Brands that were once popular....

[fonzob1]

I remember Crystal Pepsi, and I remember liking it quite a bit before they eventually pulled it off the shelves. But I don't think we ever got Tab Clear in Canada, as I don't think there's been any distribution of Tab in Canada, so Crystal Pepsi was it. There was no alternative as far as I remember.

I never tried Tab Clear either. I am guessing it didn't get very far. However, Crystal Pepsi is supposedly slated to make a comeback...

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/06/11/crystal-pepsi-is-making-comeback/

Do they still have A&W drive-thrus? Used to see those all the time when I was a kid.

They still exist...

http://www.awrestaurants.com/

 

[Sector 7]

Do they still have A&W drive-thrus? Used to see those all the time when I was a kid.

They still exist...

http://www.awrestaurants.com/[/QUOTE]
Only 2.5 hour drive each way...

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Do they still have A&W drive-thrus? Used to see those all the time when I was a kid.

They still exist...

http://www.awrestaurants.com/

Only 2.5 hour drive each way... [/QUOTE]

We went to the A&W in Cortland NY very recently, we went to a waterpark not to far from there. It had the drive up, where they brought the order out to your car on a tray that leaned against your rolled down window. The food was awful, seriously bad. We were so excited to eat here and were utterly crushed. At least their was a mini-golf right next door, that made up for the bad food.

 

[Sector 7]

We went to the A&W in Cortland NY very recently, we went to a waterpark not to far from there. It had the drive up, where they brought the order out to your car on a tray that leaned against your rolled down window. The food was awful, seriously bad. We were so excited to eat here and were utterly crushed. At least their was a mini-golf right next door, that made up for the bad food.

I miss the frosted mug full of root beer. Also, the root beer floats were awesome. I don't remember the food from my childhood or college.

 

[Owain Taggart]

A&Ws are still a rather strong brand in Canada. Lots of restauraunts everywhere.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

I haven't looked back through all the posts but has anyone mentioned 'Cal Worthington and his dog Spot'? He had a chain of auto dealerships up and down the West Coast for decades. I think my family even bought a truck from him at one time.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Shakey's Pizza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakey's_Pizza

Had one in Auburn California, while you waited for the pizza, they ran Laurel and Hardy/Keystone Cops/Three Stooges shorts in a little theater they set up for us kids.. and ran Dixieland Jazz in the main floor..often had a live Bluegrass band playing as well

Gave out little styrofoam "straw hats" to each kid that ate there..

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJmufzgzRoA[/yt]

We had a Shakey's in my town in the South Bay (Silicon Valley these days). My Boy Scout Troop would sometimes have events/meetings there.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Shakey's Pizza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakey's_Pizza

Had one in Auburn California, while you waited for the pizza, they ran Laurel and Hardy/Keystone Cops/Three Stooges shorts in a little theater they set up for us kids.. and ran Dixieland Jazz in the main floor..often had a live Bluegrass band playing as well

Gave out little styrofoam "straw hats" to each kid that ate there..

We had a Shakey's in my town in the South Bay (Silicon Valley these days). My Boy Scout Troop would sometimes have events/meetings there.

There was a Shakey's Pizza in Kirkland, in the Totem Lake neighborhood.

 

[Kira's Mom]

Vernor's is still around. They were bought by Dr. Pepper/Snapple. Still hard to find, though, it's a regional thing like Cheerwine.

Yeah, must be very regional. I have a feeling it used to have a wider distribution though.

It probably did at one time. A lot of regional sodas do that. I remember finding Big Red in Colorado- it was mostly in Central/South Texas and Louisville, KY/Southern Indiana until a few years ago. I still never see it in Virginia, though! Big Red is an almond/cream soda colored red. I loved getting it as a kid when visiting family in Louisville!

 

[DarrenTR1970]

There are two or three A&W's here in the Seattle, but they're the 2 in 1 restaurants. Two with Kentucky Fried Chicken and one with Taco Bell. The last freestanding A&W on Hwy 99/Aurora Ave was torn down 10-15 years ago.
And I also remember that Shakeys Pizza in Totem Lake; my brother's soccer team would celebrate there after every game. It had that big gas fireplace by the window.
Speaking of pizza does anyone remember Pietro's Pizza? That used to be the place for high schoolers to hang out at after school in the eighties. (At least for me and my friends anyway.)

 

[Owain Taggart]

Oh yeah, to support my comment about A&W in Canada, here's an article. It's from 2012, but it's still valid. I find it interesting that there are hardly any in the U.S now, as I was taking it for granted that it was the same way as in Canada where they are thriving.

http://www.macleans.ca/economy/business/canadas-love-affair-with-aw/

 

[Timby]

That article's badly out of date; there are something like 900 A&W stores in the United States, now. Obviously it's not the 30,000+ that McDonald's and Subway have in the country right now but they're hardly extinct.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Well, I did say it was from 2012. I'm sure there's been some growth since. They've just been more of an active presence here and considered one of the big franchises, and that hasn't changed.

 

[Kor]

Yes there are many A & W restaurants in the U.S., but nowadays they are just like other fast food places instead of the drive-ins of the old days. It's just not the same, service-wise or food-wise. And in my area they all double as KFC. The drive-in burger scene was brought back by Sonic Burger in recent years, but their food is awful.

On a different note, I remember that in the 90s, Airwalk shoes and Mossimo clothes were considered name brands. Now they are only sold at Payless ShoeSource and Target, respectively.

Kor

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I find the food in the current Long John Silvers' to be as good as I remember.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

There are two or three A&W's here in the Seattle, but they're the 2 in 1 restaurants. Two with Kentucky Fried Chicken and one with Taco Bell. The last freestanding A&W on Hwy 99/Aurora Ave was torn down 10-15 years ago.
And I also remember that Shakeys Pizza in Totem Lake; my brother's soccer team would celebrate there after every game. It had that big gas fireplace by the window.
Speaking of pizza does anyone remember Pietro's Pizza? That used to be the place for high schoolers to hang out at after school in the eighties. (At least for me and my friends anyway.)

You're a few years ahead of me. I was in elementary school in the 80s!
I remember the advertisements for Pietro's. I don't know that I ever went there. And in the same area as Shakey's was Sea Galley! And they got the Seattle Sea Gals to help with the adverts on TV!

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Sea Galley. I knew I was forgetting one. Bill Nye The Science Guy got his start as a commercial pitchman for them. 'We've got crab legs, Sea Galley.'

 

[shapeshifter]

Shakey's Pizza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakey's_Pizza

Had one in Auburn California, while you waited for the pizza, they ran Laurel and Hardy/Keystone Cops/Three Stooges shorts in a little theater they set up for us kids.. and ran Dixieland Jazz in the main floor..often had a live Bluegrass band playing as well

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJmufzgzRoA[/yt]

Shakeys still exist. I have one 20 minutes away. Gone are the Laurel and Hardy shorts, though.

Gave out little styrofoam "straw hats" to each kid that ate there..

You may be confusing Shakeys with another pizza house from about the same era, one I was going to post about: Straw Hat Pizza. They do still exist but none near me.

Do they still have A&W drive-thrus? Used to see those all the time when I was a kid.

Again, I have one very nearby. An A&W / KFC combination. Frosty mugs are handed out to customers who get to draw their own from authentic kegs of traditionally made RB.

---------------------------
NEW to the thread, Bonanza 88 was the 99¢ Only store of my youth. Googling it today I see there are some stores still around, but none around me.

How about a fast food chain named: "PAC-OUT"? Burgers as large as your hand with fingers spread as wide as you can, and at a price which had us packing them out by the bag full.

I found one on google, http://www.hawkinspacout.com/ (IIRC, "Hawking" wasn't part of the original name) but too far for me to try to relive those days.

 

[Maurice]

Anyone out west remember Sprouse-Reitz five-and-dime stores? At their peak they had over 300 stores.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Anyone out west remember Sprouse-Reitz five-and-dime stores? At their peak they had over 300 stores.

None in my neck of the woods. SF South Bay.