Grand Rapids

Hot Sam Pretzels was a fast food??franchise that first opened in Detroit's Livonia Mall in 1966. With franchised locations also found mostly in shopping malls, it was bought by Mrs. Fields, off of cookies, in 1995 and merged with Pretzel Time. Hot Sam is...

Sandy's was a hamburger chain founded in Peoria, Illinois in 1956 by four businessmen who originally planned to open a McDonald's franchise. After a disagreement with McDonald's head Ray Kroc, the four men struck out on their own, naming their burger joint Sandy's. The...

If you didn't have MTV in the early to mid '80s, or even if you did, you were parked in front of the TV to watch??Friday Night Videos??on NBC after??The Tonight Show.

Camelot was a chain of mall-based record stores founded in 1956 in Massillon, Ohio. At its peak, it operated over 450 stores in 37 states. In 1998 it was acquired by rival Trans World operators of Record Town among other chains. Most surviving locations...

Standard Oil of Ohio operated gas station's in its home state under the Sohio name. In the surrounding states of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan, the stations were called Boron.?? ??

"Hey Man, is that Freedom Rock?" "Yeah, Man." "Well, turn it up, Man!!!"

Burger Chef was a fast-food hamburger chain that started in Indianapolis in 1958. At its peak in the mid 1970s, it was second only to McDonald's in the number of nationwide locations. The chain even made inroads into Canada. In 1982, the chain was sold...

The International Record Syndicate, or I.R.S. Records, was a label founded by Miles Copeland (brother of The Police's Stewart Copeland) and Jay Boberg. A division of A&M Records, its roster included some of the most important new wave acts of the '80s including R.E.M.,...

Curling dates back to 16th century Scotland. It is popular in many Northern countries, particularly Canada where it was introduced in the 19th century. The game involves players sliding stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is...

ShowBiz Pizza Place was a pizza restaurant and video game arcade chain??in the '80s and early '90s. It was founded by Robert L. Brock, a Holiday Inn franchisee, who had ended his partnership with the owners of Chuck E. Cheese. In addition to pizza, ShowBiz featured...

There have been some exciting games, moments, and triumphs in the history of USA hockey.

Who knows better than a skunk that smoking stinks?

Woodsy Owl first appeared in 1971 and asked Americans to take better care of the environment by disposing of trash properly. This updated version debuted in the early 1990s and helped inspire a new generation to give a hoot.

Crispy golden fries in two minutes was the promise made by MicroMagic, a line of frozen foods that appeared in the late '80s. "Give 'em MicroMagic now," went the jingle.

Burger Chef was a fast-food hamburger chain that started in Indianapolis in 1958. At its peak in the mid 1970s, it was second only to McDonald's in the number of nationwide locations. In the late '70s, animated spokespersons Burger Chef and Jeff were introduced....

Red Barn was founded in 1961 in Dayton. The chain, which served hamburgers and fish in addition to fried chicken, grew to over 400 locations in 19 states before shutting down in 1986.

Former neighborhood troublemaker, and some time loan shark, Kelly Leak became a star outfielder for the Bears.

Chico's Bail Bonds lets freedom ring! They also sponsor a winning little league team.

Tom & Chee is crafty.

Tom & Chee is not your mama's grilled cheese.