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A-Frame Chains & Other Eateries (page 2)

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The Pup 'n' Taco chain was established in Pasadena, CA in 1965. The majority of the restaurants were in Southern California. The chain folded in 1984 when Taco Bell purchased its 99 locations. Three locations in Albuquerque and one in Los Angeles survived and went by the name of Pop 'n' Taco. However, these locations have all closed. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

former Pup 'n' Taco
Albuquerque, NM
2012:
2017: 2024:
This former Pup 'n' Taco in Albuquerque housed Piggy's Hot Dogs & Hamburgers when these photos were taken. The building housed the La Hacienda Express in 2008. By 2014, the building was housing Speedway Subs & More. By 2015, it was housing Blunt Bros. Coffee. In 2023, it began housing Federico's Mexican Food. [map]

former Pup 'n' Taco [gone]
Albuquerque, NM
This former Pup 'n' Taco was still operating as a Pop 'n' Taco in 2009. It closed around 2011 and has been vacant since then. These photos are from 2012. The building was still vacant and the sign was still there in 2014. However, in 2015, it was announced that the building would be demolished and replaced with a bank. The building and sign were still there in 2016. In 2017, the building had been demolished but the sign was still there. The sign was gone by 2018.

former Pup 'n' Taco
Los Angeles, CA		 former Pup 'n' Taco
Los Angeles, CA		 former Pup 'n' Taco
Westminster, CA
The first former Pup 'n' Taco shown above has housed El Compita since around 2008. [map]

The second former Pup 'n' Taco shown above housed King Burger & Carryout when this photo was taken in 2013. By 2015, the building was housing Philly Steak House. By 2016, the building was housing Pizza 7. By 2018, it was housing Grilled Fraiche. [map]

The former Pup 'n' Taco in Westminster has housed an Original Tommy's since at least the 1980s. [map]

former Pup 'n' Taco
Reseda, CA
This former Pup 'n' Taco housed Home Plate Burgers and Fatburger in recent years. The building had been vacant since at least 2014. In 2017, it began housing 102 Smog Check Center. The building appears to be vacant now. For more, see this website. [map]

GD Burgers
La Puente, CA
The GD Burgers building was built in 1965. It looks a bit like a Mister Swiss. However, the roof slopes too dramatically in back for that. Does anyone know what this building housed originally? [map]

Mr. Ed's Liquor Store
Pico Rivera, CA		 Lucky Star Chinese
Wilmington, CA
Mr. Ed's Liquor Store was probably always a liquor store but I'll include it here anyway. The building was constructed in 1962. Does anyone know what the original tenant of this building was? [map]

The Lucky Star Chinese restaurant appears to be from the 1960s. Does anyone know what this building housed originally? [map]

Cedar Market
Fresno, CA		 T&M Pizza
Coolidge, AZ
The Cedar Market previously housed Kim's Food Market. Earlier, it housed a Subway restaurant. I've been told that this was previously a Kentucky Fried Chicken. If so, that was most likely not the original tenant. Does anyone know more about this building? [map]

This T&M Pizza building doesn't match up with any other A-frame fast food places that I'm familiar with. Mr. Swiss and Griff's buildings did not have spider legs. The building is too small to have been built as a Heap Big Beef or IHOP. It's not a Tastee-Freez design. I'm told that there was originally a BK Root Beer here in the late 1950s. However, BK did not build A-frames. This building must have been constructed after the BK. Although there is a repurposed Dairy Queen sign here, this building was not built as a DQ. Dairy Queen only built A-frames in Florida and they did not have legs. I have also heard that there was a Frog's restaurant here at some point. Does anyone know what business built this A-Frame? [map]

Thai Food Store & Gifts
Altus, OK
The Thai Food Store & Gifts has occupied this building since at least 2008. I don't know what was here originally. I'm assuming that it was a restaurant. [map]

Rocket Restaurant
Pontiac, MI
It appears from the design of the building and sign that this Rocket Restaurant was originally a Winky's, a chain established in 1962 in the Pittsburgh area. However, I believe the locations were only in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The chain went bankrupt in 1982. Does anyone know if this was always known as the Rocket Restaurant or if there were other locations like this? [map]

Two repurposed Winky's signs survive in Pittsburgh, PA and Ellwood City, PA. A remaining Winky's building in Weirton, WV was remodeled beyond recognition in 2012.

Other A-Frame Chains
Tom Boy Family Restaurants

More A-Frames
(page 1)		 Chip's Der
Wienerschnitzel		 Foxy's, Lodge Coffee Shops
& Hyatt Coffee Shoppes		 Golden Point
Griff's
Burger Bar		 International
House of Pancakes		 Mister Swiss Village Inn
Pizza Parlor		 Whataburger Woody's
Smorgasburger

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