Terms Which Have Disappeared

[Renault]

Speaking of terms not heard anymore, what was Denny's before they changed their name?

 

[HudsonHawk]

Speaking of terms not heard anymore, what was Denny's before they changed their name?

Denny's has always been "Denny's", I believe.

 

[jamespowers]

Denny's has always been "Denny's", I believe.

Yes but Denny's bought out several of the old Sambo's locations.

 

[ChiTownScion]

I picked up the unwholesome habit of eating all of my meals in restaurants when I was in law school, late 70's -early 80's. Full load of classes, working full time, and nothing even remotely resembling a social life aside from an occasional movie with my buddies or going to church. I had no time to go grocery shopping and certainly couldn't afford a car to schlep the bags home afterwards. Moreover, cooking for myself and then cleaning up afterward ate into too much study time: I really had to put in at least 3 hours of case preparation and review for every hour of class just to keep up. Starting about 6 weeks before finals (because in law school, your entire grade rests solely on the grade you score on your finals), the treadmill rolled even faster. A full 8 hours of sleep was an unknown luxury. (I was young and crazy back then: now that lifestyle would kill me.)

The result was that I spend an inordinate percentage of my very limited student income on restaurant meals: I favored one not particularly remarkable establishment simply because the much older waitress would call me (and everyone else with a pulse, really), "Hon." It was a homey touch, and a small measure of normalcy. And occasionally, good hearted souls would invite me over for a home cooked meal.

Sadly, this insanity became a habit that I continued into my career after graduation and admission to practice. I'm glad that the lady who I eventually married straightened me out early: sat me down with a pencil, paper, and a calculator....and we tallied what I'd waste on restaurant meals over a month. That's when I really started cutting down on the dining out and learning food prep and budgeting.

Now, I'd be a liar if I said that we never ate out now. But we both now try to relegate dining out as the exception rather than the rule. And while I love a fine steak maybe more than the average man, that's a treat reserved for special occasions such as Father's Day or my birthday.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Yes but Denny's bought out several of the old Sambo's locations.

True. But Sambo's was a different chain altogether. Only the original remains.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I picked up the unwholesome habit of eating all of my meals in restaurants when I was in law school, late 70's -early 80's. Full load of classes, working full time, and nothing even remotely resembling a social life aside from an occasional movie with my buddies or going to church. I had no time to go grocery shopping and certainly couldn't afford a car to schlep the bags home afterwards. Moreover, cooking for myself and then cleaning up afterward ate into too much study time: I really had to put in at least 3 hours of case preparation and review for every hour of class just to keep up. Starting about 6 weeks before finals (because in law school, your entire grade rests solely on the grade you score on your finals), the treadmill rolled even faster. A full 8 hours of sleep was an unknown luxury. (I was young and crazy back then: now that lifestyle would kill me.)

This is why God invented popcorn.

 

[pompier]

Ah Sambo's......anyone remember Hobo Joe's? Ate at both of these establishments often when I'd go out on the road with my Dad during my summer vacation.

 

[Renault]

All the Sambo's here became Denny's. Never knew what a Denny's was till then.

 

[dh66]

This is why God invented popcorn.

And ramen.

 

[dh66]

We had Sambo's that all became Denny's too, back in the 70s, then all the Denny's closed up shop in the late 90s.

There was a place called Hobo Joe's in Bessemer, AL that my granddad would take us to from time to time. I didn't know it was part of a chain. It disappeared late 90s too.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

All the Sambo's here became Denny's. Never knew what a Denny's was till then.

Same here in Indiana.
HD

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Yes but Denny's bought out several of the old Sambo's locations.

True, the Denny's right by my house was originally a Sambos. Though it became a Godfather's Pizza and a Baker's Square before it became Dennys.

 

[vitanola]

Yes but Denny's bought out several of the old Sambo's locations.

Yes. Eleven former Sambos locations, out of more than sixteen hundred Denny's restaurantts. The original location was briefly known as "Danny's Doughnuts", but the founders quickly changed the nam so that it would no be confused with the nearby "Doughnut Dan's".

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

And then of late Dennys has become known for its "live entertainment." :eusa_doh:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUkzcMxHlg4
(Warning: Strong Language)

 

[Zombie_61]

Though nowadays Denny's skirts the ten dollar danger zone.

I remember when Carl's Jr. started their "Six Dollar Burger" campaign in an effort to take a semi-humorous shot at the "upscale" joints that were over-charging for burgers that usually weren't worth it. Now that those same burgers are actually approaching the six-dollar mark, it's not so funny.

True, the Denny's right by my house was originally a Sambos. Though it became a Godfather's Pizza and a Baker's Square before it became Dennys.

Our local Sambos went through the same changeover, but a local privately-owned Italian restaurant bought the building before Denny's got to it.

 

[Renault]

Some where here, I gotta find it, but I have a pic of me in dress blues with an M-14 in fromt of the Sambo's in San Marcos Texas about 1978. Getting ready for the big Chlympiad parade as the color guard!!! The world championship chili cook off. Used to be a big deal. Totally serendipitous photo. I think you can still see pics from different Chlympiads as the decor in Chili's restaurants.

 

[jamespowers]

True, the Denny's right by my house was originally a Sambos. Though it became a Godfather's Pizza and a Baker's Square before it became Dennys.

I think there is one left down in your area that is owned by the grandson of one of the founders. It is still named Sambo's.
Ah yes, I found it:
http://www.sambosrestaurant.com/

 

[jamespowers]

True, the Denny's right by my house was originally a Sambos. Though it became a Godfather's Pizza and a Baker's Square before it became Dennys.

Yes, we had a Sambo's out here that became a Baker's Square and then became nothing. I think there is a Taco Bell there now.

 

[jamespowers]

True. But Sambo's was a different chain altogether. Only the original remains.

Correct but when Sambo's went bankrupt, Denny's seized the opportunity and got a whole lot of restaurants for next to nothing.
I won't even mention that Sambo's was a much better restaurant. :doh:

 

[jamespowers]

We had Sambo's that all became Denny's too, back in the 70s, then all the Denny's closed up shop in the late 90s.

There was a place called Hobo Joe's in Bessemer, AL that my granddad would take us to from time to time. I didn't know it was part of a chain. It disappeared late 90s too.

No Denny's?! Do you live in America?!