If You Thought These Restaurant Chains Are Still Around, You Thought Wrong

Published on 08/07/2019
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Blimpie

Did you watch 30 Rock? If you are a fan of the hilarious sitcom, you might recall that they used Blimpie as a punch line every now and then. After all, the character J.D. Lutz loved the subs from there. The company is not doing so hot in the past couple of years. It has lost its “footprint”, to say the least. During its peak in the early ‘00s, there were 2,000 locations all over the world. Sadly, there are now only 250 locations. The first Blimpie store was opened in Hoboken, New Jersey and closed in 2017.

Blimpie

Blimpie

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Chi-Chi’s

Chi-Chi’s is yet another restaurant chain that has since disappeared in North America. However, you can still go to this Tex-Mex restaurant if you travel abroad. You can get your fix if you find yourself in Belgium and Luxembourg! If you cannot afford to book that flight, you can still get a taste of Chi-Chi’s at the supermarket. Hormel, the same company behind Spam, sells its chips, salsa, and other products. There was a time when there were over 200 Chi-Chi’s restaurants, although all U.S. and Canada locations disappeared by 2004 after the hepatitis controversy and bankruptcy filing. In 2003, four people died after contracting hepatitis from the green onions at a Pittsburgh location.

Chi-Chi's

Chi-Chi’s

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