The '80s Chain That Went Bankrupt Before Americans Were Ready For Healthy Fast Food

It's not exactly a struggle anymore to swing through a fast food drive-thru on the way home and find healthy alternatives. There are Chick-fil-A's grilled chicken nuggets and Wendy's apple pecan salad, among other low-carb fast food options that won't ruin your diet, but these options weren't always as readily available as they are today. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a fast food chain named D'Lites took over the industry with healthy fast food options (which was unheard of at the time), but unfortunately, the bold idea didn't even make it to its 10th anniversary.

Opened in 1978 in Norcross, Georgia, D'Lites was the premier fast food chain for burgers made with extra lean ground beef, low calorie options, salad bars, soup made from fresh ingredients, baked potatoes (which taste better in restaurants than at home), and a whole slew of other health-conscious food options. It was inspired by the workout craze of the era, which had customers showing up in shiny leotards and tube socks, was meant to fill a void in the fast food industry, and became a rather interesting addition to the top food trends for every decade of the last 100 years. As bigger fast food chains hopped on the nutrition bandwagon and some customers lost interest in healthy eating, D'Lites lost its momentum and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1986.

D'Lites was founded by Doug Sheley, an Iowa native with experience as a successful Wendy's franchise owner. When D'Lites opened its doors, the restaurant was a hit, expanding quickly to over 100 locations in 19 states by 1983 with plans for even further expansion. Sheley opened up the business for franchise opportunities, which caught the attention of famous football stars Joe Montana and Herschel Walker. He operated on a belief that loyalty to franchisees and employees was an important aspect of business, which contributed to D'Lites reaching sales beyond Wendy's, McDonald's, and Burger King alike.

In 1984, Sheley took the company public, which led to a board of directors making company decisions as opposed to Shely alone. The board struggled to agree on business decisions, and coupled with the rise in healthy options from competing fast food restaurants, D'Lites was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Plus, as one franchisee told a Floridian newspaper, "What we found was people really don't care that much about nutrition" (via AOL). This sentiment was echoed by a Redditor who agreed that "it sounds like it was way ahead of its time." When D'Lites filed for bankruptcy, many locations closed down, but the remaining few were purchased and rebranded as Hardees. Today, the only whispers of the once-popular D'Lites exist in old Facebook groups where employees and customers alike reminisce on the chain's unique offerings.