These Iconic American Restaurant Chains No Longer Exist

Burger Chef was a prominent burger joint in the latter half of the 20th century, with over 1,000 locations at its peak. Its Big Shef burger made it seem like the Chef could compete against the clown and the king.

In 1982, its owners, General Foods Corporations, started selling Burger Chef restaurants to Hardee’s. In the next decade, Burger Chef restaurants became Hardee’s locations, with the last one closing in 1996. Hardee’s does occasionally bring back the Big Shef burger as a throwback, but that’s about it.