Farewell, HOJO! After nearly 100 years as a mainstay in American culture, it’s finally time to say goodbye.
If you’ve ever devoured a Clam Roll, a Patty Melt, a malted milkshake, or pineapple whip sundae, you were probably at Howard Johnson’s. You always knew you could get homestyle New England classics: their signature clam strips, all beef hot dog, wedge salad, grilled cheese or even a simple PB&J. Dinner included mid-century American supper mainstays: Meatloaf, Roast Turkey or Grilled Beef Liver & Onions plus oceanic delicacies like Fried Coconut Shrimp.
Then there was dessert. Cheesecake, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Spoon Cake. A weary traveler always knew a hot pot of coffee was just a mug away and the pies were fresh. The iconic 28 flavors of ice cream from our perspective were pretty amazing too. Hot fudge sundaes topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry were our go-to dessert as children. Adults opted for the chocolate cake with mint chocolate chip ice cream or the Peach Melba.
It was clean, friendly and simple good food. And from dining out today you wouldn’t believe the reasonable prices.
People say timing is the key to success. And in this case, the road to franchise success was highways. The construction of the national highway system in the 1950s and subsequent flush of family vacations by car meant that Howard Johnson’s had a built-in customer base, and it was substantial.
But let’s go back to 1935 when the first Howard Johnson’s opened. Johnson was a savvy businessman and he had two secrets that enabled him to establish 130 restaurants in only 6 years.
How did he do it?
Born in 1897, Howard Johnson never had above an 8th grade education. He left school to work for his father’s cigar store and manufacturing company in Massachusetts. He served in World War I and upon returning he borrowed $2500 to open a small soda fountain and drug store in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1925. He sold magazines, cigars, newspapers and ice cream in three flavors from a marble soda fountain.
The Howard D. Johnson Co. shop and newsstand was immediately successful, and if you’ve seen It’s A Wonderful Life you can picture the busy shop with both children and adults enjoying the soda fountain, buying sundries, and picking up needed medicines. But this was different: a new kind of ice cream unlike any other.
Johnson found that adding more butterfat to the ice cream made it more rich and creamy and thus more desirable, so he doubled the butterfat then used this as a base, adding natural flavors to create his signature 28 flavors. Some say the recipe came from his mother and others say it came from a German immigrant. Either way it was a massive hit. Flavors included exotics like butter pecan, coconut, peanut brittle, peppermint, banana, chocolate chip, frozen pudding, fruit salad, burgundy cherry and pineapple.
In the summers of the late 1920s he opened concession stands near the beach and began selling his ice cream there. He opened his first concession in 1926 on Wollaston Beach and paid $300 for a 22-foot stand. That summer he sold $60,000 in ice cream cones, with 14,000 sold on one Sunday alone. The “28 flavors” would carry through to his restaurant chain and become the backbone of his restaurant business.
Johnson opened his first restaurant in 1929 and true to his New England roots, he offered chicken pot pies, roast turkey, baked beans, baked mac and cheese and steaks and pork chops. The clam rolls and clam strips came from his Massachusetts heritage and became a menu staple. The menu had daily lunch specials and he created special children’s menus that are now standard fare in the industry. His motto was to create “a landmark for hungry Americans.”
It wasn’t until 1935 that he opened his first franchise, but within the next five years 130 franchises had opened in New England.
Johnson could never have done this without two rules. First, he used his experience to write an operations ‘bible,’ with strict regulations and detailed instructions on how to run the kitchen and the restaurant. The trials and errors he made in his first restaurant helped him steer the ship in the right direction.
Second, he created centralized kitchens which produced, froze and distributed food to the franchises, ensuring that the quality and preparation of the food was consistent at each location.
These management techniques were way ahead of their time. These concepts changed the entire restaurant industry. These disciplines dictate production at every fast casual and quick service restaurant (QSR, or more commonly known as fast food) in operation today. Today’s limited service restaurants, more recently renamed “fast casual” – places like Chilis, Dickeys, Applebee’s, Panera and most of the franchises you see along the roads – also use this method for their franchises.
In the 1960s, HOJO's served more meals outside the home than any company or group except the U.S. Army. Howard Johnson’s popularity peaked in the 1970s with over 1000 restaurants, then began a slow decline over the next twenty years. Marriott bought the company in 1979 and shuttered all company owned restaurants and the chain and its trademarks and properties are now owned and rebranded by Wyndham Worldwide. The last true independent Howard Johnson's restaurant had struggled for several years and finally closed this month forever.
For over 100 years, the Simple Simon weather vane, trademark blue cupola and sloping orange tile roof signaled Americans on the highways to stop by to eat and stay. Those of us who have eaten in a Howard Johnson’s during its heyday know what family meals on the road can look like. Let's be realistic: it wasn't the Palm, but fresh hot food, cold drinks, homemade desserts, a friendly staff – the idea lives on, at least in our hearts.
What made Howard Johnson’s successful was its accessibility and detailed operations. What made it unique was its East coast inspired menu, delicious ice cream and friendly atmosphere. What made Howard Johnson a food pioneer was his brilliant management skills. In the process, he pioneered menu development, franchise management and branding that created a roadmap for the American food franchise that lives still today.