Iconic American Fast-Food Chains That No Longer Exist

2. Burger Chef

Year Founded: 1954
Number of Stores at Peak: 1,200
Last Store Closed: 1996

Do you remember the childhood excitement of getting a toy in your meal when your family ordered some fast food? You may not remember this, but the very first restaurant to include kids’ toys in their meals was the one and only Burger Chef. In fact, the chain even sued (unsuccessfully) McDonald’s once they started including toys in Happy Meals.

The American food chain started out in Indianapolis, Indiana serving hamburgers, fries and milkshakes. The peak of their life was during the 1970s. However, when the chain was sold in 1982, many stores started to close because they refused to change their brand.