Carrolls restaurants

Does anyone remember the Carrolls restaurant chain in Central New York in the early 1960's. Great burgers and fries. I seem to remember that almost everything was 15 cents. Oh, for only the good old days.

Carroll's, "Home of the Club Burger". We had two locations here in Plattsburgh. They were Plattsburgh's first "real' franchise-type fast food operations.

Carroll's finally became the fanchise owner for Burger King oulets in much of Central and Northern NY State. Both locations here were turned into BK's. For quite some time, Carroll's was BK's largest franchise operator. That is not likely the case anymore. BK's prodcut doesn't even come close to what Carroll's used to put out.

Wally

Carroll's was my FAVORITE place to eat in my Kindergarten/First Grade years (1972-74). There was one in Kingston, PA---the halfway point from home to grandma's...and we would go every Saturday afternoon for lunch. I'm not sure why, but I liked it a lot better than McDonald's (maybe my chops were even fine tuned then ). Hmm? Could've been the orange (my favorite) color, the burgers, or all of those collectable cartoon glasses (still have some, the big ones are all here, the little ones broke. ). I'd say that Carroll's folded up here by '75 or '76---right around the time a BK moved down the street.
What a treat!!!!

The Carolls Corporation still exists...what happened was that in the mid-70s they realized that they couldn't compete with Mickey Ds as Carolls,so they closed some locations,and transformed the others into Burger Kings-my very first real job was 'opening' a transformed old Carolls as BK in early 77..The Carolls Corporation remains one of the one or two largest BK franchisees....funny thing is that up until about a year or so ago, there WERE real Carolls in of all places... Sweden! Complete with Club Burgers..made my mouth droool...And yes it is spelled with one 'R'.....

Carolls was the first 'real' fast food for a lot of smaller cities in NY,PA and Ohio I believe- back in the days when Mickey Ds was REAL picky about their locations...

We had a Carrolls here in MA back in the early 70's.As a matter of fact we still have one of the orange trays that they use to serve the food on.They were one of first places around this area that stayed open 24 hours.My hubby and I would make middle of the night trips to Carrols when I was pregnant with our daughter and had cravings for one of their cheeseburgers.

The final definitive spelling: CARROLS.... if you do a google search for 'carrols' one of the first links is to a Swedish Carrols fan site,complete with a picture of a real Cluburger..mmmm...can almost taste the sucker!

There were a number of Carrols resturants in the Binghamton, NY area. All of them are now Burger Kings. There was for some time a standing, <but abandoned> Carrol's in Cortland, NY. It was sort of nice just to see the place still standing. The Club Burger was definately light years better than the Big Mac. I have a collection of glasses that they were handing out back in the early 70's whenever you got a large size drink.

I hope you are referring to the classic Looney Tunes Pepsi series...which to me are the PERFECT glasses for milk,soda,etc....

I am indeed!!!!!

Actually there was at one time, two Carrols in Cortland. The first was on Groton ave. It stood vacant for years, then a Burger King was built next to it, and it was demolished to make way for a bank. My brother worked there briefly while in high school. He had the usual fast food stories, food pranks, rats at the dumpster, zit-faced-nazi-manager (or was that the McDonalds in Mill Valley California?).

My last memory of that Carrols was in 1976, out partying with a friend, he asked the time, and we rushed over to Carrols. It was closed when we got there, he went to the back door, and he came back with a warm sack full of burgers, and fries. His buddy was the manager, and these were the leftovers they were going to throw out. It was a nice break in a beer and herb infused night.

The second was on route 13. It died shortly after Mickey D built across the road. It became an Arby's and is now a carpet store.

Mickey D had the clown mascot, while Carrols had some kind of fuzzy worm. We called it the slug.

It was great to be reminded about Carrols. In the 70's when I was in high school I sold radio time for a local station. I picked up the Carrols account after meeting the local district rep. We ran contests each day for free meals of club burgers cheeseburgers coke and fries. He would give me boxes each with 1000 coupons for each item. I kept many of those coupons for myself and friends. We thought we put them out of business when they closed in Ct to become Burger King. I got so tired of the food went I went out with friends they would pay for my food at another restaurant so I would give them coupons for their meals. It was the best of times It was the worst of Diets.

Thanks everyone for sharing your memories about Carrols. The food was great and most of it was only .15. It is a shame the way good operations are forced to close their doors. Anyways, no one can rob us of the great memories as well as their mouth watering food. If anyone has any Carrols memorabilia that they would be interested in possibly selling, please drop me a note at fort1722@aol.com. Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by cooper

Does anyone remember the Carrolls restaurant chain in Central New York in the early 1960's. Great burgers and fries. I seem to remember that almost everything was 15 cents. Oh, for only the good old days.

I Remember Going To Carrolls In Guilderland Ny
Frday Nighs Were Made For Carrolls
Drive-In Movies, Walks Along The Beach
And Then Back To Carrolls For Late Night Munchies!

Here's A Poem For All Carroll Lovers!

Whenever I Wanted A Burger And Fries,
I Went To My Carrolls For A Big Surprise!
On My Fries I'd Always Use Alot Salt,
And Finish It Off With A Carrolls Chocalate Malt!

Carrolls Restaurant Was One For The Books,
They Had Great Food Made By Wonderful
Cooks!

When You Compare Carrolls To Other Places,
No Other Diner Put Smiles On So Many Faces!

A Question To ALL Carroll Fans!
Can Anyone Email Me A Picture Of Carrolls Restaurant!

Please EMail To
Carolinakelly@webtv.net

I was at boarding school in Exeter, NH, in the early 70's, and there was a Carroll's within walking distance. The burger wrappers were soaked in grease ("au jus"?) by the time you got the tray to your table and it was heaven.

Does anyone know how to make the Club Burger? I think the sauce is similar to the Big Mac. I'd like to experiment at home.

I remember the Carrols in Rutland and Burlington Vermont in the 1970s. The food was much better than Mickey D's and BK. What a shame it's gone.

Is anyone interested in bringing Carrols back? The trademarks ("Carrols" and "A serving a second") have been "abandoned" by Carrols Corp. and is there for the taking!

http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=rbp44c.4.5

quote:

Originally posted by Cosmos

Mickey D had the clown mascot, while Carrols had some kind of fuzzy worm. We called it the slug.

Originally posted by Cosmos

Mickey D had the clown mascot, while Carrols had some kind of fuzzy worm. We called it the slug.
[ they had a mascot dressed like a clown his name was hi riddle-diddle/quote]

i remember the club burger it came with a cardboard collar around it so it wouldn't fall apart

Basically, a clone of the big mac.

I remember going to a Carrolls in Geneva NY when I was a small kid in the late 60's early 70's. It was always kinda funny to me that McDonalds was supposedly such a smash hit, but here my family and I chose to eat at Carrolls which just happened to be RIGHT NEXT TO McDONALDS!! I too remember the wrappers,burgers,fries,and shakes of the great Carrolls. Wonderful Food! Wonderful time! Thanks for the memories!

quote:

Originally posted by okuma

I remember going to a Carrolls in Geneva NY when I was a small kid in the late 60's early 70's. It was always kinda funny to me that McDonalds was supposedly such a smash hit, but here my family and I chose to eat at Carrolls which just happened to be RIGHT NEXT TO McDONALDS!! I too remember the wrappers,burgers,fries,and shakes of the great Carrolls. Wonderful Food! Wonderful time! Thanks for the memories!

This is my first post--hi, everyone! *waves*

I very well remember the Carrol's in Geneva--I live in Seneca Falls and also frequented the one on Thompson Road in Syracuse while growing up. Mom and I would go there three or four times a week during the summer, which would probably get you cited for child abuse nowadays... Also, wasn't there at least one Carrol's Cinema(I'm almost positive seeing one in Erie Blvd. East as a kid)?

WOW! I didn't think that Carroll's was still a topi of discussion.
We had a Carroll's back home in Olean, NY. It was walking distance from my house. I believe the building is still there but is now used by the cutlery in town. It was an appliance store for many years before that. There was already a BK intown, so Carroll's was just closed down.
We also had a Carroll's Theater in town. They had a number of movie theaters around as well.

j

The last time I ate at a White Castle was about 30 years ago. The sliders ( w/chz ) were outstanding. In Wisconsin we don't have WC but we do have the Culver's which are good but way to big for me. Our Hardee's now have a "slammer" which is supposed to be like the Sliders, NOOOOOOO Way! they are charbaked dry, burnt on the edges and you have to poke them down with grampa's boot!

Frozen sliders are better, but not like the real thing.

If you ever get to Wisconsin, PLEASE go to the Wisconsin Dells and have a burger at Monk's on Main street. The best especially if you like it mooing like I do!

Happy Eating!

quote:

Originally posted by smittykins66

quote:

Originally posted by okuma

I remember going to a Carrolls in Geneva NY when I was a small kid in the late 60's early 70's. It was always kinda funny to me that McDonalds was supposedly such a smash hit, but here my family and I chose to eat at Carrolls which just happened to be RIGHT NEXT TO McDONALDS!! I too remember the wrappers,burgers,fries,and shakes of the great Carrolls. Wonderful Food! Wonderful time! Thanks for the memories!

This is my first post--hi, everyone! *waves*

I very well remember the Carrol's in Geneva--I live in Seneca Falls and also frequented the one on Thompson Road in Syracuse while growing up. Mom and I would go there three or four times a week during the summer, which would probably get you cited for child abuse nowadays... Also, wasn't there at least one Carrol's Cinema(I'm almost positive seeing one in Erie Blvd. East as a kid)?

Oh yeah....old Herbie Slotnick tried show biz for awhile too...They were the movie place in our area that showed all the cool 'midnight movies' on weekends- Rocky Horror,Reefer Madness,all the cool concert movies...

Oh,...Oh...the sauce...THE SAUCE. Well, it smelled great, it tasted great, it was a great color, and when ordered x-tra x-tra sauce on the Clubburgers,...wow....heaven. I can't believe that someone, ANYONE can't bring Caroll's back. Bring it back and happily watch Micky D's slide down the toilet. P.S. I knew someone who worked for Caroll's and he said the name of the special sauce was Crisbo Royal Sauce.

Wow, didn't know this thread existed.
Carrolls was great. There was one in Middletown, NY. Between my sr. yr of HS and fresh college I took summer classes at the local community college. I stopped at Carolls every day on the way home and often while out with friends etc.
Yea, Carrolls, in my memory was different. The sauce on the triple decker, the fish sandwich was real fish and tasty and yes, the cardboard collar around the triple decker.
It was my first experience with fast food burgers. Everything since has just not measured up.

Here's somethin' off the web that carrols lovers may not know or even care to know....Half of the ONLY surviving Carrol's Resteraunts, only located in Finland, not serve alcohol. Can't see how a screwdriver would go with a Clubburger.....

Living in Syracuse we used to go to the Carrol's on Salina St. in the Valley Plaza, and I believe the other one we used to go to was on Marshall St.

I think I remember a jingle that went something like this:

"Hamburgers, french fries and triple-thick shakes, at Carrol's you'll find food that always tastes great. You'll come back, you'll...come...back, Carrol's makes sure that you'll come back."

Was this Carrol's?

Hello!
I remember our family going to a Carrols on Western Avenue in Augusta, Maine (it's now a Burger King, by the way...). My folks had Club Burgers, my sister Darlene their fish sandwiches (whatever they're called), while I tried both their Crunchy Country Chicken (KFC's Extra Tasty Crispy is lots better...) and Roast Beef Hero. I also recall their orange/green logo sign and mascot character (a blonde boy with a tweed suit and Fedora hat).

So far, I have the names for the following food items—with their closest current-day equivalents):

Club Burger (=McD's Big Mac, BK Whopper)
Club Burger With Cheese
Big Burger (=McD's Quarter Pounder)
Crunchy Country Chicken (=KFC Extra Tasty Crispy, DoubleCrisp Fried Chicken, Roy Rogers Chicken, A&W Chicken)
Roast Beef Hero (=Arby's Market Fresh Roast Beef)

I need help to recall the names Carrols had for their remaining food items (even for desserts). Does anybody have any recipes for food items from the original Carrols menu?!

Thank You!

RB0012Hero

Hello, Sonjaab!



Could you remember what Carrols called their fish sandwiches?! My sister Darlene used to eat 'em.

Thank You!

RB0012Hero

Me thinks the fish sandwich at Carrolls was called the "Whaler".

Stanpepa...I used to ride my bike every day after school to carrol's in kingston, pa. I only lived a few blocks away. I used to scrape together any change I had for a burger; had to do it on the sly since my mom did not want me to spoil my appetite for dinner.This was around 1970. Then in high school(72-76) we used to hang out there friday nights after the football games; big place to see and be seen, mostly in the parking lot. Also, next door at the dairy queen.The food was very good...now it is a doctor's office, I believe. nostalgia, nostalgia.good memories. beth g

Beth...great memories!!!

I can't remember for sure when the Kingston Carrol's closed, but it was probably sometime around 75-76-77. The Burger King wasn't too far down the road (just south of Market Street, right?), so I'm sure that sped the whole process up. I recall being very upset!!!! And didn't like the BK very much at all---especially those lousy fish sandwiches!

Do you recall Stop and Go in Edwardsville? I have a vague memory of going with my uncle and grandmother before the 1972 flood (I was 3 or 4) and was fascinated by the car hop, drive-in carport menu. Also bonus points if you remember the mini-burger chain Top Spot (in Plains south of the hospital and in West Pittston where Antonio's pizza now is). They used to give kids free spinning tops. Didn't like their burgers as much as Carrol's, though.

Sorry, Stan, don't remember top spot or stop n go. One of my favorite restaurants is vic mar's in edwardsville, though. Great cole slaw, fries, steamed clams, and hardshell crabs, served on red plastic cafeteria trays with delcious melted butter.. also lobster tails. Live in Boston now but when I go home to visit my mom, who now lives in Forty Fort, we go to Vic Mars and Hottles for seafood. Boston has a different type of seafood,and I prefer the maryland source that Northeast PA restaurants use. Never got used to the belly clams. nice place to grow up; enjoy going back. do you still live in the area?beth

Beth, yes. Still live here---West Wyoming. I love the New England seafood, but I guess the grass is always greener! Just went up to Cape Ann and it was all terrific!!

Don't get to Hottle's enough, it's one of NEPA's better seafood places. Vic Mars is still pretty reliable too. And reasonable.

yes, I wish the sterns would review vic mars and hottles. it was really great to reminisce with you, stan. I also love the pizza in the area...it has a sweet sauce and nice crisp thin crust. we usually go to a place on zerby ave in edwardsville.sabatinis in wyoming is good too, no? In the boston area, most neighborhood places are the greek style pizza, a thicker crust with a texture i don't like. ah well, I guess the preferences for the food you got used to growing up with sticks with you. beth

I remember Carroll's very well when I was growing up. There was one on Rte 6 in Peekskill NY, and also one on Rte 9 in Wappingers Falls NY. Both have since become Burger Kings. Carols was FAR superior.

Hello, Kaczmark!

The Whaler was the original name of Burger King's fish sandwich; the counterpart at Carrols was the Fishamajig (I think)...

Does anyone have a recipe for the condiment (Crisbo Royale Sauce) that Carrols used in their flagship sandwich, the Club Burger? Would you know where to get those double-decker sesame-seed-topped hamburger buns?!

Did you remember having a Carrols Roast Beef Hero?!
Thank You!

RB0012Hero

quote:

Originally posted by ConeyIslandLou

quote:

Originally posted by smittykins66

quote:

Originally posted by okuma

I remember going to a Carrolls in Geneva NY when I was a small kid in the late 60's early 70's. It was always kinda funny to me that McDonalds was supposedly such a smash hit, but here my family and I chose to eat at Carrolls which just happened to be RIGHT NEXT TO McDONALDS!! I too remember the wrappers,burgers,fries,and shakes of the great Carrolls. Wonderful Food! Wonderful time! Thanks for the memories!

This is my first post--hi, everyone! *waves*

I very well remember the Carrol's in Geneva--I live in Seneca Falls and also frequented the one on Thompson Road in Syracuse while growing up. Mom and I would go there three or four times a week during the summer, which would probably get you cited for child abuse nowadays... Also, wasn't there at least one Carrol's Cinema(I'm almost positive seeing one in Erie Blvd. East as a kid)?

Oh yeah....old Herbie Slotnick tried show biz for awhile too...They were the movie place in our area that showed all the cool 'midnight movies' on weekends- Rocky Horror,Reefer Madness,all the cool concert movies...

The first Carrol's was on Rte 11 north of the Northern Lights Shopping Center (last I knew was an NTB) and then on Erie Blvd East next to the DeWitt drive-in. ( last was some boarded up restaurant with a green facade).
Slotnick started with the old Globe Theater on Kirkpatrick Street, later dubbed by us kids as "the hamburger warehouse."

Fishamajig was Friendly's.

Wasn't the Blvd store also once a Swenson's back in the early 80's?
Thanks for the pic of the Valley Plaza store. Does it still look like that? You'd think the orginal Carrol's designed buildings would all be gone by now.
Do you remember the school book covers they gave out with the WNDR jocks on them???

I worked at the Carrols in Peekskill back in the late 60's as a teen. I recall running out of their "Royal sausce" which we made ourself to replenish the supply, it was nothing but Mayo, ketchup and relish all mixed together. The fish sandwich was simply called a "fish filet". Club burgers were wrapped alone in gold colored foil prior to the introduction of the collars. There was also a grilled cheese sandwich on the menu -- a hamburger bun turned white side out with two slices of cheese between them and toasted on the grill.

Club burger assembly, two patties, lettuce, a sliced pickel or two, on slice of cheese, dehydrated onions, royal sausce. A bun, which was three pieces.

Hello, DonutBlue!
You worked at a Carrols... Club Burgers (like Big Macs at McD's and Whoppers at BK) are made in a sesame-seeded double-decker hamburger bun (that has a central roundel buffer piece that go in-between 2 hamburger patties). The Crisbo Royal Sauce (the official name of Carrols' special sauce for Club Burgers) is made of mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish blended together, but in what proportions?! Who distributes the double-decker buns?!
From the Club Burger picture I printed off from a Finnish fan site about Carrols/Hesburger, the assembly for Club Burgers goes like this: (1)bottom bun level, (2)onions and pickles, (3)bottom hamburger patty, (4)a small dob of C.R. Sauce, (5)central bun buffer level, (6)a small pad of lettuce, (7)a slice of American cheese, (8)top hamburger patty, (9)a slightly more generous dob of C.R. Sauce, and—finally—(10)the sesame-seeded bun top level.
Did you remember also doing the Roast Beef Heros? I had mine with just BBQ sauce and black pepper, but what went on a regularly loaded Roast Beef Hero? I remember Carrols selling Crispy Country Chicken, but was there ever a chicken sandwich (was it constructed like the burgers, or more like the Roast Beef Hero)?!
Carrols also had triple-thick shakes—in what flavors?!

Thank You!

RB0012Hero

Hello again!
I did some studying on Carrols at my local library recently. While going through microfilms of the (Daily) Kennebec Journal (my local newspaper), I came across an ad from Carrols that corrected the sketchy information I retained from years ago.

The menu at Carrols includes the following:
Hamburger
Double Hamburger
Cheeseburger
Double Cheeseburger
Club Burger (flagship item at Carrols)
Brute (later addition to menu--larger than Club Burger)
Sea Filet (fish sandwich at Carrols)
Roast Beef Hero (a favorite at Carrols--served in gray boxes)
Crispy Country Chicken (fried chicken served in red boxes)
Crispy Fench Fries
Sodas (Pepsi products--Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, 7up, Crush Orange, Hires Root Beer, Dr. Pepper, HiC)
Triple-Thick Shakes
Good Humor Ice Cream Novelty Bars

The fries were served in orange fry boxes with a white pinstripe near the bottom, a minilogo proper with CARROLS in white lettering alongside centered thereon, while the drinks (sodas and shakes) got served in white waxed cardboard cups with a green band along the top, that minilogo in proper colors with CARROLS in orange lettering along the center (front and back).

Décor: Carrols originally had that slanted drive-in diner look back during the 1950s and much of the 1960s (red/white pinstriped box diner with slanted roof, encased in glass, with 2 blue boomerang fins on the sides; the 1st sign was a teal boomerang design having an orange panel near its top--CARROLS was done in white cursive-like lettering).
The late 1960s brought about enclosing the ordering/dining area of those early buildings, and a new Art Deco sign (2 spires lit with orange neon holding 2 slim signs--CARROLS in black cursive-like lettering, and CLUB BURGERS in black block lettering).
As 1970 rolled around, Carrols introduced a new building style--a boxed rectangular restaurant design that got rid of the pinstripes and boomerang fins. Mainly done of brick and glass, it featured orange square backlit light panels and orange bumper panels lights along the top; enclosed entry/exit points installed at the front and along (at least) one side, and drive-thru service introduced. It sign got changed to a simple squarish design--white background with cursive-like lettering (CARROLS RESTAURANT in orange, HOME OF THE CLUB BURGER in teal). A backlit front panel got introduced--white with CARROLS in red cursive-like lettering.
Sometime into 1974, the whole building/sign décor of Carrols changed 1 more time--into the more modern era we all are familiar with. The building style from 1970 stayed pretty much the same, along with its trademark white globe ceiling lamps with red and orange; however, the official logo and front sign design drastically changed!! Gone were the old-style signs and the cursive-like lettering; in their place were a new logo/sign that's still used today as its official franchisor logo. An orange rounded square block with a light green teardrop perched at its top right corner, trimmed in white, with CARROLS done in more modern white sans serif lettering; a black bottom bar attached onto has RESTAURANT done in white Helvetica lettering. The front panel on the building also got updated--the red lettering for CARROLS also got updated to that same trademarked block lettring style as the logo sign.
Alas--staring in 1975--most of the original Carrols locations started being converted, from the orange-and-green teardrop of Carrols, to the shingled mansard-topped gold-and-red bun logo (and both cartoon and live grown-up versions of its familiar mascot) of Burger King. Gone were the Club Burgers, Sea Filets, and Roast Beef Heros--in their places arrived the well-known Whoppers, Whalers (the old name of BK's fish sandwich), Yambos (BK's once-carried ham-and-cheese sandwich), and even Hot Dogs (hey, BK once sold hot dogs [!!]).
The original, well-known Club Burger menu of Carrols went overseas.

Thank You!

RB0012Hero

...and it's in great shape, no frayed edges like those that used to be on my schoolbooks. The other twist to this is that I later went to work for that radio station.

Frehofers's delivered the buns daily, the shakes came in vanilla, choclate and strawberry. Portions of mayo and ketchup were more of a 50/50 portion and relish about 25 % if I recall right when we did it by hand, the royal sauce was delivered plastic gallon containers. Also, when I worked there the soda syrup's Pepsi,orange crush,root beer were all delivered and we filled the stainless containers with the syrup and they were hooked up to a compressed air system with soda water. Roast beef sandwichs were new and only a juice of some kind was placed on the hero sandwich before it was placed in the new toy - a micro-wave. A BBq sauce was available in packets. The fish filets were atlantic cod, ketchup was from heniz, mustard had been used earlier but dropped around 1970 on burgers. I started working there in 1969 for $1.65 hour, and stayed until 1971 when Uncle Sam came calling.

quote:

Originally posted by RB0012Hero

Hello, DonutBlue!
You worked at a Carrols... Club Burgers (like Big Macs at McD's and Whoppers at BK) are made in a sesame-seeded double-decker hamburger bun (that has a central roundel buffer piece that go in-between 2 hamburger patties). The Crisbo Royal Sauce (the official name of Carrols' special sauce for Club Burgers) is made of mayonnaise, ketchup, and relish blended together, but in what proportions?! Who distributes the double-decker buns?!
From the Club Burger picture I printed off from a Finnish fan site about Carrols/Hesburger, the assembly for Club Burgers goes like this: (1)bottom bun level, (2)onions and pickles, (3)bottom hamburger patty, (4)a small dob of C.R. Sauce, (5)central bun buffer level, (6)a small pad of lettuce, (7)a slice of American cheese, (8)top hamburger patty, (9)a slightly more generous dob of C.R. Sauce, and—finally—(10)the sesame-seeded bun top level.
Did you remember also doing the Roast Beef Heros? I had mine with just BBQ sauce and black pepper, but what went on a regularly loaded Roast Beef Hero? I remember Carrols selling Crispy Country Chicken, but was there ever a chicken sandwich (was it constructed like the burgers, or more like the Roast Beef Hero)?!
Carrols also had triple-thick shakes—in what flavors?!

Thank You!

RB0012Hero

Hello again!


Were the burgers at Carrols grilled or flame-broiled?

The shakes at Carrols (I think) came in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and coffee.

Thank You!

RB0012Hero

I worked for Carrolls in Kingston Ontario Canada from 1970 to 1972 - boy does this site bring back memories! The franchise was owned by a guy named Lorne Kirkby from Syracuse. He had 7 or 8 other ones, including one in Brockville, Canada. I think they were probably the only Carrolls in Canada (??). It was a real seat of the pants operation, the store manager ( a clown named Dick Pittman) didn't even own a car, used to borrow mine to make the deposits! My wallet fell out on the seat one time, Dick found it and started bouncing cheques with my I.D. !!!! My buddy "Dimeach" was the swing mgr., and we would sometimes pop back in at three in the morning, fire up the grill and eat. Those were the days my friend !

I grew up in Montgomery, NY; our house was on Rt. 17K. Since you had to travel to either Newburgh or Middletown to do any shopping, my mother used to often shop in the Newburgh area and we would always eat at Carrol's in Newburgh, right on Rt. 17K (near the old Lloyd's). My father worked at Stewart Air Base, and we'd visit him there and preferred eating at Carrol's to eating mess hall food! Does anyone else remember this particular Carrol's in Newburgh, NY?

Slotnick, started his first Carrols fast-food restaurant franchising it from the Tastee-Freez Company in 1961 after being rebuffed as a potential franchisee by McDonald's. Slotnick built nearly 50 Carrols restaurants across upstate New York (mostly near Syracuse) over the next four years. By 1968, Slotnick was able to purchase Carrols Chain from Tastee-Freez, the Chicago-based company that created the McDonald's clone in 1959. Slotnick also rolled his family's 148-theater chain into the new Carrols Development Corp. The company would later sell off the re-named Cinema National movie-theater chain, exiting the business by 1983. That year, Carrols changed its name to Carrols Corp. and later listed its stock on the New York Stock Exchange, moving from the American Stock Exchange.

Because Slotnick realized the burger wars would become a two-company fight, Carrols picked up the Burger King flag, converting its Carrols restaurants over to Burger Kings. By 1978, all the 120 Carrols restaurants had either converted to Burger Kings or closed. The ghost of one closed Carrols restaurant was visible for many years on State Street in Watertown. Another can still be found in Syracuse by those that can recognize their building styles. For many passers-by, the boarded-up restaurant in Watertown and the reused building in Syracuse are the only tangible proof Carrols had ever served up its premier "Club Burger," or are they?

The switch to Burger King wasn't the finish for Carrols hamburgers. Carrols fans could still cross the ocean to get the Finnish version of their favorite burgers. After the U.S. conversion to Burger King, the Carrols name still graced fast food restaurants in Finland and other Baltic countries. The Carrols brand survived until 2002, when rival Hesburger purchased the Finnish Carrols and converted the remaining restaurants to Hesburgers.

I am from Rochester, N.Y. and remember Carrols well. My sister worked at a Carrols in 1971-72, when she was a teenager. Boy, did we love Club Burgers. Always better than a Big Mac. We had a Carrols in our neighborhood in the suburbs, with the backlit orange tiles. After Carrols closed, they kept reusing those tiles in all different combinations. They added on to the building and made it into a small strip plaza, and to this day, they are still using those tiles, though they've repainted them since. There is another former Carrols in Rochester that also still has its tiles. For a picture of one of those Carrols, check out this picture from the Carrols Corp. Web site:http://www.carrols.com/html/history.htm. The Web site shows the newer version of the logo, which they apparently still use, with the orange and green and described earlier by RB0012Hero.

I remember the promotional items from Carrols, too. I'm sure there are still some Looney Toons and/or DC Super Heroes glasses at my Dad's house. I also remember (in keeping with the season) that Carrols handed out some of the Classics Illustrated comic books. I probably still have one somewhere. The promotion was called "Carrols Colossal Collection of Classic Comics for Christmas). I also have a small box which is in the design of the Old-style Carrols. It was probably the size of a happy meal, maybe it was used for one?
As for jingles, I remember this one: "When good food turns you on, turn into Carrols." There was a commercial I recall as well, with showgirls assembling an oversized Club Burger, with some lyrics like "First we take the buns and toast them right..." also mentioning their special sauce, etc. Can't really remember much more.

We used to also visit Carrols in the Buffalo area. I remember my uncle in Tonawanda lived right near one.

Of course we were all disappointed when Carrols disappeared. I like Burger King, but it is just not the same. I remember when I was in college in Buffalo and used to take the bus home on occasional weekends, the bus would stop in Batavia. There was still a Carrols there, with Club Burgers, perhaps in 1980! I still have a French Fry bag from there. Eventually it closed down too. I had heard that the last surviving Carrols was in Dewitt, N.Y., which makes sense since it is a suburb of Syracuse, home of Carrols Corp.

I remember in the 70's there was a Carrols in Newington,Ct. on the Berlin Tpke. They built it right next to Mc'Donalds. Great food, especially the Club Burger. Better than the BigMac. I forgot when it closed but I know it didn't turn into a BK. Today it's a consignment store. That picture on the Carrolls site brings back good memories.

A question unrelated to Carrolls;
I worked at Hardees on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington in 74, 75 (everything was on the tpke.) for $1.91 per hour. They had a steak sandwich which was on a long sesame seed roll with lettuce & dark steak sauce. EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT,EXCELLENT!

Does anybody remember it? What the steak sauce was? And where you might be able to get it today?

Thanks

How did this get revived after 2 years?

We all got a hankerin' for a Club Burger!!!!

Hello, We had a Carrolls on Rte.11 in North Syracuse, NY and it was just 2 blocks down from a Red Barn.It was always a treat to get fast food back in the late sixties and early seventies before their were so many burger joints around like today. I can remember as kids our parents got us a vinyl cover that fit over a standard card table that was a replica of a Carrolls restaurant.It was like our little clubhouse.Does anyone remember these,I wish i still had it ,I'm sure it would be worth quite a bit these days.Thanks!!

I grew up in Kingston, PA. I remember the Carrol's restaurant -- it was on Wyoming Ave, right across from the Borough Building at either Butler or James street.

The Club Burger was the best! It was a little like a Big Mac, but it had ketchup on it, and was way better. I had my first car accident in the Carrol's parking lot, when I 16 and was backing out of a parking spot.

My first job was at the Burger King that was further south on Wyoming Ave. Worked there all through high school and college.

I also remember the Top Spot in Wilkes Barre, used to go there when I was in nursing school at Wilkes Barre General, until the school closed in 1974.