Howard Johnson's

Howard Deering Johnson built a roadside-restaurant empire from a single Massachusetts soda fountain, and by mid-century its orange-roofed restaurants and motor lodges lined America's new highways. 'HoJo's' was famous for its '28 flavors' of ice cream, fried clams, and a dependable family menu for travelers. The interstate era that built the chain eventually passed it by; the restaurants dwindled for decades until the final one closed in 2022, though the Howard Johnson hotel brand lives on.