Beloved Restaurant Chain Ground Round to Return From the Dead

Wilder Shaw is a staff writer at Cheapism covering food, specializing in taste tests and fast food. He has over a decade of food-writing experience, and his work has appeared in Thrillist, The Washington Post, L.A. Taco, Time Out, and numerous other publications.

The Ground Round wall

The Ground Round wall by Nicholas Eckhart (CC BY-NC-SA)

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The Ground Round wall
The Ground Round wall by Nicholas Eckhart (CC BY-NC-SA)

Ground But Not Out

Nostalgia is a powerful thing and not all things that are gone stay buried. The once-hugely popular chain Ground Round was all but forgotten by many. But today? There are plans for a brand new opening.

The Ground Round restaurant entrance
The Ground Round restaurant entrance by Nicholas Eckhart (CC BY-NC-SA)

What Is Ground Round?

In 1969, Howard Johnson's opened up a bar and grill called the Ground Round in Massachusetts. It became hugely popular, and at its height, had over 200 locations.


Its casual, American, appeal-to-all style menu was a major influence on chain restaurants today, and is probably the reason restaurants like TGI Friday's and Chili's exist.

couple having amazing lunch and drink champagne at outdoor restaurant
Georgiy Datsenko/istockphoto

Who Is Bringing The Ground Round Back?

Here's something adorable: Married couple Nachi and Joseph Shea, who have never owned a restaurant before, have acquired the rights to Ground Round. After growing up with so many fond memories of the place, they're excited to bring a new one to life.

Ground Round Grand Forks North Dakota
KJ J. / Yelp

How Many Ground Round Locations Are Left?

Though 215 locations were running in the '80s when it was at its most popular, Ground Round dwindled down to only four independently-owned locations: three in North Dakota (Bismarck, Minot, and Grand Forks), and one in Perrysburg, Ohio.

Ground Round Elyria, OH
Ground Round Elyria, OH by Mike Kalasnik (CC BY-SA)

Where Will the New Ground Round Open?

The Sheas are expecting the fifth Ground Round to open some time in January in their hometown of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, where they originally fell in love with Ground Round.

Sweet Tomatoes Restaurant, Tigard, Oregon
hapabapa/istockphoto