Like a sepia sunset, The old-fashioned burger-n-fries chain Roy Rogers is done in Manchester. Over done (bad joke?). The franchise-operated quick-serve restaurant well known for its roast beef, chicken and burgers (or likeness to Arby's and/or Wendy's) has shuttered another Connecticut location all under the radar.
The 394 Tolland Turnpike location, located a few short turns off I-84 (Exit 63) in Manchester has been found closed by The Caldor Rainbow (and additional thanks to a reader tip off) and at such short notice. One could certainly pin this one on the shuttering economy round-up as it's owner seems to have packed up and run.
THE LATE MANCHESTER, CONN. LOCATION IN JULY 2008
Back in February 2007, Roy Rogers' franchise owners closed up many of its locations in the state including one we covered on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington, which closed up abruptly has since become new life as Arby's. One such on Route 5 in North Haven followed the same fate, shuttering silently. Over the past decade, Roy Rogers has trickled down, losing market share to other fast food restaurants who've prospered much in its place; namely Wendy's and recently Arby's.
THE LATE MANCHESTER, CONN. LOCATION SITE IN JULY 2008
ROY ROGERS WOULD BE ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE-Y: SITE MASTERS DISGRACEFULLY CAUGHT SLACKING OFF, KEEPING DEFUNCT LOCATION ON THE STORE LOCATOR
Thought their website has a 2003 stamp on it, there's no reason to perpetuate lies! Somebody tell the sleepy webmaster to remove the Manchy location off the locator.
Roy Rogers leaves one lone location in the state: all the way up in North Stonington (still under construction?) or one shortly over the Massachusetts border in Sturbridge. It's to the entrepreneurial spirit to keep Roy's dreams of serving grease-laden burgers and fixin' bars to truckers and travelers alive!
The former Manchester location will live on: reportedly soon tobecome an independently-owned Indian restaurant.
ROY ROGERS TIMEWARP AT A REST STOP ON I-90
ROY ROGERS ROCKFACED RECEPTACLE TAKEN AT FORMER NEWINGTON LOCATION
All photos taken by THE CALDOR RAINBOW.
The 394 Tolland Turnpike location, located a few short turns off I-84 (Exit 63) in Manchester has been found closed by The Caldor Rainbow (and additional thanks to a reader tip off) and at such short notice. One could certainly pin this one on the shuttering economy round-up as it's owner seems to have packed up and run.
THE LATE MANCHESTER, CONN. LOCATION IN JULY 2008
THE LATE MANCHESTER, CONN. LOCATION SITE IN JULY 2008
ROY ROGERS WOULD BE ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE-Y: SITE MASTERS DISGRACEFULLY CAUGHT SLACKING OFF, KEEPING DEFUNCT LOCATION ON THE STORE LOCATOR
Roy Rogers leaves one lone location in the state: all the way up in North Stonington (still under construction?) or one shortly over the Massachusetts border in Sturbridge. It's to the entrepreneurial spirit to keep Roy's dreams of serving grease-laden burgers and fixin' bars to truckers and travelers alive!
The former Manchester location will live on: reportedly soon tobecome an independently-owned Indian restaurant.
ROY ROGERS TIMEWARP AT A REST STOP ON I-90
ROY ROGERS ROCKFACED RECEPTACLE TAKEN AT FORMER NEWINGTON LOCATION
13 comments:
I think Roy Rogers is in a long decline. There will get fewer and fewer until they go bankrupt and end up closing their stores.
That's how I see it, I don't see them as lasting any longer,sad ,they were cool.
No mention of the Manchester location being a former Howard Johnson's?
Shortly after the Newington RR closed, I highly doubted the Manchester store (the only CT store left at the time) would remain much longer. When Stonington opened, I thought maybe Manchester would stay. Apparently, I was right the first time. It's a shame. I used to love Roy Rogers when I was a kid. I loved their fixin's bar and their fries.
Steven, I had no idea it was a HoJos restaurant. I even searched my historic database, found nothing about the transition from HoJos to Roy's.
Chris, I too enjoyed Roy Rogers as a kid -- the one inside Meriden Square on the upper level (before it moved into the food court) was the one we used to go to.
It's all good. The visual cues that it was a Howard Johnson's are all there to my eyes, but it can be missed easily, even by experienced commercial archeologists like yourself, if you don't know what to look for.
It has a classic 1960s Howard Johnson's profile: low hipped roof covered in porcelain enamel tiles, deep eaves, asymmetrical entry, raised area in the center that once held a weathervane. It's a beauty.
http://www.highwayhost.org/Connecticut/Restaurants/restaurants2.htm#Manchester
I love that picture with the neon sign at a rest stop on I-90. Does it still look like that today? It brings memories when I used to eat at RR in the late 80s.
Jeff, I took that shot in May 2007. I assume it still looks that way as do most of the RR along 90.
Actually, I heard that the 2 RR franchise owners who owned the Newington, Manchester, North Haven and Sturbridge stores were ready to retire.
I would be surprised if the Sturbridge one lasts much longer, as it WAS owned by the same guys. Unless they were able to sell it to someone who actually wanted to keep it as a Roy Rogers (fingers crossed).
It truly breaks my heart to see them all disappearing. They were hands down the best "fast food" and fried chicken around. And their roast beef sandwhiches....Arby's doesn't even hold a candle. It was insulting seeing an Arby's replace the Newington store.
And why Arbys on the Pike is vacant 90% of the time while Roy's always used to be packed by the cruisers on fri/sat nights.
How come the phone book has started to show a Roy Rogers location in Buckland Hills mall? Can anyone confirm this???
I stopped at a Roy Rogers once on my way down to the City, I think it was in Yonkers. The food was disgusting and they had rats. I mean big freakin' rats in the dinning room. I puked up in the parking lot. Word of advice don't eat a Double R-Bar burger while drinking Scotch, it's an ugly combination.
Hey that's not old! I love this place haha just kidding at all, I really love the fries of that place, I went there since I have 6 years old I'm 28 right now and I still like it.
The sign at this site is also a recycled Howard Johnson's sign. See one of the HoJo tribute sites for a discussion of their architecture over the years.
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