6 Restaurant Chains We Wish Would Come Back to Kentucky

I have good memories of national or regional restaurant chains from my childhood that no longer exist, with one exception, and we'll get to that shortly. In the meantime, let's dive in.

Morrison's Cafeteria

The anchor restaurant in the now-defunct Towne Square Mall, Morrison's Cafeteria, became part of the Friday night routine for my family. Dinner and shopping. Those were the days.

By 1998, though, rival Picadilly Cafeterias, a chain whose name I'd never heard before, bought out Morrison's.

Today, the chain's imprint can be found at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. Upon its demise as a sit-down establishment, Morrison's split into three different firms--one of them being Morrison Healthcare, which provides food service for hospitals.

Chi-Chi's Is Back After a 20-Year Absence

Well, here's one restaurant on this list that isn't quite as "gone" as it was when I first wrote this story.

Chi-Chi's disappeared from the U.S. restaurant landscape in 2004, ending a run that had included more than 200 locations around the country. But in October 2025, the familiar Mexican restaurant chain officially returned when a new Chi-Chi's opened in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

The comeback is being led by Michael McDermott, whose father, Marno McDermott, co-founded Chi-Chi's in the 1970s. And yes, some of the old favorites came back with it. The new menu includes chimichangas, seafood enchiladas, nachos grande and, of course, fried ice cream.

For now, though, Kentuckians hoping for a Chi-Chi's reunion will need to take a road trip. The revived chain currently has its restaurant in Minnesota, with plans for additional locations.

So maybe we shouldn't call this one "gone forever" just yet.

Kenny Rogers' Roasters

I'm a fool for roasted chicken, and nobody did it better than Kenny Rogers' Roasters. Those sides were mighty special, too. I can't find an old menu, but I do remember a spectacular pasta salad and corn muffins that would bring a tear to your eye. Here's an old commercial from 30 years ago.

In 1998, the beloved chain filed for bankruptcy and eventually disappeared from the U.S. altogether. Today, if you want that juicy roasted chicken or those unparalleled corn muffins, you'll have to fly to Asia, where Kenny Rogers' Roasters still thrives.

Burger Queen or Druther's

There was a Burger Queen at the end of our street when I was a kid. We were there all the time and never once considered the oddity of a fast food chain serving hamburgers, fish sandwiches, and chicken dinners. I actually wondered why more chains didn't do the same thing.

In 1981, Burger Queen--which had its beginnings in 1956 in Winter Haven, Florida--became Druther's. The menu remained the same, but the name changed, and for this reason, according to DruthersSystems.com:

There was also a new mascot--Andy Dandytale.

In the context of this story, Druther's should come with an asterisk; while it's long gone from Owensboro, there is still one left and thriving. It's in Campbellsville, Kentucky.

Burger Chef

There were two locations of Burger Chef in my hometown of Owensboro, but I honestly don't remember visiting them. We probably did, but maybe it wasn't my favorite. Additionally, I'm not sure it separated itself very much from the already-established, more popular burger chains.

The Red Barn

Finally, we have one of the first fast food restaurants, in my memory, that featured family-style offerings. The Red Barn also had a salad bar (a somewhat common fast-food feature, at one time), as you'll see in this old ad featuring a then-unknown Loni Anderson.

I remember the Barnbuster, which was likely their version of the Big Mac. I also remember Hamburger Hungry, Big Fish Hungry, and Chicken Hungry. They were the chain's mascots.

Of all the ones we've covered, I probably miss Kenny Rogers' Roasters the most because, in my opinion, it had the best food of any restaurant on this list, hands down.