A History of Howard Johnson's: How a Massachusetts Soda Fountain Became an American Icon (American Palate)

I grew up next to a Howard Johnson's in Fort Lee NJ 1950's. Great memories.. the best thing about this book-- it has all the recipes!!!! Miss the chicken croquettes & clam strips! Best pistachio & maple walnut ice cream in the world!!

Lots of interesting material on this very popular restaurant chain of my youth. HoJo's and Dunkin' Donuts both originated in Quincy, MA, my home town, and, now in California, I miss both of them. I hadn't realized that HoJo's was the originator of the "franchise" model of chain restaurants.I especially enjoyed the pictures and the recipes, as well as the ancillary historical material, such as the part that Eugene O'Neill's play, "Strange Interlude", played in the early success of Howard Johnson's enterprise. That being said, the book could have been more carefully written. It is quite repetitious. I also discovered that much of the material about Eugene O'Neill's play moving from Boston, where it was banned, to Quincy was repeated word for word from a Boston Globe article, without attribution, a bad practice if one wants to be taken as a serious historian.

This book is packed with information about the history of Howard Johnsons. I only wish that it had more photos.

Good basic dates and facts retelling but not much in the way of the people, upas and downs and connections. Also repetitive in some parts. History is a story of the people involved this was a recounting for a timeline with the passion of the founder mostly removed and no explanation of why things happened or their real impact on the humans involved.

A fascinating look into the extraordinary mind and life of one of America's greatest entrepreneurs, Howard Johnson. He had the vision and ability to create a chain of restaurants that has become an American dynasty. He was a man that truly loved people and people loved him.

Too much unnecessary information about where various folks lived. I was expecting more about the nuts and bolts of the operation, I.e. The operation and evolution of the various production and distribution facilities , how they evolved, how they operated and the issues which led to HoJo's becoming the first major restaurant chain.Still, all in all, the work is a sincere-appearing attempt to document an important parts of a American roadside history which had largely passed from the scene.

I was excited that someone had finally written a history of Howard Johnson's, and was eager to order a copy. I had hoped for something truly comprehensive and reflective of this legendary company, utilizing many interesting and informative first-person accounts, and including facts and insights not previously published. Unfortunately, I found the book superficial and, ultimately, very disappointing. I also think it was poorly edited, with sections of redundant information, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes.

Great history of the founder and his life; good history of the chain with some of its most famous recipes.