White Tower
White Tower took just about everything from the original except, maybe, their kitchen sink. White Tower went after the advertising methods, the style, and even the architecture of the building, making their fast food chain into something resembling a photocopy of the original.
There were 230 locations in the 1950s, but many closed because of the legal action against them. What a surprise, huh? The last location closed down in 2004.
Gino’s Hamburgers
Not long after this initial surge in popularity, Gino’s had another growth spurt, expanding to over 300 locations, mostly on the East Coast. Gino’s also opened locations in the Midwest, but unfortunately, everything was short-lived.
Eventually, the burger joint was sold to Marriott, which then converted all Gino’s locations into Roy Rogers restaurants.
Gino’s Hamburgers
Gino’s Hamburgers was opened by football hall-of-famer Gino Marchetti, in 1957.
The chain started growing in popularity by the 1960s, and it became a culinary mainstay, with its slogan “Everybody goes to Gino’s.”
White Tower
White Castle was founded in 1921, then in 1922 came its imitator: White Tower. So what is the difference between the two? Not a whole lot, unfortunately!
Sadly, it wasn’t just the concept of their fast food chain that was taken from White Castle.
Steak and Ale
However, in their attempt to keep up with their competition, they started lowering their prices and offering free meals. In the end, their plan failed and the last location was closed in 2008.
Because it’s still in demand, in early 2017 the parent company started offering franchises, so Steak and Ale fans will be happy to know it’s on the way to being fully revived really soon.