A Forgotten Restaurant Chain Returned After 2 Decades, Powered By Nostalgia

Almost everyone has nostalgia for a favorite chain restaurant from years ago that has disappeared, but few people have experienced a beloved old staple returning from the dead. Most failed restaurant chains burn brightly for a few decades, fade into irrelevance, and then go out of business completely, either because of changing tastes, poor management, or tough competition from new entrants. Some, like fish and chips spot Arthur Treacher's, manage to hold on as small regional or even local chains, just shadows of their former selves. The Ground Round, on the other hand, is hoping to pull off what few old chains have: total resurrection.

People under the age of 30 probably have little to no memory of the Ground Round, but it was a pioneer in the casual dining industry, and once had hundreds of locations nationwide. However, a bankruptcy in 2004 led to a rapid decline for the chain, which dwindled to only a couple of dozen locations by the early 2010s, and as few as four when the brand was purchased by new owners in 2024.

Even so, those new owners have their own nostalgic memories of the Ground Round, and think enough other people have the same feelings to make the chain successful again. The people who bought the Ground Round are actually a married couple, Joseph and Nachi Shea. The chain had fallen on such hard times that they were able to purchase the branding rights to it without any investors or personal fortunes. The couple opened the first new Ground Round in years in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, in 2025, the same town where the chain first launched all the way back in 1969.

The Ground Round was originally founded by diner chain Howard Johnson's as a sister restaurant, but took on a life of its own after a series of acquisitions in the '80s. It had a menu of classic American comfort food staples, with its namesake dish being a ground beef steak served as a sandwich or platter. It was also considered a very family-friendly place, with cartoons playing on TVs, a clown mascot, and bottomless peanuts, which eventually transitioned to popcorn. And while the "new" Ground Round has updated its menu, the Sheas are hoping to hold onto that old-school appeal as well.

The menu now has some appealing modern dishes, including fried cauliflower and a noodle stir-fry, but the owners also brought back old favorites like the chain's baby back ribs and a blackened chicken pasta. Of course, there is the signature ground round burger, and freshly-popped popcorn as well. The decor is inspired by the chain's old look as well, including a carousel horse. And admirably in this age of rapid overexpansion, the Sheas say they are focused on making the Shrewsbury location as good as possible before even thinking about franchising or adding new locations.

So far, the nostalgia play and the emphasis on family-friendly eating at decent prices have been working out. Local fans of the old Ground Round have been showing up, and even gifting the new restaurant with keepsakes like old menus and employee manuals from the Ground Round's glory days. But if the new owners stay true to their vision, there might be a second golden age on the horizon for the Ground Round as well.