Nostalgia tends to create false expectations. People remember something really fondly and when they go back to it, it’s never quite the same.
That could be true with a movie you loved in your childhood or a favorite book. It certainly can apply to people, because sometimes behavior that was once charming does not age very well.
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Many of the things we remember fondly from our childhood would not be as good now if they still existed. TV dinners, for example, were an absolute treat when I was a child.
In my teen years, microwave meals and snacks were something we felt excited about. And everyone liked Jiffy Pop, the popcorn you popped over your stove.
Now, as an adult, you might still enjoy some of those things, but do so more ironically. No person above a certain age eats Chef Boyardee if they don’t have to, but most of us asked for it as children.
Sometimes, something from our past is often best left in the past because your memories are better than the reality. That has not stopped a number of different owners from reviving classic restaurant brands.
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One of those, Friendly’s, never truly went away, but it’s being revived. It’s hard to imagine how that chain’s folksy take on a classic ice cream counter will play in the modern age.
Another chain with similarly deep New England roots has made its grand return.
More traditional sports bars took a lot of Ground Round’s business.
Image source: Shutterstock
Ground Round survived Chapter 11 bankruptcy
In the ’80s and ’90s, Ground Round was a place where kids wanted to have their birthday parties. The chain offered peanuts on the table, and you could throw your shells on the floor.
In later years, peanuts became popcorn, but throughout its history, Ground Round also served ice cream sundaes in plastic baseball hats.
Kids loved the chain, but so did mom and dad. It had an approachable menu that was sort of a New England take on a sports bar.
Steak tips were ubiquitous, and this was one of the first chains that brought mainstream attention to appetizers such as potato skins.
That seems silly now, but there was a time where many staples today weren’t really a thing yet. (This was also a time where kids with allergies were isolated and made to feel bad.)
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Ground Round also had a famous promotion where kids paid their weight. That kind of promo would not work now for very obvious reasons, but in the ’80s and ’90s, we didn’t really know that we weren’t supposed to shame our kids.
The chain first filed for bankruptcy in 2004 and while it survived the process, it faltered again about a decade later and slowly dwindled to four locations.
At its peak, Ground Round had over 200 locations, with most of them being company-owned.
Welcome back, Ground Round
Joseph and Nachi Shea purchased the rights to the chain’s name and just opened their first location in their native Shrewsbury, Ma. That returns Ground Round to its home state, but it’s a somewhat changed chain.
“The reimagined and reinvented Ground Round successfully honors its legacy while catering to a modern dining experience. It’s a place where you can relive fond childhood memories while savoring a thoughtfully prepared, high-quality meal. It’s not just a comeback; it’s a revival, a testament to the enduring appeal of good food, good company, and the comforting embrace of nostalgia, now served with an elevated twist. The warm, inviting atmosphere encourages gatherings, laughter, and the kind of unpretentious camaraderie that defined the original,” the chain shared on its website.
Its new owners expect to open more locations if the first new Ground Round does well, according to media reports.
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The Sheas own the brand and its intellectual property.
In addition to their locations, restaurants using the Ground Round name include three in North Dakota and one in Ohio.
Those are now considered licensed units by the new owners, who say they have no plans to sell franchises, but admitted that could change.
