Long John Silver's

[billokc]

This will probably sound like old news to some, or that I'm behind on what's happening, but I found out two days ago that LJS on NW Hiway between Meridian & MacArthur is gone. My dad says it's been that way for a while. Even the signs are gone. Was it bad customer service or just bad location, or what?

[Pete]

^ LJS has been closing stores all across the country.

They have not adapted well to tons of new competition in the restaurant business IMO.

[TheTravellers]

And that one in particular was crappy - ate there twice, and never again. Missing/sloppy condiments, super-greasy food, wrong orders, customer service was not great (not rude, but somewhere between that and indifferent). Never went back after that second chance, glad that location is gone.

[Bill Robertson]

It was remodeled outside a number of times since I first remember it which was the early seventies. But they never did hardly anything, maintenance included, to the inside. It was a dump. And you can’t be a dump with so many options on NW Expressway.

[Snowman]

And that one in particular was crappy - ate there twice, and never again. Missing/sloppy condiments, super-greasy food, wrong orders, customer service was not great (not rude, but somewhere between that and indifferent). Never went back after that second chance, glad that location is gone.

While LJS was always greasy, it seems in the last decade has been the worst at quality control of chains of size in the metro area

[soonerguru]

Is LJS part of the Pepsico axis of awful? Not impressed with any of their restaurant holdings. Man, when I was a kid Long John's was a special treat! Loved me some fish and chips and hushpuppies.

[Ward]

Anybody recall Captain D's seafood? I liked it quite well.

[mugofbeer]

There is still a Captain Ds in Aurora, CO but like in OKC, Long Johns are slowly closing.

[stile99]

Is it just individual LJS that are closing, or is it combo stores as well? If it is both, is it a majority one or the other? I'm wondering if having a second (or sometimes even third) menu is helping or hurting. I doubt YUM would ever tell us which percentage of their sales come from which side. All I know is since the LJS in Yukon remodeled to include an A&W, I haven't ordered Long John Silver's items. Come to think of it, I haven't even been there for A&W in some time since Cane's and Popeye's are right next to each other. I'm generally coming from Mustang, so I also have to pass DQ, Del Taco, Zaxby's, Chick Fil A, and a number of non-fast food places to get there.

[Pete]

I've mentioned this before but...

When I was a management consultant in L.A., I worked on a proposed merger between Arby's and LJS.

This was in the 90's and was one of the first passes in the industry at co-branding. The idea being that LJS did strong dinner business and Arby's was more of a lunch spot, so there would be synergy.

At the time, Arby's was owned by a hedge fund out of New York but was based in Fort Lauderdale. LJS was privately owned and their HQ was in Lexington, KY.

Talk about culture clash! All the LJS stores were company owned and nearly all the Arby's were franchises. LJS had an entire campus in Lexington complete with their own hotel and training facilities. They developed all their own systems in-house, including a proprietary point of sale system, had a large test kitchen and employee restaurant where you could try all their new products. They were desperately trying to gain traction with grilled items but that never really took hold.

Arby's HQ was little more than a couple of floors in an mid-rise office building.


Because both concepts required large, bulky equipment (meat slicers and deep-fryers) they had a hard time designing efficient retrofits for the 4,000+ combined locations.

In the end, Arby's backed out (they were the buyer) due to the insurmountable differences.

It was absolutely fascinating, although I was flying between California, Florida and Kentucky for months.

LJS ultimately went into bankrupcy, was bought by A&W which then sold to YUM and they are now based in Lousiville. About 5-6 years ago, YUM sold off both A&W and LJS, the latter to a group of franchisees.

They've really had difficulties for the last 30 years.


Not long after that deal fell apart, I had another asignment to out-source 1,000+ IT workers at K-Mart in suburban Detroit. That was another very interesting experience but traveling from SoCal to Troy, Michigan in the dead of winter pretty much drove me out of the consulting business.

[bucktalk]

I love hearing the 'behind the scene' stories like this. Very, very interesting!

I've mentioned this before but...

When I was a management consultant in L.A., I worked on a proposed merger between Arby's and LJS.

This was in the 90's and was one of the first passes in the industry at co-branding. The idea being that LJS did strong dinner business and Arby's was more of a lunch spot, so there would be synergy.

At the time, Arby's was owned by a hedge fund out of New York but was based in Fort Lauderdale. LJS was privately owned and their HQ was in Lexington, KY.

Talk about culture clash! All the LJS stores were company owned and nearly all the Arby's were franchises. LJS had an entire campus in Lexington complete with their own hotel and training facilities. They developed all their own systems in-house, including a proprietary point of sale system, had a large test kitchen and employee restaurant where you could try all their new products. They were desperately trying to gain traction with grilled items but that never really took hold.

Arby's HQ was little more than a couple of floors in an mid-rise office building.


Because both concepts required large, bulky equipment (meat slicers and deep-fryers) they had a hard time designing efficient retrofits for the 4,000+ combined locations.

In the end, Arby's backed out (they were the buyer) due to the insurmountable differences.

It was absolutely fascinating, although I was flying between California, Florida and Kentucky for months.

LJS ultimately went into bankrupcy, was bought by A&W which then sold to YUM and they are now based in Lousiville. About 5-6 years ago, YUM sold off both A&W and LJS, the latter to a group of franchisees.

They've really had difficulties for the last 30 years.


Not long after that deal fell apart, I had another asignment to out-source 1,000+ IT workers at K-Mart in suburban Detroit. That was another very interesting experience but traveling from SoCal to Troy, Michigan in the dead of winter pretty much drove me out of the consulting business.

[GoOKC1991]

They should also shut the LJS at 122 and Penn. That store is HORRIBLE!

[Ward]

I just remembered Grandys. My ex and I loved Grandys in the early 1990's. The food was good, the stores were clean and fresh, service was good too.

Now there are just a couple left in OKC. They are dark, dirty, dated, worn out, and the food and service is , well let's just be polite and say it's not good anymore.

[Lurker34]

There is still a Captain Ds in Aurora, CO but like in OKC, Long Johns are slowly closing.

Owasso still has a Captain D's

[Bunty]

Stillwater's LJS & AW combo doesn't appear to be doing well. If it closes, I won't be surprised. Don't think LJS was ever the same since adding AW years ago.

[Pete]

They've finally torn down the old LJS on NW Expressway.

Looks like there are 4 locations left in the OKC area:

NW 122nd & Penn
Western and I-240
Yukon
Del City

[Roger S]

There is still a LJS/A&W combo in Midwest City I believe... Is the one at 3000 S Ross (SW 29th and May area) gone?I'm guessing that they don't intend to rebuild the one in Moore.

[Roger S]

^^^And I see my formatting is being stripped again after the latest round of virus removal.

[Bunty]

To no surprise of my own, the LJS/A&W combo in Stillwater did close.

[BoulderSooner]

They've finally torn down the old LJS on NW Expressway.

Looks like there are 4 locations left in the OKC area:

NW 122nd & Penn
Western and I-240
Yukon
Del City

there is still one on douglas in midwest city combo LJS and A&W

[Jersey Boss]

There is also a Shawnee location operating.

[Roger S]

To no surprise of my own, the LJS/A&W combo in Stillwater did close.

The one in Ardmore closed too but it was pretty run down and I never saw anyone there. So doubt anyone even noticed it's gone there.

[Pete]

I literally can't remember the last time I ate at LJS's.

It may have been the 80's.

[Roger S]

I literally can't remember the last time I ate at LJS's.It may have been the 80's.

I get a craving for it about once a year.... Then after I give in to the craving I remember why I don't eat it... Not that I don't find it tasty but it makes me feel ill about 15 minutes after eating it.