#19: Shoney’s (1947)
Shoney’s was originally started as a Big Boy franchisee but became its own restaurant. The name comes from its founder, Alex Schoenbaum, who gave his last name a family-friendly feel. It operated under the Big Boy name for a while but soon became its own restaurant. At its peak, it had over 1,800 restaurants.
At the end of the 20th century, however, Shoney’s went on a massive decline. One reason was a class-action discrimination lawsuit alleging discrimination against black employees. This lawsuit cost Shoney’s over $132 million and hurt their reputation quite a bit. They’re still in business but have just 58 locations.