What ever happened to Shakeys Pizza?
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What ever happened to Shakeys Pizza?
I think they were mainly a West Coast chain. In the early days they had singers that came to the table, funny shaped balloons, mojo potatoes, a place where you could watch the pizzas be made and stained glass windows. Often, like Pizza Hut, they used a certain architectural prototype. Are there still any in existence? I remember as a kid they were up and down the West Coast. What happened?
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Suprising
Surprising they are all concentrated in the Southern California area (where I do recall seeing them) but everywhere else virtually wiped out. Thank goodness there is one in San Jose still but none north of there until you get to Washington. I wonder why they only have one (or two counting Wa and Idaho) in states they list and wonder if they had a strong presense in those far flung states too. Does anyone remember more of them in Bay Area? I remember them all over the northwest.
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A Shakey's opened here in Fresno about 3 years ago in an old Golden Corral buffet. They are still open, but I wonder how much of the business is coming from pizza and how much is coming from the buffet...
The original Shakey's location near Fresno State was torn down about 2 years ago. It was taken over by Round Table Pizza after Shakey's closed, but towards the end had become badly neglected and rather dumpy looking. (The weeds in the parking lot were a nice touch, giving an occupied building an "abandoned" look)
The original Shakey's location near Fresno State was torn down about 2 years ago. It was taken over by Round Table Pizza after Shakey's closed, but towards the end had become badly neglected and rather dumpy looking. (The weeds in the parking lot were a nice touch, giving an occupied building an "abandoned" look)
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Check out the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakey's_Pizza
When I was in junior high the school used to have fundraisers at the Alhambra restaurant. How I loved the mojo potatoes...
When I was in junior high the school used to have fundraisers at the Alhambra restaurant. How I loved the mojo potatoes...
The DC Grocery site has a couple of Shakey's pictures.
There were two in Richmond; at least one of the buildings is still standing and looks about the same, though it's now occupied by a contractor who's made some modifications for warehouse purposes. I had a teacher in summer school who moonlighted at Shakey's, playing the banjo. He got ticked off at me when I asked him if he had to wear a fake mustasche (his real mustasche was very blonde, and I hadn't noticed he had a real one).
There were two in Richmond; at least one of the buildings is still standing and looks about the same, though it's now occupied by a contractor who's made some modifications for warehouse purposes. I had a teacher in summer school who moonlighted at Shakey's, playing the banjo. He got ticked off at me when I asked him if he had to wear a fake mustasche (his real mustasche was very blonde, and I hadn't noticed he had a real one).
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I also forgot to mention that we had two of these in Reno and Sparks, NV up until about 2000. Both were longtime locations from the 60's and had the award of being the first pizza place in town.
The locations were interesting inside, but very run down. I don't think they had ever remodeled. They charged you extra for a take out box if you ordered take out or had leftover pizza, and the pizza wasn't all that good.
They both continued as independents after dropping the Shakey's brand, but eventually closed. Sparks was rebranded Chuck's Pizza, and Reno was rebranded Higgy's. Chuck's actually relocated to a larger, more modern facility a block or two away. Higgy's was demolished, not sure what the story was there.
The locations were interesting inside, but very run down. I don't think they had ever remodeled. They charged you extra for a take out box if you ordered take out or had leftover pizza, and the pizza wasn't all that good.
They both continued as independents after dropping the Shakey's brand, but eventually closed. Sparks was rebranded Chuck's Pizza, and Reno was rebranded Higgy's. Chuck's actually relocated to a larger, more modern facility a block or two away. Higgy's was demolished, not sure what the story was there.
Thought I had seen one in Milwaukee, and sure enough their web site shows me it's on National near hiway 100. There used to be quite a number in the small cities of Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The LaCrosse Shakey's was replaced by a Happy Joe's sometime in the early 70's; rumor persisted for years that it had something to do with dog food cans found in their kitchen.
Others, like in Fond du Lac and Columbia Heights, survived into the 90's but they were more popular for their Ponderosananza style buffet than for the pizza.
The LaCrosse Shakey's was replaced by a Happy Joe's sometime in the early 70's; rumor persisted for years that it had something to do with dog food cans found in their kitchen.
Others, like in Fond du Lac and Columbia Heights, survived into the 90's but they were more popular for their Ponderosananza style buffet than for the pizza.
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I have a history on my website that should explain everything you want to know.
http://www.99w.com/evilsam/ff/shakeys.htm
Long story short...They were acquired by Inno Pacific Holdings Corp in the 1980's when there were 400-plus locations and they ran it into the ground.
A couple of years ago, the biggest franchisee succeeded in buying the brand in hopes of turning it around. What's left of the existing franchise network has high hopes here.
There were 61 locations open last time I counted, almost all in California.
http://www.99w.com/evilsam/ff/shakeys.htm
Long story short...They were acquired by Inno Pacific Holdings Corp in the 1980's when there were 400-plus locations and they ran it into the ground.
A couple of years ago, the biggest franchisee succeeded in buying the brand in hopes of turning it around. What's left of the existing franchise network has high hopes here.
There were 61 locations open last time I counted, almost all in California.
Yesterday, a 61-year old man was convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of a Shakey's Pizza manager. The killing occured in Henrico County (suburban Richmond, VA).
The murder occurred on January 18, 1977 - 29 years ago. There was a cold DNA hit matching blood found at the murder scene with the DNA sample obtained from the murderer when he was arrested on a different charge in 2004.
Shakey's was gone from the Richmond area by about 1980 or so.
The murder occurred on January 18, 1977 - 29 years ago. There was a cold DNA hit matching blood found at the murder scene with the DNA sample obtained from the murderer when he was arrested on a different charge in 2004.
Shakey's was gone from the Richmond area by about 1980 or so.