Then and now: Two Howard Johnson’s restaurants
in Falmouth, but not quite
by Roberta Cannon
As far back as I can remember, the Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Orleans was a landmark we passed almost every day on our way to the center of Orleans. It sat in the middle of the intersection of Route 28 and Route 6A and it couldn’t be missed with its big orange roof, turquoise blue shutters and white shingles.
The sign strategically placed on the roof and one in front of the restaurant advertised fried clams and 28 flavors of ice cream. The number of ice cream flavors was amazing to me as a child since I was used to only three: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Even the ice cream shop further down the road didn’t have 28 flavors, although I had my first black raspberry ice cream cone there.
The Orleans Howard Johnson’s opened in 1935 and was the first franchised restaurant for Howard Deering Johnson, also known as the Father of the Modern Restaurant Franchise. His friend, Reginald Heber Sprague, opened it on the Sprague estate. Eventually, there were Howard Johnson’s restaurants in Harwich, at the Bourne Rotary and East Main Street in Falmouth.
It was not an easy start for the first or second Howard Johnson’s in Falmouth. An allegedly stolen sign, a “he said, she said,” accusation, and a lawsuit compromised the business for more than a year.
The story begins with Katherine E. Rust, who owned Robbins Light restaurant on the corner of Scranton Avenue and Main Street. She and her husband originally managed a Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Medford before she bought Robbins Light in 1938. She had an agreement with Howard Johnson to use the company sign in front of her restaurant because she sold their ice cream and other products. But in December 1948, E.M. Loew of Boston, who also operated the Heights Casino, purchased the majority stock in Robbins Light, which had been incorporated. Mr. Loew assumed that since he owned the majority of the company, he also owned the Howard Johnson’s sign in front of the restaurant.
Down the street at the corner of Heights Road, Howard Johnson had purchased the Dutchland restaurant and was renovating it for the new Howard Johnson’s site. Since Robbins Light was no longer under the ownership of Ms. Rust, Howard Johnson decided to have that sign moved to the new location at the corner of Heights Road.
The ensuing actions over the sign were straight out of a Laurel and Hardy skit. The very large sign, which had to be moved with a crane, was in fact relocated between the two restaurants four times in four months. The Falmouth Enterprise called it a “peripatetic sign” (moves about). Mr. Loew, convinced that the sign was his, had the sign removed from the Heights corner and shipped it to Boston to be repainted. It was once again placed in front of the Robbins Light restaurant upon its return.
Howard Johnson had wasted no time getting an injunction when the sign was removed from Heights corner and Mr. Loew was ordered to take the newly painted sign down because he had violated the injunction. As of June 10, 1949, a case was pending in Barnstable Superior Court based on a complaint filed by Howard D. Johnson Company on June 1. Meanwhile, Howard Johnson continued to renovate the Dutchland restaurant and a posted sign announcing that a Howard Johnson ice cream bar and restaurant would be opening soon.
The plot thickens. The case finally went to trial in July 1949. Mr. Johnson testified that he gave Ms. Rust verbal permission to use the sign in front of her restaurant for approximately 10 years but he had not given permission to the Robbins Light Company. He said he had 250 restaurants bearing the Howard Johnson’s name but wasn’t sure if it was copyrighted. Mr. Johnson also said that Mr. Loew’s restaurant sold liquor and Howard Johnson’s does not typically sell liquor. During her court appearance, Ms. Rust testified that she never paid Howard Johnson or his company for the sign.
Judge Abraham E. Pinancki heard the arguments and requested that counsel submit their briefs and recommendations to him for findings. He was leaving for a trip to Martha’s Vineyard. He never returned to the bench because he died in October without having made any findings. The case would have to be re-tried. Until another court date, the injunction remained in effect preventing Mr. Loew from using the sign.
The case was finally settled on August 25, 1950. Judge Frank J. Murphy ruled in favor of Howard Johnson’s, stating that Mr. Loew had no right to the use of the sign or advertising the trade name of Howard Johnson’s at his premises.
The Howard Johnson’s restaurants in Falmouth, Bourne and Orleans all stayed in business for a number of years until the company began losing money in competition with fast food. According to “A History of Howard Johnson’s,” by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco, the company was sold by Howard Johnson’s son to the Imperial Group Limited of Great Britain in 1979, then Marriott Corporation in 1985.
By mid-1991, only 50 Howard Johnson’s restaurants owned by Marriott remained.
The Robbins Light restaurant changed names many times over the years but in 1974 was again under the umbrella of Howard Johnson’s as the Ground Round. The Howard Johnson’s restaurant at the Heights corner was rebuilt in 1965 and eventually closed in 1977. The company bought the property and leased it to Home Federal Savings and Loan for a branch office.
The Howard Johnson’s at the Bourne Rotary came under the ownership of the Marriott Family Restaurants in 1986 and was then leased to Bob’s Big Boy Family Restaurant in 1987 with an all you can eat breakfast buffet. IHOP opened in 1994 and after 20 years of business, closed its doors on October 19, 2014. Dunkin’ Donuts is now operating at the site.
Finally, the Howard Johnson’s in Orleans has turned over ownership a few times in the past several years. Adams Rib, the Fog Cutter, and the Coast restaurant have all tried their hand at the landmark property. Sadly, out of more than 1,000 Howard Johnson’s restaurants, there are only two left, one in Bangor, Maine and the other in Lake George, New York.
I miss the 28 flavors of ice cream with the heavy fat content that always tasted so good. And the Ipswich soft shell clam strips with tartar sauce and french fries can’t be beat. Ironically, the Howard Johnson’s at Heights corner was open for 28 years, equal to the number of ice cream flavors. The company gave us great food for many, many years and a little bit of drama in Falmouth as well.
But we will never forget the orange roof tops, turquoise blue shutters and white shingles, the delicious ice cream or the sweet, fried clams.
Originally published by The Falmouth Enterprise, Jan 29, 2016
The sign strategically placed on the roof and one in front of the restaurant advertised fried clams and 28 flavors of ice cream. The number of ice cream flavors was amazing to me as a child since I was used to only three: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Even the ice cream shop further down the road didn’t have 28 flavors, although I had my first black raspberry ice cream cone there.
The Orleans Howard Johnson’s opened in 1935 and was the first franchised restaurant for Howard Deering Johnson, also known as the Father of the Modern Restaurant Franchise. His friend, Reginald Heber Sprague, opened it on the Sprague estate. Eventually, there were Howard Johnson’s restaurants in Harwich, at the Bourne Rotary and East Main Street in Falmouth.
It was not an easy start for the first or second Howard Johnson’s in Falmouth. An allegedly stolen sign, a “he said, she said,” accusation, and a lawsuit compromised the business for more than a year.
The story begins with Katherine E. Rust, who owned Robbins Light restaurant on the corner of Scranton Avenue and Main Street. She and her husband originally managed a Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Medford before she bought Robbins Light in 1938. She had an agreement with Howard Johnson to use the company sign in front of her restaurant because she sold their ice cream and other products. But in December 1948, E.M. Loew of Boston, who also operated the Heights Casino, purchased the majority stock in Robbins Light, which had been incorporated. Mr. Loew assumed that since he owned the majority of the company, he also owned the Howard Johnson’s sign in front of the restaurant.
Down the street at the corner of Heights Road, Howard Johnson had purchased the Dutchland restaurant and was renovating it for the new Howard Johnson’s site. Since Robbins Light was no longer under the ownership of Ms. Rust, Howard Johnson decided to have that sign moved to the new location at the corner of Heights Road.
The ensuing actions over the sign were straight out of a Laurel and Hardy skit. The very large sign, which had to be moved with a crane, was in fact relocated between the two restaurants four times in four months. The Falmouth Enterprise called it a “peripatetic sign” (moves about). Mr. Loew, convinced that the sign was his, had the sign removed from the Heights corner and shipped it to Boston to be repainted. It was once again placed in front of the Robbins Light restaurant upon its return.
Howard Johnson had wasted no time getting an injunction when the sign was removed from Heights corner and Mr. Loew was ordered to take the newly painted sign down because he had violated the injunction. As of June 10, 1949, a case was pending in Barnstable Superior Court based on a complaint filed by Howard D. Johnson Company on June 1. Meanwhile, Howard Johnson continued to renovate the Dutchland restaurant and a posted sign announcing that a Howard Johnson ice cream bar and restaurant would be opening soon.
The plot thickens. The case finally went to trial in July 1949. Mr. Johnson testified that he gave Ms. Rust verbal permission to use the sign in front of her restaurant for approximately 10 years but he had not given permission to the Robbins Light Company. He said he had 250 restaurants bearing the Howard Johnson’s name but wasn’t sure if it was copyrighted. Mr. Johnson also said that Mr. Loew’s restaurant sold liquor and Howard Johnson’s does not typically sell liquor. During her court appearance, Ms. Rust testified that she never paid Howard Johnson or his company for the sign.
Judge Abraham E. Pinancki heard the arguments and requested that counsel submit their briefs and recommendations to him for findings. He was leaving for a trip to Martha’s Vineyard. He never returned to the bench because he died in October without having made any findings. The case would have to be re-tried. Until another court date, the injunction remained in effect preventing Mr. Loew from using the sign.
The case was finally settled on August 25, 1950. Judge Frank J. Murphy ruled in favor of Howard Johnson’s, stating that Mr. Loew had no right to the use of the sign or advertising the trade name of Howard Johnson’s at his premises.
The Howard Johnson’s restaurants in Falmouth, Bourne and Orleans all stayed in business for a number of years until the company began losing money in competition with fast food. According to “A History of Howard Johnson’s,” by Anthony Mitchell Sammarco, the company was sold by Howard Johnson’s son to the Imperial Group Limited of Great Britain in 1979, then Marriott Corporation in 1985.
By mid-1991, only 50 Howard Johnson’s restaurants owned by Marriott remained.
The Robbins Light restaurant changed names many times over the years but in 1974 was again under the umbrella of Howard Johnson’s as the Ground Round. The Howard Johnson’s restaurant at the Heights corner was rebuilt in 1965 and eventually closed in 1977. The company bought the property and leased it to Home Federal Savings and Loan for a branch office.
The Howard Johnson’s at the Bourne Rotary came under the ownership of the Marriott Family Restaurants in 1986 and was then leased to Bob’s Big Boy Family Restaurant in 1987 with an all you can eat breakfast buffet. IHOP opened in 1994 and after 20 years of business, closed its doors on October 19, 2014. Dunkin’ Donuts is now operating at the site.
Finally, the Howard Johnson’s in Orleans has turned over ownership a few times in the past several years. Adams Rib, the Fog Cutter, and the Coast restaurant have all tried their hand at the landmark property. Sadly, out of more than 1,000 Howard Johnson’s restaurants, there are only two left, one in Bangor, Maine and the other in Lake George, New York.
I miss the 28 flavors of ice cream with the heavy fat content that always tasted so good. And the Ipswich soft shell clam strips with tartar sauce and french fries can’t be beat. Ironically, the Howard Johnson’s at Heights corner was open for 28 years, equal to the number of ice cream flavors. The company gave us great food for many, many years and a little bit of drama in Falmouth as well.
But we will never forget the orange roof tops, turquoise blue shutters and white shingles, the delicious ice cream or the sweet, fried clams.
Originally published by The Falmouth Enterprise, Jan 29, 2016