Defunct East-Coast Burger Chain Making a Combeback

Gino's is coming back. They were huge in the Philly area when I was a kid and also were I believe the only seller of Kentucky Fried Chicken around here in those days. Here is a link to a brief blog post on it:

http://www.philly.com/phi...o_make_a_comeback.html

Gino's. Memories of joy rides on weekends out to New Jersey, and stopping at a Gino's in some of the smaller towns. I really liked the Gino Giant burger. And the restaurant architecture. Many NJ stores had a spinning Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket on a tall pole above a sign that said Gino's hamburgers. Like Howard Johnson's, another firm that Marriott acquired and chopped up for piece parts. 

I welcome a chain that would replicate the experience of some of the defunct burger chains of the 70's. If you comb through their new web site, you will see they are planning to offer freshly cooked burgers that are not pre-assembled (Gino's was pre-cooked and pre-assembed until the Marriott buyout in 1982.) It just remains to be seen how many franchises are opened, and if they can survive the competition from new chains like Five Guys and the value menus of chains like Wendy's and Burger King.

yup!  posted about it a few weeks ago!!  gino's burgers & chicken

well, they've updated the website since i originally posted a link to it at the beginning of december!

  I dont think I will be having too many milkshakes @5.99.

well, if they're that expensive, it means REAL shakes made with hand dipped ice cream...if made properly, well worth the price.

A lot of those defunct chains that sold real food back in the day would be up to Five Guys prices these days if they didn't change things along the way.

The last time I had a Gino Giant I got sick. I really didn't mind when Geno's went out of business. I doubt if I would go back. I do wish they bring back Jack in the Box back east.

David_NYC


Gino's. Memories of joy rides on weekends................., and if they can survive the competition from new chains like Five Guys and the value menus of chains like Wendy's and Burger King.

 
The value menus must be a killer. A friend who owns a Roadfood type place (that I have never posted about) says that biz was off by 20% for 2009, even compared to what he thought was a bad 2008. If good, established,  places can't hang on I would wonder who would open a new place these days. My friend, though, says it could be the only way. Previously he worked for one of the big guys, and now would like to get back with one as a franchisee. Tough to raise the $$$ though
 
I never thought that Gino's was that good, anyway. I don't miss them.

There were two Gino's in York that I can recall. I remember the ads and the jingle, but I don't remember going there much.
 
And I don't ever remember eating their burgers. Their main competition in York was Hardee's, which had charbroiled burgers, which were quite tasty, from what I remember.
 
I think I would have gone to Gino's for the KFC, as there were no KFC outlets in York at that time.
 
Does anyone remember their fish sandwiches? They were supposed to be in the shape of a fish..think Goldfish Crackers!

back then, there was no kfc.  it was kentucky fried chicken and was sold at gino's in this area (no other places that i remember).  no stand alone kfc stores until after gino's was bought out by marriot.  don't know how kentucky fried was sold elsewhere...

heh, don't remember the fish sandwich...and i worked for them :)

i do remember the salad bar - they were one of the first to do the salad bar (i think wendy's had it before they did).

i agree, doesn't seem like a good idea or time to be doing a start-up and what looks like a major one at that. 

they're playing on memory and trying to be a bit different than previous.  can be a good combo if dealt with properly.  even with things the way they are at the moment.

since they were always forerunners with things and the same people involved with the original are also involved with this venture, it may have a real chance at succeeding.  time will tell.

as for 'five guys'  there are 5 stores in this general area and none are located somewhere convenient (either from home or work).  by convenient i mean within a 10 minute drive and not in a super-congested area.  only one is within 10 minutes and that's in k of p and i avoid the mall like the plague so won't be going to that one. 

they've done little, if any, advertising and i don't like their website - very blah.  no pricing either.  doesn't engender my interest.  i'm certainly not going to make the effort to go to one of their locations when it's a complete unknown.  would be very annoyed if i did go (out of my way) and the cost was outrageous.  for just burgers and dogs, no less.  no sides even.

those running gino's will do advertising, i've no doubt.  and i'm sure the quality of the food will be decent.  ahh, well, time'll tell...

db1105
 
I do wish they bring back Jack in the Box back east.

Ditto. I like that place a lot better than than the other chains.

db1105


The last time I had a Gino Giant I got sick. I really didn't mind when Geno's went out of business. I doubt if I would go back. I do wish they bring back Jack in the Box back east.

I do wish they bring back Jack in the Box back east.

Jack In The Box is all over the south central North Carolina area...believe that the franchise holder  for them in this area must be in Charlotte, as they opened there first.
Am surprised that they aren't north of NC also, as we here in the area generally get stuff like that LAST.