Howard Johnson's Restaurants

[HoJofan206]

Nice pics of Lake Placid.  I dont think I have ever seen pics of that location when it hasnt been covered in snow...lol

[amesman]

Now you have..

[HoJofan206]

Great summertime pic of Lake Placid Amesman.  I had no idea tht location even had part of an Orange Roof!  :no:

[amesman]

Yep, it has orange, and a very unique roadside sign. Also, you can call me Jack..hehe

[HoJofan206]

I guess I could say, "I do know Jack" now.....lol

When was the last time anyone got to eat at a Howard Johnson's restaurant?  For me it was back in 1995 at the HOllywood Florida location.  :(

[amesman]

September 2005 at Waterbury was the last time for me.

[Anonymous]

I feel it was Howard B. Johnson (the son) that killed the chain.  He did what his father wanted him to, and that was to make the chain grow.  Howard B. was also a cost cutter.  From what I read on Rich's and Walter's HJ sties, Howard D. would make surprize visits to the locations.  

  With the lodges under Cendant's ownership, franchisees were required to remove the orange roof and square off the gate lodges at their expense.  The gate lodges look hideous stuccoed and squared off.  Operators were also required to stucco the lodge buildings. If they didn't they were looking for another brand.

  Whoever thought squared off gate lodges has no good judgement.

  The lack of company surprize visits is one of the things that did in HJ.

[HoJofan206]

That "outside" picture of Lake Placid looks to be maintained very well.  Does this location serve any of the original fare?

[amesman]

Yes, they have authentic Mac and Cheese, hot dogs, and the clam strips. They also hold the famous HJ Fish Fry every Wednesday and Friday. There's also a Food Bar with the authentic Mac and Cheese includied in with other food items, so you can get as much as you want for one price of $7.99.

[HoJofan206]

It would be nice if the "new" Cendant HoJo revival would bring back the "World of 28 Flavors"....among other signature items.

[HoJofan206]

Here is another orange roof!

[BillyGr]

This was the 2nd East Greenbush location (it sits RIGHT at Exit 9 of I-90 on Route 4) - the older one is on Rts 9/20.  This was one of their later styles and is today Denny's (inside was remodelled).  The 2nd shot shows the sign (the frame is original to HoJo - the motel was there but was built as a Suisse Chalet and was never a HoJo and never had a sign there until it changed to Fairfield).  The Hojo sign was larger, however - and they had an additional sign on the left of the buidling that was quite large and designed to be seen on I-90.

The sign you see is a bit away from the building, as the building sits right near I-90 but has a rather long driveway to eliminate traffice near the I-90 ramp - today the driveway serves a SEFCU (Credit Union), Cracker Barrel and the Fairfield before you get to Denny's.

[BillyGr]

This HoJo's sits off of NYS Thruway Exit 23 on Route 9W.

It has been vacant for several years, after having a combination of several things over the previous 5-10 years (a bagel place, pizza place, bar, and more, often 2 or 3 things at a time).

This one closed at the same time the East Greenbush (by I-90) and Latham (by the Northway) did - apparently all owned by one franchisee.  The second photo shows the sign (noww covered by the hotel next door which WAS a HoJo also - has had about 3 different names in the last few years).  While the frame (and open 24 Hrs) are original, the sign under the cover is not, the plates having been replaced with a plate divided into sections (with lines) to accommodate the several things using the restaurant building at one time.

Part of the hotel also sits vacant (they refurbished the closer building(s), but not the farthest one).

[BillyGr]

Since this post is sort of mixed - the first 2 photos are part of the HoJo hotel next to the restaurant at Exit 23 of the NYS Thruway (as seen above).  As you can see, these buildings have been abandoned (they re-did a couple buildings nearer to the office/gatelodge and those are now in use - see the sign above covering the old HoJo restaurant sign).  As you may notice in the 2nd shot, the balcony roof has been completely rotted through (far right side - you can see a spot of light in the edge of the roof) - there is at least one other spot that is the same.

The 3rd photo is from the former Latham location off of Exit 6 of the Northway.  This is the Bennigan's which sits on the site of the former HoJo restaurant.  The hotel next door was also completely torn down and rebuilt and is now a Clarion.

[Zayre88]

The former Howard Johnson's Lodge and Restaurant in Portsmouth NH.  The orange roof is now the red and white roof of Bickford's and the lodge is a Best Western (with an added tower..)

[HoJofan206]

What year did the NY thruway close up shop?  Did you say it (and several other Hojo's) all closed down in that area at the same time?  :no:

[BillyGr]

Originally posted by HoJofan206
What year did the NY thruway close up shop?  Did you say it (and several other Hojo's) all closed down in that area at the same time?  :no:

I don't remember which year exactly it was - according to http://www.wunderland.com they have posted a directory from the mid 90's which still shows them listed.  I do remember that all three (the East Greenbush one shown as Denny's, the abandoned one at Exit 23 and the Latham one now a Bennigan's) closed at the same time - rather suddenly as have many others since.

[amesman]

They all closed sometime in 2000(the Thruway one at least).

[Zayre88]

Here's a strange find.  I spotted this building in Quebec City on Ste. Anne Boulevard when taking pictures of a former Woolco across the street.  I immediately noticed it looked like a former Hojo restaurant !!

The closed restaurant does not have every usual feature of original Hojo's. It does have the Nims-type shape, tile roof and a cupola.  I thought that it was possible that some canadian locations were not exactly the same as U.S. ones.  

Rich from Autoage.org told me he has nothing about this location.  There was a planned location on that same boulevard but it never opened...  There is a Motel on the same lot but it does not look like a Howard Johnson...

Maybe it never was a Hojo... just an imitation ;)

[powersbt]

Originally posted by Zayre88
Here's a strange find.  I spotted this building in Quebec City on Ste. Anne Boulevard when taking pictures of a former Woolco across the street.  I immediately noticed it looked like a former Hojo restaurant !!

The closed restaurant does not have every usual feature of original Hojo's. It does have the Nims-type shape, tile roof and a cupola.  I thought that it was possible that some canadian locations were not exactly the same as U.S. ones.  

Rich from Autoage.org told me he has nothing about this location.  There was a planned location on that same boulevard but it never opened...  There is a Motel on the same lot but it does not look like a Howard Johnson...

Maybe it never was a Hojo... just an imitation ;)

Sure looks like one to me.

[BillyGr]

Originally posted by Zayre88
The closed restaurant does not have every usual feature of original Hojo's. It does have the Nims-type shape, tile roof and a cupola.  I thought that it was possible that some canadian locations were not exactly the same as U.S. ones.  

There was a planned location on that same boulevard but it never opened...  There is a Motel on the same lot but it does not look like a Howard Johnson...

It definitely looks like one to me as well - I'd guess that the front entrance might have beeen added later on (when it was used for something else).  
It's also possible (since you say a location was planned for that street) that they built the building but never opened it as a Howard Johnson's - due to transfer of the company maybe?
The motel might not look like HoJo, but you can see (mostly what looks like a "leg" in the office portion of the building)things that give it a HoJo style look - again maybe it started out to be a HoJo and wasn't completed/opened as one - thus the base structure (legs) but the A Frame rather than the standard multi-sided lodge building?

[HoJofan206]

I agree, if it was not a HoJo, it was definately a copy cat version of a competitor.

[StarSage]

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...."

There used to be a HoJo in Big Flats, NY (near Elmira Heights) near the road called The Miracle Mile. I'm not sure of what ever became of it. I do know there's a local breakfast restaurant chain called Bob Evans that has sprung up in nearby Riverside (near Corning)

[StarSage]

Back in December '04 my mother remarried and she and her new husband had their honeymoon at a Howard Johnson's near (or in) Niagara Falls. I'm not sure if it was the U.S. or Canadian side

[BillyGr]

Again, a mix of hotel stuff as well.

The first shot is the gate lodge in Kingston, nY (Off Thruway exit 19 near the 209 intersection.  Quite well preserved (hotel is now a Superlodge) with a few peeks of orange through the blue.  This is kind of the "backside" as you enter on the opposite site with a roof over where a car would pull up.

2nd is the former restaurant at the same site - now a independent restaurant.

3rd is the restaurant in Saugerties - right at Exit 20 of the NYS Thruway.  It is now a local diner.  The adjoining hotel is still a Hojo - it's signs are seen next (the larger is along the Thruway, the smaller where you acutally enter off Route 32).

5th is the Bennington (VT) location - now a private club.  Pretty original and still quite orange.

6th is the Western Avenue location - this sits in the corner of Stuyvesant Plaza near the Fuller & Western intersection.  This has been remodelled quite a bit and is now Mangia (italian restaurant - for those who know the area there are several Mangia's, also owned by the same company is Bountiful Bread, the Butcher Block and the LogJam in Lake George).

7th is the Central Avenue location at the corner of Central & Everett.  According to one of the hojo sites, this was a quite early HoJo's, it later became Ground Round and closed a few years back.  Now part of the DePaula dealership

Last is the Williamstown (MA) location - was empty for a couple years after closing as HoJo then converted to a bank.

[HoJofan206]

That Nims style restaurant with the bright orange roof could almost open right back up as a Hojo in 2006!  Great pics!!

[BillyGr]

The first one is the newly built Howard Johnson's Inn & Suites in Cooperstown (actually a bit south of Cooperstown on Route 28) - I believe this was the one that someone had mentioned wanted to open a Hojo restaurant.

The 2nd is the former HoJo restaurant on Route 28 in Oneonta - now a Denny's.

[Zayre88]

Hojo promotional poster framed and hung in the entrance of the restaurant in Bangor.

[amesman]

Those posters are from the FAI era. They can also be found at Lake George and Lake Placid. Springfield, Vermont had a couple as well.

[Zayre88]

Inside the dining area in Bangor.