inside has been sold off.  :no:

[HoJofan206]

When (what year) and where (city/state) was the last time you ate at a Howard Johnson's restaurant?

For myself...it was at Kirkwood Missouri back in 2001.

[HoJofan206]

ANYBODY eaten at a HoJo recently?? :no::(:no::(

[HoJofan206]

Is anybody ready these posts anymore? :no:

[amesman]

There's not much Hojo news going around now, so there's really nothing to post.

[HoJofan206]

True Amesman, with only 5 locations left, we dont have much to chat about the once dominant HoJo eatery chain.  Does anyone know why the Bay City location just up and closed?  Additionally, does anyone know if it has re-opened under a different name?  Just wondering.........

[HoJofan206]

Still no new HoJo news........  :no:

[amesman]

How about this. We all post pics of older Hojos? Now, if they happen to be from another site, and are not your own picture, please give credit. Thanks!
And, Hojofan, please try to put all the questions you have at 2 pages at most. It helps save space. Thanks!

[HoJofan206]

I just a new digital camera guys, how can I post HoJo pics that I have to this sight for all to see?

[BillyGr]

Originally posted by HoJofan206
I just a new digital camera guys, how can I post HoJo pics that I have to this sight for all to see?

After saving them to your computer from the camera, when you go to post look at the bottom of the page - it says attachment with a blank box and browse - click browse and it will pull up a list of files - go the where you've saved the photo and click on it's name and then click open and the file name will appear in the box next to attachments.  Then click post reply and the picture (and your text) will appear on the board.

[amesman]

Guys, new news just in from Rich Kummerlowe, who passed it to me, and now I'm passing it to you..hehe. The Cooperstown, New York Howard Johnson Resort Inn is opening on December 1st(date may change), 2005, and for the grand opening, the owner is serving 18 gallons of ORIGINAL Howard Johnson's ice cream!! As more details become available, I will post and let you know.

[HoJofan206]

Does the new HoJo Resort Inn have a HoJo eatery in it?  Or are they just going to be serving ice cream for the opening celebration?

[amesman]

They'll just be serving ice cream. There is no Hojo restaurant unfortunately.

[HoJofan206]

According to the websight www.hojoland.com the Springfield VT HoJo restaurant was demolished the week of Oct 13th.
I hope someone got some pics of it in its last days......

[Zayre88]

I finally visited one of the last Howard Johnson's restaurant, in Bangor.  I never visited a Hojo restaurant before and i only know about Hojo from Autoage and Hojoland.  I can't really tell if the food was authentic because it was my first visit to Hojo.  The breakfast was very good and reminded me of Bickford's and the service was satisfactory.  Inside, the restaurant has not changed much compared to the pictures at Autoage.org .  The ice cream freezer in the alcove contained H?agen-Dazs ice cream products...  It was quite a feeling of being inside an open Hojo instead of a closed Hojo...!

[amesman]

That restaurant only serves authentic ice cream as far as I know. There may be other items too. I'm not entirely sure, seeing as how I've never been to the Bangor location. That logo on the building is the 85-96 logo. It was a bad move to remove the orange roof. I'd like to hit the genius who thought up that idea.

[HoJofan206]

I never did understand why they removed the orange roof from not only the restaurant, but the gate lodge as well.
Bangor is THE last restaurant/motor lodge combination that still excists in the former HoJo empire.  It is sad that being the last, it doesnt really look like the image that the company was once so proud of.....  Thanks for posting that pic, by chance did you get any shots of the gate lodge?

[Zayre88]

Originally posted by HoJofan206
Thanks for posting that pic, by chance did you get any shots of the gate lodge?

Yes i did!  Here's the Bangor gate lodge

[HoJofan206]

Great picture Zayre88 minus the fact that the orange roof is gone.  It is almost like the owner plans on letting the Howard Johnson name go sometime soon......:(

[amesman]

Ugh!! Looks terrible!! Orange is better!!!

[HoJofan206]

www.hojoland.com recently reported that there might be a glimmer of hope in reference to the Howard Johnson Restaurant chain name.  He states that the domain name www.Howardjohnsonrestaurants.com was registered on Nov 22, 2005.  Lets keep our fingers crossed for something to come of this in 2006.  :roll:

[HoJofan206]

Here are some pictures of the Henderson Kentucky former Howard Johnson's restaurant.  It was a stand alone unit and lasted into the early to mid 1980's.  Today it is a loca mexican eatery.  Strangley, I have noticed that LOTS of old HOJO buildings became Mexican eateries......

[HoJofan206]

Here is a picture of the original "planter" roadside sign.

[HoJofan206]

Sadly, I noticed these old booth style seats that had been torn from the inside of the building.  Does anyone recognize them as originial Landmark Co material?

[HoJofan206]

More seating that had been torn from the restaurants interior.