Howard Johnson’s was America’s biggest restaurant chain in the 1960s and 1970s and as much as anything else it was its “unique” ice-cream (with 28 flavors) that people drove miles for. By 1948 they had sold over 5 billion ice cream cones.
HoJos, as it was called by customers, began life as a pharmacy and soda fountain in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1925. Businessman Howard Johnson, who had borrowed $2,000 to open the property, realized customers were queuing up for his ice-cream and milk shakes - rather than the items on sale in the drugstore – and he soon had his first sit-down restaurant. By the time America entered the Second World War, there were more than 200 franchised or company-owned Ho Jos.
The company reached its peak in the 1970s with over 1000 restaurants but faced challenges as fast food outlets like McDonalds burgeoned. Mad Men featured a Plattsburg, NY Howard Johnson’s in the 2012 episode “Far Away Places” - Don asks Megan: "Would you say it's a delightful destination?" She replies, "It's not a destination, it's on the way to someplace.". In 1979 Marriott bought the Howard Johnson's company and promptly shut down all the company-owned restaurants and "had them either demolished or converted into other restaurant chains." Though the Howard Johnson hotel chain still operates – now owned by the Wyndham Hotel Group - the last Howard Jonson’s Restaurant finally closed down in January 2017 in Lake George NY.
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FAQs
Eventually, Johnson created 28 flavors of ice cream. He is quoted as saying, "I thought I had every flavor in the world. That '28' (flavors of ice cream) became my trademark."
What was Howard Johnson famous for? ›
By the mid-1950s, Howard Johnson's started opening motor lodges throughout the United States. Howard Johnson's opened the country's first turnpike restaurant, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and as a 1985 news article stated, "The company once dominated the eat-and-sleep business along the country's highways."
Who has 28 flavors of ice cream? ›
Howard Johnson's soon became known for its 28 flavors of thick ice cream that had double the butterfat of most competitors' products.
Where was Howard Johnson in Times Square? ›
The Times Square HoJo's at 46th and Broadway was originally a Child's, until it was replaced by HoJo's in 1959.
What were the flavors of ice cream in the 1950s? ›
1950s: Pineapple
Nationwide there was an infatuation with the islands' exotic tropical fruits. You can see that in ice cream brands that released flavors like tropical isle pineapple (Lady Borden 1954), cherry coconut (Bordens 1951), and coconut pineapple (Foremost 1957).
Who had 31 flavors of ice cream? ›
What was once a selection of 31 flavors—Baskin-Robbins "31®" stands for a different ice cream flavor for each day of the month—has grown to more than 1,400 in its flavor library.
What color is Howard Johnson's famous for? ›
Howard Johnson is a legendary American hotel chain also known for its iconic logo. It features two prominent colors: deep turquoise blue and orange (a favorite color of legendary singers Prince and Frank Sinatra). These colors are carefully selected to create a distinctive and recognizable brand identity for customers.
What kind of clams did Howard Johnson use? ›
Their largest customer was a rapidly growing restaurant chain, Howard Johnsons. Soffron Brothers were the exclusive suppliers of clams to the Howard Johnson chain for 32 years, which featured Ipswich Fried Clams on the menu.
Is Howard Johnson in the Hall of Fame? ›
Johnson is third on the Mets' all-time lists for home runs, runs batted in, doubles, and stolen bases. He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame.
What is the ice cream with all 3 flavors? ›
Neapolitan ice cream consists of three layers, each of a different colour and flavour (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla), moulded into a block and cut into slices.
Howard Johnson is widely regarded as one of the first to introduce franchising in the restaurant industry. Johnson also developed the concept of a uniform system of operations that provided consistency in the rapid expansion of his ice cream shops, restaurants and lodging properties.
Was Howard Johnson a president? ›
Howard Wesley Johnson (July 2, 1922 – December 12, 2009) was an American educator. He served as dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management between 1959 and 1966, president of MIT between 1966 and 1971, and chairman of the MIT Corporation (the university's board of trustees) from 1971 to 1983.
Who owns Times Square in New York? ›
| One Times Square |
|---|
| Owner | Jamestown L.P. and Sherwood Equities |
| Height |
| Antenna spire | 417 ft (127 m) |
| Roof | 363 ft (111 m) |
16 more rowsSuperman ice cream consists of three ice cream flavors, boldly colored in shades of blue, red, and yellow (the same hues as Superman's signature costume). It's a bit like a primary-colored Neapolitan: Each color represents a different flavor.
How many total flavors of ice cream are there? ›
Huge amount of flavors
There are over 1,000 flavors of ice cream and many more keep getting each year.
What is the world record for the most ice cream flavors? ›
Nov. 14 is Guinness World Record Day, which is when competitors around the world unite to celebrate marking a new record, and that's when Vancouver's La Casa Gelato and its 238 flavours were deemed the “Official World Record” holder for the most commercially available ice cream flavours.
How many flavors does Berkey creamery have? ›
With more than 100 flavors of ice cream, it's hard to pick a favorite at the Penn State Berkey Creamery. For more than 150 years the on-campus creamery has scooped ice cream to generations of university students, parents, alumni and visitors.
