When I was younger, maybe under age 10, my family frequently opted to drive for vacations or business trips. We might make the trek from the Boston area to Washington, D.C., or head up to other parts of New England at least twice a year.
As a kid, those trips meant a lot of time to read, since smartphones weren't a thing back in the early '80s, and the pure joy of stopping for meals on the way.
Back then, while McDonald's and Burger King had a big local presence in New England, highways weren't served by fast-food chains. Instead, they were dominated by Howard Johnson's, a sit-down, comfort-food restaurant.
"Howard Johnson's, founded near Boston in 1925 by Howard D. Johnson, was once the biggest restaurant chain in the country, with roughly a thousand locations nationwide during the 1970s. Their desserts were staples for so many Americans growing up in the 'Mad Men' era," CBS News reported.
The brand was built on consistency, offering the same menu at every location with precise service standards.
“You could put one at the end of a dirt road in the woods back here and you’d do business,” former franchise operator Carl DeSantis told Eater.com. “Howard Johnson’s was the king of the road. You could make money anywhere… A lot of guys ended up with Howard Johnson’s restaurants that wouldn’t have made it with any other brand or as independents.”
That ended in 2022, when after 97 years of history, the final Howard Johnson's closed its doors.
What Howard Johnson's offered
As a kid, Howard Johnson's, or HoJo's, as it was affectionately called, might have been the first place I tried a clam, or at least a clam strip. That was one of the chain's calling cards, and it wasn't a bad entry point for a New England kid who would soon be eating the whole-belly and raw varieties.
Howard Johnson locations had a distinct look and the same menu. This is what made them special and noticeable:
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Orange-Roofed Restaurants: The iconic 28‑orange-roof design made locations instantly recognizable.
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Ice Cream: Famous for its wide variety of flavors, the chain began as an ice cream shop in 1925.
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Hot Dogs and Hamburgers: Simple, reliable, and classic American fare alongside the ice cream.
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Consistency Across Locations: Customers could expect the same menu and quality nationwide.
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Family-Friendly Dining: Casual sit-down restaurants catering to families on road trips.
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Extensive Highway Presence: Strategically located along major U.S. highways, ideal for travelers.
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Franchising Success: One of the first chains to standardize franchise operations in the U.S.
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Menu Staples: Known for fried clams, turkey sandwiches, and traditional American comfort foods.
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Combination of Restaurant and Motel: Many locations had adjacent “HoJo” motels, creating a one-stop shop for travelers.
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Nostalgic Brand Legacy: Remembered for pioneering consistent fast-food dining and family travel culture in mid‑20th-century America. Source: Eater.com
Howard Johnson's restaurants were generally right off the highway.Shutterstock Where Howard Johnson's stands now
When the last restaurant closed in Lake George, New York, back in 2022, that ended the chain's legacy. Its name still exists on motels operated by the Wyndham brand.
When Jon LaRock, the man who owned the final HoJo's restaurant, was in the process of closing it, he knew that probably meant the end for the brand.
"Because of the tortured ownership of the brand in its final decades, unless another former franchisee re-opens in their original location — or Wyndham Worldwide, which now owns the Howard Johnson hotel chain and all the relevant Howard Johnson’s trademarks, decides to give it another go — after more than 90 years of operations, the legacy of one of the most influential restaurants in American history will probably end with LaRock," he told Eater.
And, instead of going out in a blaze of glory, the last Howard Johnson's closed under a cloud of suspicion.
"A 17-year-old girl contacted police, alleging that LaRock inappropriately touched and kissed her on her first day as an employee, according to the station. A subsequent investigation found that the restaurateur sexually harassed 15 female employees over the years, ranging in age from 14 to 43 years old," according to the local CBS station.
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That case ended with a guilty plea.
"The Post-Star of Glens Falls in upstate New York reports 65-year-old Jonathan LaRock, of Moreau, was sentenced Wednesday to six months in the Warren County Jail followed by six years' probation. LaRock pleaded guilty in September to 26 counts of forcible touching and unlawful imprisonment," CBS reported.
So far, in the three years since, no efforts have been made to bring back the restaurant chain.
Timeline of Howard Johnson’s restaurants:
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1925: Howard Deering Johnson opened a soda fountain/small ice‑cream shop in Quincy, Massachusetts.
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Late 1920s: Johnson expanded his ice‑cream business with beach concession stands and seasonal ice‑cream stands. Source: American Business History Center
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1935: The first full-fledged “Howard Johnson’s” restaurant (i.e., sit-down restaurant) opened (this is cited as the first franchise restaurant under Johnson’s name). Source: Eater
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By 1940: The chain had grown substantially; by the end of 1940 there were over 130 Howard Johnson’s restaurants in operation, spread across New England. Source: American Business History Center
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1950s-1970s (Golden Age): The brand added “motor lodges” (hotels/motels) to many restaurant locations, creating one-stop dining + lodging. Source: Eater
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1960s–1970s: At its peak, Howard Johnson’s was the largest restaurant chain in the United States, with roughly 1,000 restaurants nationwide under the iconic “orange‑roof” brand. Source: Boston.com
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1985: The hotel/motel business portion (the “HoJo hotels”) was bought by Marriott, and is now owned by Wyndham, separating lodging from restaurants.
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1990s-2000s (decline phase): Over decades, the number of operating restaurants steadily shrank. By 1995, the count had dropped dramatically.
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2005: Howard Johnson’s restaurants are largely gone; hotels/motels continue under brand ownership by Wyndham.
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2015: One of the last remaining Howard Johnson’s restaurants (in Lake Placid, NY) closed, leaving only a few holdouts. Source: BostonGlobe.com
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2016: The Howard Johnson’s location in Bangor, Maine, another of the last few, shut down. Source: Boston Magazine
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2022 (June): The final remaining Howard Johnson’s restaurant, in Lake George, New York, closed permanently. This marked the end of the restaurant‑chain era. Source: Boston.com
Why Howard Johnson's failed
Howard Johnson's failed for reasons that bring down many businesses: complacency mixed with competition.
"At first, when Bud Johnson took over the company in 1968, things continued to run smoothly. However, in the late 1970s, Bud began to relax the rules and the quality of food and standards slipped, resulting in Howard Johnson's having an off-putting reputation," Tasting Table reported.
That change occurred just as a new group of competitors was also serving travelers.
"This was happening simultaneously with a boom in fast food chains, such as McDonald's, whose owner was just as anal about procedures as Howard Johnson. Plus, this chain and others like Burger King had smaller menus, lower prices, and quicker service," the website shared.
Not changing with the times or adding to its menu also hurt the chain.
"So what took the mojo out of HoJo? Failing to update its menu — centered around fried clams, chicken, hot dogs and ice cream — its infrastructure and its marketing, along with increased competition from the likes of Friendly's, Applebee's and Chili's, sealed the fate of the Howard Johnson's restaurant chain," Kiplinger's shared.
Related: 59-year-old casual steakhouse chain closed all its locations
This story was originally published by TheStreet on Dec 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the Restaurants section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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