Chi Chi's Triumphant Return! & 12 More Restaurants We Wish Would Make A Comeback

I bet ya didn't know that country star Kenny Rogers made more than just good music. Together with former KFC CEO John Y. Brown Jr., Kenny Rogers opened up his eponymous restaurant known for serving healthy rotisserie chicken. The venture became so popular that it grew to have over 350 locations around the world, but eventually saw a lot of competition with brands like Boston Market and Cluckers. By 1998 the company declared bankruptcy and restaurant locations began to dwindle.

Today, you can only find Kenny Rogers Roasters in Asia, but we think we deserve a revival here!

The aptly named Hollywood-themed eatery opened in late 1991 in New York City with big names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Sylvester Stallone as investors and promoters. Additional locations began to pop up around the world, adding to the brand's success. However, reportedly due to too much time spent on other ventures, Planet Hollywood operations became neglected and started losing money. By 1999 the company filed for bankruptcy and many locations were shuttered.

Today, there are only three Planet Hollywoods—with another slated to open soon in New York City—and four Planet Hollywood Resorts in operation.

One of the many ventures helmed by the head honchos at Planet Hollywood, the Official All Star Café was known for its stadium-style food and sports memorabilia. Pro athletes like Wayne Gretzky, Shaquille O'Neal, Andre Agassi, and Joe Montana were all investors. The chain opened its first location in 1995, but all locations were closed by 2007.

Who doesn't love a theme restaurant? Well, apparently our love for a good theme didn't stop this nautically-inclined restaurant from closing. Originally launched in 1976, Boston Sea Party payed homage to—you guessed it—the Boston tea party. Waitstaff donned colonial-style outfits and diners could partake in an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. Sadly, the restaurant didn't make it to the 21st century.

Founded in the late '70s in San Francisco, this American bakery blew up to have 140 locations in the United States during its heyday. The chain changed ownership numerous times, finally being acquired by Cucina Holdings, Inc. before going belly up in 2000. Let's pour one out for those croissants.

This Irish American pub chain was founded back in the mid-70s in Atlanta, Georgia. It quickly expanded and eventually had locations not only across the country, but spanning fourteen other countries, as well. Sadly, by 2006, many of the U.S. locations began closing and in 2008, Bennigan's parent company, Metromedia Restaurant Group, filed bankruptcy. However, some franchise locations remained open, along with a handful of locations abroad.

Now under new management, Bennigan's today has a total of 21 locations around the world, along with a handful of delivery only Bennigan's On The Fly. Alas, the chain just isn't what it once was.

The famed steakhouse chain is in the midst of a revival, but things weren't always smooth sailing for the behemoth. The casual steak restaurant was founded in the 1960s and expanded to over 280 locations before similar chains started popping up and creating competition. Unfortunately, Steak and Ale was owned by the same company as Bennigan's, which went bankrupt in 2008, forcing Steak and Ale locations to close.

Although there have been whisperings of planned revivals for over a decade, it wasn't until this year that Steak and Ale finally opened up shop once again. There is currently one location in Minnesota, with another in Texas rumored to follow.

The Manhattan-born restaurant has roots that date all the way to 1910. However, original owners sold the business in the 1960s, and in the '70s, the owner of Steak & Brew renamed their restaurants to Beefsteak Charlies. It's thanks to this new franchise that we have the all-you-can-eat salad bar and unlimited drinks concepts. After some acquisitions and mergers and a bankruptcy, many locations began to close and most were fully gone by 2003. 2009 saw a brief resurgence of Beefsteak Charlies with a single restaurant opening in New York only to quickly go under.

Although there's still technically hundreds of TCBY locations worldwide (250+ to be exact), the chain once boasted over 1,700 locations, making its downsizing quite extreme. TCBY, which stands for The Country's Best Yogurt, kicked off its legacy in Arkansas in 1981 under a different name, This Can't Be Yogurt. The name switch came about due to a lawsuit from a company with a similar name and TCBY hopped on the scene by 1984. In 2000, the brand was purchased by Mrs. Fields and by 2001, there were over a thousand locations around the world. Due to increasing competition, the shops began to dwindle and today, there aren't as many as there used to be. Tear. We need one in every city and every airport!

The OG Casa Bonita opened in 1968 in Oklahoma and expanded to include multiple locations. Known for Mexican-inspired cuisine and unique design, the chain has seen numerous openings and closings over the years, but none more damaging than its shuttering in 2020 thanks to the pandemic. The following year the company filed for bankruptcy, but luckily, South Park founders Trey Park and Matt Stone purchased the Lakewood, Colorado restaurant—a city landmark—and reopened in the summer of 2023. Much to our dismay, this is the only remaining location today and there have unfortunately been reports from employees about unfair wages and unsafe working conditions. Get it together, Casa.

After Walt Disney purchased Capital Cities/ABC, the idea of creating what would become ESPN Zone was realized. In 1998 the first restaurant opened, with many following suit. The theme restaurant and entertainment center combo featured an abundance of TVs and arcade games. Unfortunately, the tumultuous economy forced locations to begin closing in 2009, leaving only two locations in operation by 2010. Subsequently, the company sold off those remaining locations, both of which shuttered by 2018. Will it make a comeback? Only time will tell.

1939 saw the opening of the country's very first Country Kitchen. Two Bills—Bill Johnson and Bill Goodman—scraped up enough money to open a restaurant in Ohio, where they dished up steak sandwiches and burgers. The chain saw continuous growth throughout the 1940s and '50s, adding drive-in options and providing sustenance for war plant workers. Country Kitchen began franchising in the late '50s and expanded its offerings, serving breakfast and coffee, as well. The chain was then sold to Carlson Companies, Inc. (which also owned TGI Fridays) and since then, Country Kitchen has seen a lot of change, not only to the menu, but to the design of the restaurant and the prices. It also changed ownership yet again, and since this latest acquisition many locations have closed in an effort to standardize and streamline its restaurants. Today, there are fewer than 20 locations throughout the U.S. and Canada.