"While strolling down 14th Street in Washington D.C., you reach building 3218, and there it is: the newly-launched Hot Shoppes. This humble stand sells tamales, chili con carne, coffee, and A&W Root Beer. The stand was run by the husband-wife duo, J. Willard and Alice Marriott, and was so successful that, by 1960, it expanded to 70 restaurants across seven states."
"One of Marriott's five core values is particularly telling: the company vows to welcome change,"and it's certainly upheld its side of the bargain. Have you heard about its Cancun hotel bar, where you can try more than 150 margarita flavors? Or the rooftop with a Texas-shaped lazy river, a definite contender for the best pool bars in the US? Marriott has a reputation for pushing the boundaries; still, it's mind-blowing to think that a root beer stand paved its way."
"It dabbled in airline catering in 1937, shifted to hotels in 1957, and opened a fast-food chain with Roy Rogers in 1968; something had to be left in the dust. Unfortunately for Hot Shoppes, the culinary landscape was also changing at this time. In 1940, McDonald's launched it's first restaurant in San Bernardino, California, which is now an unofficial museum that you can visit. By 1952, KFC had fought the odds to open a franchise in Salt Lake City, Utah."
Starting in 1927 as a root beer and tamale stand on 14th Street in Washington D.C., Hot Shoppes expanded under J. Willard and Alice Marriott into a regional restaurant chain by 1960, offering items like the "Mighty Mo" double-decker hamburger and diverse meal boxes. The company diversified into airline catering in 1937, entered the hotel business in 1957, and launched a fast-food venture with Roy Rogers in 1968. Marriott embraced change, experimenting with novel hotel features and amenities. Growing competition from fast-food chains such as McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, and Subway contributed to Hot Shoppes' decline.
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