Chains that you didn't know where chains at first

[roundball]

Reading the chain restaurant made me think about all of the places that I used to think were unique, single-location restaurants, but later discovered were chains. Growing up in small town Iowa and going to school in Ames, there were plenty for me:

-Jimmy John's
-Pita Pit
-Breugger's Bagels
-Pizza Pit

What about you? Did it break your heart when you learned that certain places were chains? Did you ever get into embarrassing situations like bragging up how good your local Jimmy John's is to some out-of-towners?

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

Pita Pit is a good one. The only one I ever saw was in Ames.
Leeann Chin in Minnesota.

 

[cowgirl836]

Pizza Pit.

 

[Incyte]

Yeah I though Jimmy Johns's was a quaint Ames-only sub-shop circa 1998.

 

[ISUKyro]

Steak & Shakes
Pappas Seafood, BBQ, etc
Chuy's

 

[CRAZYGREG]

Gumbys

 

[3TrueFans]

I'll add Happy Joe's and Valentino's.

 

[stormchaser2014]

Culver's believe or not.

 

[urb1]

Pizza Pit is news to me.
Magiano's (ate there many times in Chicago and never knew it was a chain)

When I was at ISU, Pizza Pit was the worst pizza in Ames. It is any better these days?

 

[3TrueFans]

Pizza Pit is news to me.
Magiano's (ate there many times in Chicago and never knew it was a chain)

When I was at ISU, Pizza Pit was the worst pizza in Ames. It is any better these days?

It's somewhere in the middle, I mean Pizza Hut is still a thing so it could never be worst, but it's damn hard to beat a pizza and some inferno wings.

 

[roundball]

I'll add Happy Joe's and Valentino's.

That's one that I discovered to be a chain when I moved to Ames. It was always the highlight of trips to Sioux Falls, and I felt a little cheated when I learned they were in other places.

 

[alarson]

Im just learning from this thread that Pizza Pit is a chain. Though the one in ames looks like it was one of the originals that opened in 1969. Wonder what the story with that is, given most of their locations since have been in Wisconsin (not sure when the Iowa City one opened)

 

[HFCS]

Did anyone else think this was going to be a philosophical question where the answers would be something like "material possessions" or "failing relationships"?

 

[ISUCubswin]

1. I've been to two Pita Pits outside of Ames and they blew the Ames one out of the water. And I liked the Ames one.

2. El Az Teca (I think there's one in Ankeny?) (Does that qualify as a chain)

3. Wallabeye's (Maybe?) I heard there was one in Ankeny before as well.

 

[dcxme1183]

Yeah I though Jimmy Johns's was a quaint Ames-only sub-shop circa 1998.

If I recall, back in '98 there was even a sign in there soliciting franchisees.

 

[ThurgoodMarshal]

Gumbys

I didn't know this for the longest time. I got into an arguement one tme with an Iowa grad because we both thought Gumby's was unique to Ames/IC, respectively.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I didn't realize Pizza Pit was a chain when I was in school. Why the hell is there even one of them. Yuck.

Same with Pita Pit. I mean, I didn't know it was a chain at the time.

I was also surprised that B-Bops wasn't/isn't more of a chain. I mean, it's central Iowa and that's it, right?

 

[cyclones500]

Did anyone else think this was going to be a philosophical question where the answers would be something like "material possessions" or "failing relationships"?

I didn't interpret it that way, but I'd be open to seeing a spin-off thread of that nature.

 

[cyrocksmypants]

What qualifies as a chain? Do two stores qualify? What if they're owned by the same person?

 

[cyclones500]

How many branches does Pizza Pit have? It can't be very large.