Orange Roofs by the Highway; a Look at Howard Johnson's Restaurants and Early Motor Lodges
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Many people remember when Simple Simon met the pieman on a sign by the road, and knew that the Hojo was a place to eat, and, sometimes, stay. Alan G. Wasenius brings back those days in a slideshow
Great memories and sadness. We first would visit the West Springfield, MA HoJos in the 50s until they built one on Rt 5 in Holyoke, MA, less than 100 yards from our house around 1960. We ALWAYS had some HoJos coffee ice cream in the freezer. It was simply a significant part of my life.
Howard Johnson's was my very first job when I was 17, I was a Dairy Bar girl 🍦, several years later down the road, I worked in the Motor Lodge, A-Frame Lodge Lobby. I have the Fondest Memories; I thank you so very much for posting this and keeping that orange roof alive 😊❤️ best wishes,Patti.
What wonderful memories staying at a deluxe Howard Johnson Motor Lodge with beautiful swimming pools, numerous vending machines on each floor, cathedral ceilings on the second floor units and special TV and lighting buttons located on the night stand by your bed - you did not have to leave your bed to turn off the lights. And this was in the 60's and 70's before the "Jetsons and NASA." How advanced for its day !!!!! Plus the slick designed restaurnats were Roadside Diamonds with 3-D Burgers
As a geographer I say bravo.
Loved the Friday Night Fish and Clam Fry, all you could eat special. Also the Coffee when I drove truck on the Pa turnpike. And the Dog and beans and many more wonderful meals I ate at them. And of Course the Ice Cream was world Class.
We stayed at many a HoJo's on our family road trips--loved the clam strips, dreamcicles, ice cream puffs---swimming pools with slides---wonderful memories!
I grew up in Quincy and remember the hotdog and it's delicious grilled buttered top-split roll and it's oversized frankfurt and macaroni and cheese and the best mint chocolate chip icecream that ever lived! :-( wish i could visit my childhood for this alone!
IIRC, there were two HoJo's in Scituate, Mass., where I spent part of my childhood and young adulthood. One, a restaurant on Rt. 3A south of Greenbush village; and two, an ice cream parlor on Front St. in Scituate Harbor.
Thanks for the wonderful visit to my childhood. My father would frequently take us to a HoJo's in nanuet, ny where we had those great icecream sodas, coconut cake, and many other yums. I remember the excitement I felt any time we went here -- good things inside. Wish I could say the same about today's restaurants. I wish they had chains like this now I would definitely go there.
Great job Alan and thanks! I believe HoJos can make a resurgence if given a chance and if managed correctly! The Hojos in Waterbury was profitable, but Kushner alienated the owners and they changed the name!
That would be cool! I think a Howard Johnson's Museum and Cafe would be work!
The Howard Johnson's Restaurant in Paramus NJ lasted until about 1995. It's now a Hooters. The Motel held on as a HoJo's until the early 2000's and is now a LaQuinta. I never went there much as a kid despite living a mile or so away, but went there a lot in the early 90s - the food was OK and not too pricey. The restaurant counter/soda fountain had a wall mirror on the back wall that listed all 28 flavors. I miss the place.
Thanks. Brought back many memories.
Interesting piece of United States history. Thanks for the video!
Logged some serious time drinking coffee and sometimes having breakfast at the HoJo's in Niantic, Connecticut back in the 70s. The chain was some popular, especially in New England, that it wasn't uncommon to have 3 or 4 located in one town.
Remember going to the NJ from SW PA in the 1970s and stopping at the Howard Johnsons at the rest stops. Always remember the wintergreen candy and vending machine in the bathroom where you could purchase little games for the road.
This is terrific, Alan...thanks!
I enjoyed the wintergreen candy, toy vending machines in the bathrooms and their ice cream while travelling on the Pennsylvania turnpike.
Good fun video. And I have many fond memories of Tendersweet fried clams, the 3D Burger, chicken croquettes, cone-shaped ice cream scoops hanging on the rim of an ice cream soda, grilled-in-butter Frankforts (as opposed to "Frankfurts") with the unique toasted and split "New England" bun, clam chowder.....sigh
Chip12414 Wow, you're right! I forgot about the hot dogs!
Howard Johnson's was the place I ate at every Sunday. Jo was our waitress. Great family atmosphere. Miss H J.
i could eat some of their old clam now