56 Beloved American Restaurants That Have Closed Their Doors

The Erenstein brothers never planned on opening a fast-food restaurant chain, but in the end, it just made sense. They began their careers as meat suppliers. But when they noticed that one particular restaurant kept increasing meat orders, they decided to check it out. That restaurant was, of course, McDonald’s – and served as inspiration for the first Winky’s.

Since the Erenstein brothers could supply their own meat at their restaurant, they were destined for success by cutting out a middleman. They opened 42 locations in three states but eventually filed for bankruptcy in the early 1980s. However, the restaurant made a memorable comeback cameo in the iconic David Lynch film