In Orleans where Route 28 and Route 6A meet once stood the very first franchised restaurant, a name that became a part of American history throughout much of the 20th century. There he would begin his journey toward nationwide recognition by adding butterfat to his homemade ice cream, coupling that with higher quality ingredients. The ice cream became a huge hit. This was followed by grilled hot dogs and fried clams at the store bringing in droves of customers. Johnson then opened an ice cream stand in on Wollaston Beach next to a home he was leasing for the summer.
Legend has it Johnson sold as many as 14, cones in a single day at his stand. However the Stock Market Crash in October curbed any growth of the restaurant and nearly put Johnson out of business. Johnson survived and in the coming years would take a chance on a new idea, that being franchising. In Johnson had the desire to open a new restaurant in Orleans on a tract of land owned by Eugene Sprague. By Mike Miller. Howard Johnson's restaurants and motels were at one time located in many Florida towns and cities.
None of the restaurants remain today and the few motels that still operate are owned by Wyndham Hotels. In the s and s there were more than 1, Howard Johnson's restaurants in the United States.
For many Americans, a trip to HoJo's was a treat for Sunday dinner or maybe an ice cream cone during a family drive. When I wanted to visit and treat him to lunch or dinner somewhere, I didn't have to ask where he wanted to go. Howard Deering Johnson started a small pharmacy in Massachusetts and installed a soda fountain in the store. Upon arrival, LaRock was dismayed to find that both the power and gas were out. Fifteen minutes later, they came back to life, allowing him to reset the gas valves and light all the stoves.
The building began to hum. There are usually six or seven cooks in the summer, but in the winter, LaRock is the only one in the kitchen. I get to meet a lot of people. When I asked how old he was, after several scoffs, he admitted to being in his early fifties, though according to public records, he just turned LaRock started cracking eggs and mixing pancake batter as other employees arrived and set up the dining room, wiping down tables and setting up jams and jellies.
By , the pancakes were cooked. Eggs came out soon after, followed by bacon, sausage, and fruit. Wrapped in tin foil, everything slid in under the intense light of the heat lamps above the salad bar, which, surrounded by red booths and turquoise walls, sits in the middle of a dingy, vaguely mid-century modern dining room. Thirty minutes later, the first bus rolled in. The passengers, who had left Montreal in the wee hours of the morning, were famished.
They filed in, grazed around the buffet, and spoke softly to each other in French. LaRock, who does not speak a lick of it, bustled from table to table, refilling drinks and making small talk. After the buses pulled out of the parking lot and continued on toward the city, he began to walk around the place, imagining what it would look like in a perfect world, a route I imagine he walks daily.
He has big ideas and big plans, and the vision is always on his mind. Nearly every conversation we had turned to what LaRock would do if only there was a little more money to go around. First restaurant took my children too as so family orientated and appreciated.
My one daughter always got their spaghetti and the other a grilled cheese and eventually, when older, the friend clam dinner too. Ice cream after was the treat of the visit to top it off! Shall miss the touch of America and memories of a really good home town restaurant.
When friends and family came to visit they often stayed at the motel. We stayed in a Howard Johnson in Illinois on our wedding night in We had a dinner of fried clams—my very favorite. Only in Boston while visiting my son have I had better fried clams. Enjoyed the story which to me back to my very first restaurant job. It was the summer of and I worked at HoJos in Battle Creek, Michigan bussing tables and washing dishes until school started in the fall.
Miss those blueberry corn toasties. On ski trips out West, we would do the same. As a kid, I had some procedures performed at the Northwest hospital in Arlington Heights , Illinois that involved fasting.
They were very popular, and I can attest to the fact that they were very good. In my opinion, better than the big- name ones today. These two Kavanagh brothers established their business in , using a family recipe from Ireland.
I used to go to the one in Weymouth until it closed. I ran down to HoJos to get out of the rain but had the last burger and fries that I would ever eat at this great institution. They were literally gray! So many years of those great clam rolls and sometimes dinners, marred by the disappointing experience.
I remember driving by the same restaurant a few years later. But now they are all history. Biting into my first one, I got a mouthful of——belly. Imagine the face on a 7-yr-old not knowing what to do with a mouthful of goosh.
Yes, I totally remember the choclate pops with white chocolate pictures- my sister and I would spend too much time in line deciding which one we destroy in 5 seconds. ANd the milk chocolate was the best. Boston, Hingham Ma. Red Coach Grill was awesome. Anyone remember the clown sundaes.
They had a nice one in Cambridge too. Great family memories. My mouth waters still for the quart of bellied fried clams I used to buy at the Chestnut Hill, Mass. The quart of clams cost 90 cents and I ate them all myself! I just loved them. I hated to see that H. It feels like we must have stopped there every time we took a trip to one of the neighboring New England states.
I wish we could have them back. As a child, shopping in Uniontown, PA and stopping in Hopwood, PA for hamburgers on those buttery buns and butter pecan ice cream. Then with my daughter for Clam Strips on those delicious New England buttery hot dog buns, French fries and Clam Chowder … it was so yummy. I feel a kinship with all the lovers of HJ, we have a nostalgic love for the food and those days.
Mine was ginger ice cream and clam strips at HJ in Weymouth, but Sunday drives with Dad and Mom were not complete with out a stop for ice cream.
Ninety now and lots of great memories, buying our German Shepherd pistachio ice cream at aHJ near Swanzey NH, their hot dogs were an acquired taste. It was part of our childhood. When I was a little boy, they had a chopper pad in the back. I remember my Dad used it to go to Logan in less than 20 minutes.
When did we start to fear color this much. I grew up in Wollaston, MA. My mother was the papergirl for Howard Johnson when he opened the original store on Beale St.
I believe there is a plaque of somekind in the area. When I was in college I worked at Pemberton and among my duties I had to clean the ceramic orange tiles. Just wanted to add to the dialogue. Ken Thomas. Very informative. I heard he started across from Wollaston beach. I remember the restaurant in Quincy Square. Thrilled to have found a place near Concord. NH, that serves very similar fried clams. Also missed my friend.
God Bless. How could we afford gas, admission, and then Lobstaah Rolls with Coffee Frappes as highschool kids back then? New England Mag wont let me insert the links for convenience. We ordered the whole ones. I may have introduced South Americans to Boston baked beans. Sitting at the counter I ordered a pot of baked beans and a couple of hot dogs. As I waited for my order the seats next to me became occupied by three traveling South American diplomats who expressed huge interest in my baked bean order when the pot arrived.
I offered tastes and they dug into the pot eagerly with spoons from their counter settings. It was obvious to me that they became hooked on Boston baked beans forever.
Several HoJo experiences: 1 my hometown Springfield, Pa. Loved it! Oh, for the good old days. In the summer of , between high school graduation and the beginning of nursing school, I worked at the Howard Johnson in Springfield, PA. It was my first real adult job, and I loved working there. Marks, the manager was great, and the cooks and waitresses were a joy to work with. Great memories. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! We use to go to any and all Howard Johnsons in Massachusetts.
My mother enjoyed Mapel Walnut ice cream. It makes me really sad to see this important icon of another time disappear.
Farewell old friend. My sister worked there also.. I was soooo happy!! Graduated to behind the counter to serve 10 cent coffee.. Graduated to cashier and ice cream server and then on to waitress for several more wonderful years.. Saved enough money to buy my horse…and car…. Thanks for the memories!!!! My family also ate at the Brattleboro, Vt location from until it closed. Every night from Riverside cabins we would go back and eat ice cream!
Ate there every night and fond memories. Miss those fried clams! Thanks for the memories! I too have fond memories od HOJO. It was so good. This was in Rochester, NY. Of course it is gone now.
I will cherish those times forever. We got hooked excuse the pun! Often think of trying to recreate it at home! Fond memories of Howard Johnson dinners. No matter what I ate, I always had room for a hot fudge sundae for dessert!
It was called Dutchland and they had their own dairy farm. However, if i remember my reading, Howard Johnson could use the colors but were not allowed to use the Dutchland windmill. History is fascinating.
Growing up, we spent summers camping in Buzzards Bay, Ma and naturally loved ice cream. Our parents, plus others at the campground would give us money to go for ice cream in the afternoon. Great memories, great ice cream. I grew up in Concord, Ma. English muffins with orange marmalade and an OJ. As I got older, the fare turned to clam strip dinners, or French toast and coffee for breakfast.
It was also a local hangout in my high school years. What fantastic memories! We grew up in Gardner, Ma off rt Clam strips were the fave! It was a treat for me which we repeated many times. Hard work but educating and FUN! Pete Beach. When I worked there so did my aunt , my cousin ,sister in law and a future sister in law. My favorites were of course the class and the Indian pudding with a little scoop of van. Ice cream.
I am Northern Maine, Houlton to be exact and have always gone back to Maine yearly while my Mother was alive. I will miss the facility when I return to visit other family members. Try finding that flavor today!!
The restaurant in No. Dartmouth, MA was a favorite place to meet friends. Grateful for the memories. Grandparents took us there my favorite was Chicken Croquettes,and Peppermint stick ice cream. So many good memories. They also had later on a place off Oak Street Brockton Ma were they made the food for the freezer.
Could smell it cooking yummy. HJ your missed. Oh, my gosh, I am so surprised to see this article and I loved it. I worked at the Canton store, as they referred to it, near the Blue Hills and also at the beautiful one, with the gorgeous sunporch in Orleans on the Cape. Great times!! Great fun!! In Canton we had a fabulous boss, Mr. Peter Toli. The president?? I even still have a HoJo charm on my teenage charm bracelet.
So very many memories and all good. Love both their clams and the bellied ones elsewhere. Always enjoyed the work atmosphere and the way the company was run. Thanks for this great, fun for me, article. Not many are aware that Jacques Pepin, the famous French chef, worked for Howard Johnson and they were great friends.
He helped Johnson with improving the mass production of his foods as the restaurant chain grew. What a surprise. It is located on RT 20 near Bradley Airport. I ate there about tow weeks ago. We would also go to the H. Remember those? After it closed, the restaurant became The Elephant Bar. I remember that the restaurant part where you could sit and eat was on the left side of the soda fountain. Lived Somerset PA and both Somerset and Bedford PA had How Johnsons on both sides of the PA Pike and we would park behind the one near Somerset one and walk in the back door and eat all of the time That is where I grew to love the clams, etc Forget this I think Somerset had a tunnel underneath the Pike also between the two or maybe Bedford Had a family friend in Somerset who worked at the Esso gas on thePike knew everyone there.
It was the mid-sixties and some of my classmates also worked there. Ours was more of a local restaurant, many of our guests were from the neighborhood and we got to know them well. That summer was the busiest summer I ever spent, working Sunday mornings alone, covering the dining room but it was the most fun, families coming in after church for breakfast.
They were the best! I started there in when I was 21 years old. I really enjoyed it. I still remember the Hostess, Mrs. Lauwers, she was such a nice woman. I remember the strict dress code.. No nail polish, unless it was clear.. My favorite item was the Corn Bread! I absolutely Loved that corn bread. Whenever I took a break, I would go for a piece of that.
I was waitress 2…lol I worked the Breakfast shift for a little while, the Corral and 2 Booths to the side..
I asked for afternoon shift because I had a child at home.. I made really good tips on afternoons.. I got the Banquet Room often, and wow.. Alot of good memories working there.. We moved away in so left the area. We were packed all the time.
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