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Sambo's Restaurant Locations in California

Posted: 25 Dec 2005 12:38
by romleys
Does anybody no the towns and hopefully the addresses of any former Sambo's restaurants (preferably w/ googie architecture).
Thanks, & Merry Christmas
Charles H.

Re: Sambo's Restaurant Locations in California

Posted: 25 Dec 2005 16:32
by GreenFalcon
romleys wrote:Does anybody no the towns and hopefully the addresses of any former Sambo's restaurants (preferably w/ googie architecture).
No exact address, but there was one on Center JSO Weber here in Stockton.

Posted: 26 Dec 2005 01:02
by jamcool
The first Sambo's was built in Santa Barbara...and has outlived the chain it started

http://www.santabarbara.com/dining/a_st ... efault.asp

The name Sambo's actually was a combo of the first names of the founders...Sam and Bo. We all know about the "little black Sambo" controversy that led to the chain's ill-fated rebrand to "Season's" - yet the chain's mascots were a little Asian Indian boy and a tiger (not native to Africa)

Posted: 26 Dec 2005 04:35
by Daniel
Fresno had two, one on Fulton street downtown that's still standing, and one on Blackstone and McKinley that was demolished after "Season's" went out of business.

Posted: 26 Dec 2005 14:35
by Groceteria
Some locations:

-- Lombard Street, San Francisco. In from of a motel whose name I don't remember. Was later a Baker's Square.
-- Webster Street, Alameda. Connected to a motel there. I think it's a Chinese bufffet now.
-- Blackstone Avenue near Shaw, Fresno. Now somebody's Country Kitchen.
-- Aurora Avenue, Seattle. Now called Aurora's, or at least it was in 2002.
-- Greenhaven Drive, Greensboro NC. Later a Denny's. Now a masssage parlor or something.

I'll try to think of some more. They're pretty much everywhere on the west coast...

Posted: 26 Dec 2005 15:50
by Steve Landry
There were many in South Florida also!!!!!!!

Posted: 27 Dec 2005 05:30
by Daniel
Groceteria wrote:Some locations:


-- Blackstone Avenue near Shaw, Fresno. Now somebody's Country Kitchen.
That would be a BJ's Kountry Kitchen. I am not positive it was a Sambo's location, but I know it was a Denny's as it still has the distinctively shaped Denny's sign frame. I have been meaning to check with the city directories to find out if that old Denny's was a Sambo's originally.

Posted: 28 Dec 2005 02:36
by Jeff
Both around here that I can remember were turned into bakers square restaurants. One closed last year in Alhambra and is being remodeled into shops, the other in montebello is still open, but has no remnants of the original building.

Posted: 28 Dec 2005 10:47
by todd
There was a Sambo's in front of Anderson Mall in Anderson,SC ...opened in early 70's and was glass and rock. It was a great place for pancakes. It too, suffered from the "little black Sambo" issue, eventually closed and was a pizza place, a chinese place and eventually torn down and replaced with IHOP.

Sambos/Denny's Signage and Architecture

Posted: 09 Jan 2006 16:52
by TheQuestioner
The post about "BJ's Kountry Kitchen" previously being a Denny's and maybe before that Sambo's brought to mind a topic I have long wondered about. From the vague memories I have of seeing Sambo's and from the few images I have found online, it seems like Sambo's was either somehow associated with Denny's or was blatantly ripping off their building, logo, and signage design.

I have seen pictures of Sambo's signs that were in the trapezoid/shield shape identical to Denny's, ans the fond of the logo was very similar to the classic Denny's logo. Architecturally, both Denny's and Sambo's were similar, but this may have just been a sign of the times, since every "coffee shop" type restaurant seemed to follow certain Googie touches and layouts in their buildings. Still, I remember thinking when I was a kid that Sambo's was just Denny's by another name.

Were these companies at any point ever under the same owership? (There was a lot of corporate conglomeration going on in the 60's-70's) Or did Sambo's just decide to try to mimick Denny's look and feel?

Posted: 10 Jan 2006 01:55
by Edric Floyd
Steve Landry wrote:There were many in South Florida also!!!!!!!
There were both Sambo's and Denny's in South Florida at the same time when I was growing up there in the 1970's.

Those I know for sure: SAMBOS Pompano Beach on US-1 across from "Pompano Fashion Square" Mall. (Mall now called "Pompano Citi Centre")

It was torn down and a rather large Wendy's sits in its place.

SAMBOS Margate, FL on US 441 north (unknown today)

SAMBOS Sunrise, FL on University Drive...now a Hooters.

SAMBOS Deerfield Beach on US 1 later became a Dennys then Dennys moved into a new location 1/2 mile south. Building unknown today.

SAMBOS Boca Raton Palmetto Park Road: Built in late 70's and was last known as a Dennys.

SAMBOS Boca Raton North Federal Hwy US-1 now a Denny's

There were Denny's locations all over and many still exist. I would say about half of them were former Sambo's.

Posted: 10 Jan 2006 02:02
by Edric Floyd
todd wrote:There was a Sambo's in front of Anderson Mall in Anderson,SC ...opened in early 70's and was glass and rock. It was a great place for pancakes. It too, suffered from the "little black Sambo" issue, eventually closed and was a pizza place, a chinese place and eventually torn down and replaced with IHOP.
In Warner Robins, Georgia (20 miles south of Macon) there was a SAMBO"S on Watson Blvd and Holly Drive. This is one block from the hospital.

This building was a locally owned restaurant called "Jimbo's" (the owner's name was Jim) and was a local hangout for the older adults (40+) in the area. The owners kept the building as original as possible, especially the interior counter area, The sign, stone exterior and even the waitress numbering lights on the wall.

Jimbos closed in 2000 after 18 years and new owners tried to retain the Jimbos popularity as "Hometown Grille" but failed. The building was extensively remodeled inside, the windows were stuccoed in and is now a doctors office. The outside still resembles the old Sambos design.

Posted: 10 Jan 2006 22:59
by runchadrun
Jeff wrote:Both around here that I can remember were turned into bakers square restaurants. One closed last year in Alhambra and is being remodeled into shops, the other in montebello is still open, but has no remnants of the original building.
The Alhambra store (on Valley near Almansor) was a Godfather's Pizza before becoming a Bakers Square.

A good portion of my adolesence was spent in that shopping center before it got remodeled. Zodys, Newberry's, Thrifty.... what else could a kid ask for? (Sad, I know...) I had a paper route for the Alhambra Post-Advocate in the neighborhood immediately behind the shopping center between Almansor and New; Valley and Norwood.

Sambos

Posted: 11 Jan 2006 01:27
by storeliker
The only one I remember was on old 99 (Riverside Drive) in Mount Vernon Wa (state) It is still there I am pretty sure. It was Seasons and then a Godfathers Pizza for a very long time. It is just south of College Way and across the street from a still standing Pylon Safeway that was a sporting goods store for many years and also a former Wendys that Marie Osmond used to own along with a barn style car wash next door. Marie never visited the town or the property though and the cute car wash has been long gone.
The Sambos originally had rock walls outside and of course had the lit Sambo picture story board above the coffee counter and had tokens for coffee you used. Before 1-5 was completed it was on the old Highway 99. Even when freeway was built it still had great business.
This once small town got a Dennys many years later after a "VIPS" chain was opened in mid seventies and soon closed. The Dennys is now located closer to the freeway and old one is a realty office. I'm not sure of history of VIPS but do know they were up and down the west coast in the seventies, some even had motels adjadent. If anyone knows history or links where to find info on this chain let me know.
I was sad to see Sambos go when I was a kid but at least the building is still standing.

Re: Sambo's Restaurant Locations in California

Posted: 07 Mar 2006 02:50
by Floyd
[quote="GreenFalcon"][quote="romleys"]Does anybody no the towns and hopefully the addresses of any former Sambo's restaurants (preferably w/ googie architecture).[/quote]

[No exact address, but there was one on Center JSO Weber here in Stockton.[/quote]There was actually 2 locations in Stockton.] - The first one was located at 11 N. Center street which I believe opened in 1968 or 1969.That location later became a "Season's" then a "Bakers Square" and later a "Country Waffle House" before becoming a "Arizona Restaurant and Grill", a Mexican Restaurant. The other location was located at 4747 Pacific Ave in front of "Gemco Discount Membership Department Store" (now Target). It was originally "Happy Tiger Restaurant" before Sambo's bought them out in 1977. That location was later bought by "Denny's" which it is today.