The Howard Johnson's All-You-Can-Eat Deal Boomers Might Remember - Tasting Table

"Some pinpoint HoJo's as the origin story of a lifelong love for fried foods. Howard Johnson's restaurants evolved from a soda fountain, eventually turning into beachfront food stands, before frying up clams and creating a recipe to tempt the masses in for a sit-down meal. The first restaurant opened in 1929 and pleased theater goers with plates priced at $1."

"All-you-can-eat fried claims were dished out in the late 1970s. Wednesdays and Fridays were designated days for the deal. Restaurants plated flounder and fried clams alongside french fries, hush puppies, and coleslaw for a discounted price. The bargain was listed at $2.99, and one child could eat free with every adult. "They were so great! I was a tiny girl, but I would eat three helpings of these," remembered a fan of the deal on Reddit."

"Howard Johnson's all-you-can-eat deals kept families coming back to the restaurants for more, and tables filled with clam strips, fried flounder fillets, hush puppies, coleslaw, pecan pie, and ice cream became a weekly highlight for many Americans. Diners remember grape soda to accompany these spreads. And some who worked at the restaurant recall that these all-you-can-eat specials were challenging shifts to manage. For many customers, however, HoJo's all-you-can-eat offerings have become lodged in collective memory."

Howard Johnson's began as a soda fountain and expanded into beachfront food stands, then sit-down restaurants serving fried clams. The first restaurant opened in 1929, offering theatergoers plates priced at $1. In the late 1970s the chain promoted all-you-can-eat fried seafood specials on Wednesdays and Fridays, listing bargains at $2.99 with one child free per paying adult. Menus commonly included flounder, clam strips, french fries, hush puppies, coleslaw, pecan pie, and ice cream, often paired with grape soda. Employees described those specials as challenging shifts to manage. Roadside restaurants closed, but the Howard Johnson's name continues in Wyndham hotels.

Read at Tasting Table