6 Beloved Burger Chains in America That Went Out of Business

Here are six beloved burger chains in the United States that have gone out of business:

Gino’s Hamburgers

Gino’s was a popular burger chain founded in 1957 by Baltimore Colts football players Gino Marchetti and Alan Ameche, along with their friend and business partner, Joe Campanella.

Gino’s was known for its Gino Giant, a competitor to McDonald’s Big Mac. By 1972, the chain had grown to over 300 locations. However, in 1982, Marriott Corporation acquired Gino’s, converting most locations to Roy Rogers Restaurants.

Burger Chef

Founded in 1954, Burger Chef was a fast-food restaurant chain that quickly grew to become one of the largest burger chains in the U.S., second only to McDonald’s at its peak. They were pioneers in offering a “Funmeal” for children, which included a toy, predating McDonald’s Happy Meal.

By the mid-1970s, Burger Chef had over 1,000 locations. However, due to financial struggles, it was sold to Hardee’s in 1982, and most of its locations were converted or closed.

Carrols Restaurant

Originally a small chain of burger restaurants in upstate New York, Carrols began in the early 1960s. It was known for its Club Burger.

Carrols was unique for its use of a vertical broiler for cooking burgers. In the 1970s, Carrols was converted into a Burger King franchise, thus ending the Carrols brand.

Wetson’s

A New York-based chain, Wetson’s rose to popularity in the 1960s and early 1970s with its catchy jingle and slogan, “Look for the Orange Circles”.

They competed directly with McDonald’s and were known for their 15-cent burgers. However, Wetson’s couldn’t sustain its growth, and the chain closed down in the early 1970s.

Henry’s Hamburgers

Henry’s Hamburgers was a fast-food chain founded in the 1950s. At its peak, Henry’s had more locations than McDonald’s.

However, due to increased competition and a lack of innovation, the chain began to decline in the late 1960s and had mostly disappeared by the late 1970s, with only a few locations remaining.

White Tower

A clone of the famous White Castle, White Tower was founded in the 1920s. It mimicked many of White Castle’s design and operational elements. Legal battles with White Castle and changing consumer tastes led to the chain’s decline. Most White Tower locations were closed or converted to other uses by the 1980s.