56 Beloved American Restaurants That Have Closed Their Doors

The first Geri’s Hamburgers was opened in 1962 by a man who was fittingly the former VP of another burger chain you might have heard of, McDonald’s. Even with the inside knowledge of running a fast-food restaurant, Geri’s business plan first focused on take-out — not sit-down dining. Eventually, that changed, and seating areas were incorporated, but it was too little too late.

It’s estimated that the number of Geri’s Hamburgers restaurants reached as many as a baker’s dozen, with almost half (6) of those restaurants being found in either half of its locations split between Madison, Wisconsin, and Rockford, Illinois. The last Geri’s Hamburgers was in Deloit, Wisconsin. It closed in 1999.