Food

doughnuts

Remember Mister Donut?

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This weekend my wife and I were rolling down the road, and somehow got to talking about doughnuts.  I know, there’s a shock!  I’m sure it had something to do with the fact that I’m watching my waistline and missing donuts.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I had one; It’s probably been 3 or 4 years.  I know it won’t surprise you that doughnuts have always been one of my weaknesses.

Having lived all over the country, I’ve never really had one favorite place to eat doughnuts, I’ve had many!  When I lived in Virginia Beach it was Krispy Kreme.  In Quincy, IL it was a local favorite called Dixie Cream Donuts.  And early on in life (in Cheyenne, WY I think) it was Mister Donut.  And that got me wondering about Mister Donut.  I hadn’t seen one in years.

Gone But Not ForgottenI remember hearing that they got taken over by Dunkin Donuts sometime in the late 80’s early 90’s.  I’m told that they used to have good coffee, but I don’t remember that.  I do remember that they had ice cold milk and some of the best jelly doughnuts around.  If I close my eyes, I can almost remember the last time I ate at Mister Donut.  It was in Lynchburg, VA back in about 1984 or 85.

So naturally once we got home I had to do some research into Mister Donut to exactly what happened.  Who knows, maybe I’d find a tribute site.  I couldn’t find one, but did find out that they actually still exist…. in Japan and the Philippines.  I guess I won’t be making a doughnut run to Mister Donut anytime soon…. Although, it would be a pretty cool trip!

Love That SignWhile searching the internet for info about Mister Donut, I did come across this great picture of a now long gone Mister Donut. Thanks to Darren Snow for posting it on his Flickr site.  Click on the pic to see it full size in Darren’s album.  Sweet memories!!

Neon Cowboy Hat

The BIG Neon Cowboy Hat

The Original Neon Cowboy Hat Sign

I’ve always had a soft spot for Arby’s.  My mother worked at an Arby’s in Norfolk, VA from 1978-1983.  Give me a regular roast beef sandwich (or perhaps a beef ‘n cheddar) an order of potato cakes and a jamocha shake, and I’m good to go!  But in all honesty,what I really have a soft spot for, is the old Arby’s neon cowboy hat sign.

On Friday night, my wife and I were on the road from Tennessee to Ohio and we decided to stop at an Arby’s in Cincinnati for a quick bite.  Since we needed to make a pit stop, we decided to eat inside.  And as I ate my roast beef sandwich I thought about my mother’s old store on Virginia Beach Blvd (near both the Military Circle Mall and Janaf Shopping Center) and that big neon cowboy hat.

Sure, I still eat at Arby’s every now and then, but something is missing.  You can still get their famous roast beef sandwiches, beef ‘n cheddar sandwiches, potato cakes and jamocha shakes, but at most stores that big ole ugly (to some) sign is long gone.   Today it’s been updated to a more modern version of the famed Arby’s cowboy hat.

Today's Arby's Cowboy Hat

In today’s retail world big gawdy neon signs are rarely permitted.  In fact, due to sign ordinances in most communities, classic signs like the Arby’s neon cowboy hat would never be allowed.  They are truly a relic of the past.  To many they’re an eyesore, but to me they’ve always been a work of art.

When I got home, I did some quick research about Arby’s and found out that they got their start back in 1964 in of all places, Youngstown, OH (or technically in Boardman, a Youngstown suburb).  For years, my wife and I have had this theory about Northeast Ohio being the center of the universe, and this just goes further to fuel that theory.

The founders of Arby’s originally wanted to call their restaurant Big Tex, but unfortunately that name was being used by a business in nearby Akron.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the big neon hat sign was originally designed with Big Tex name in mind rather than the Arby’s.

While many of those big bright neon signs are long gone, you can still actually find quite a few in use today as a beacon for delicious fast food roast beef.  Oh, and while tracking down information on the history of that  Arby’s neon cowboy hat, I learned something else.  My mom’s Arby’s is sadly long gone having been replaced by an auto loans store…. that still uses the shell of that old neon cowboy hat.

Fomerly an Arby's Neon Sign

I don’t know about you, but somehow it’s not quite the same!

Doughnuts

Shuttered Stores

For some reason, I’ve always been fascinated with dead and dying shopping mall and retail outlets. Having worked in retail when I was in my teens might play into it, but I’m not sure.

When I have free time, I can get lost for hours online looking at sites like Dead Malls and the Sick Malls Blog.

It always surprises me when a major retailer shuts down one of their locations. Most, if not ALL of them do research on locations to make sure that there will be enough traffic to justify building there.

Lately, because of the economy I’ve seen a lot more locations shutting down and boarding up. Sometimes it’s due to a company going bankrupt (like The Cooker) but a lot of times it’s just the thinning of the herd. Here’s a few pics of some former restaurant/retail locations:

Waffle House

Waffle House

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme

The Cooker

The Cooker

Jack In The Box

Jack In The Box