I’ve been watching videos of Keith from The Try Guys, where he eats everything on the menu of a fast food chain, like Wendy’s. We no longer have Wendy’s in Malaysia, so it was nostalgic to see some of the items they serve. It got me thinking about some of the other fast food chains that were here before, but are now long gone. So without further ado:
White Castle
White Castle was founded in Wichita in 1928. It is known for its small, square burgers – called ‘sliders – which have been listed by Time as one of the world’s most influential burgers. I don’t recall but my parents brought me here once when I was little. The brand didn’t last very long in Malaysia, so by the time I was old enough to remember eating fast food, they were already gone.
Long John Silver’s
Back when I was younger, fast food was a luxury. My family was not well off, and my parents weren’t big fans of what they call ‘expensive junk’. Perhaps it’s because these moments are so few and far between that I recall eating at Long John Silver’s so vividly. This American seafood chain was named after the pirate character from Treasure Island. Their fish and chips might just be the reason why I’m still a big fan of the dish today.
Shakey’s Pizza
Shakey’s made its debut in the late 90s to early 2000s – there was an outlet at my neighbourhood mall in Puchong, and we dined there a couple of times. Unfortunately the brand was unable to compete with more popular chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut (both are still going strong today), and eventually shuttered. The last time I had Shakey’s was in Manila where I didn’t have the pizza, but their potato mojos.
Papa John’s
Another one that people my age might remember well is Papa John’s, an American pizza chain. Again, it did not survive too long and officially exited the Malaysian market in 2016. I was actually sad to see it go, as I really liked their cheese pizza, which was just plain pizza with different types of cheese. The crust was not as thick as Pizza Hut’s, but not as thin as Dominos.
Popeye’s
Popeye’s was one of my favourite places for fried chicken – whenever my friends and I hit up Sunway Pyramid , we would stop by Popeye’s for their crispy, juicy Louisiana-style fried chicken. Of course, you can’t miss the honey butter biscuits and mashed potato.
Wendy’s
Wendy’s was quite a recent exit, as Berjaya group did not renew their franchise last year. People laud them for their square-patty beef burgers, but personally, I prefer their fried chicken (no surprise!) . They had a shrimp burger on the menu once, which was excellent as well.
What are some of the nostalgic fast food chains in your country that have exited the market?
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