Ginos or Genos?

[18/10]

Anyone remember Genos? (or Ginos-can't remember the spelling)

Local rival to McDonald's--similar menu.

I believe they had a version of the Big Mac called the Genos Giant.

I think they had a cool logo as well-the G was kinda like the Phillies P in the 70's.

Of course my childhood memories are that it was much better--but I don't trust that.

I get a feeling Holly will remember this...I believe he was in that biz at the time

[foodE]

I remember this chain. It was Gino's, not Geno's. I don't remember the logo, though. I was a very young girl at the time.

[Carlson1105]

I beleive Gino's was started by the football player Gino Marchetti. They were indeed famous for the Gino Giant.

[Busboy]

And they were actually Baltimore-based at first -- Gino played for the Colts back in the Glory Days. If you joined the Junior Orioles (Dad-son baseball for $1.85 a game; those were the days) you always got a Ginos certificate in the "welcome" kit.

More here.

Now I'm hungry and filled with an inconsolable tristesse for my lost youth. Thanks.

[Mummer]

Gino's also had the local KFC franchise. Some of their outlets were chicken only; others had burgers and chicken.

Their big burger actually had some meat between the top and bottom of the patty.

I think they sold to another chain, perhaps Roy Rodgers?

Marchetti also owned an upscale restaurant, San Francisco, in a converted house off Lancaster Pike in Wayne, just East of the current location of the Farmers' Market.

[Holly Moore]

It was Gino's that brought me to Philadelphia in 1977. I was account supervisor for their new ad agency. Then Gino's closed down and sold out to Marriott/Roy Rogers. I decline to comment as to cause and effect.

But back in my McDonald's days in the late 60's Gino's was feared by McDonald's. Philadelphia and Baltimore were the last East Coast markets, outside of New York, for McD's to develop. Why? Because Gino's kicked their ass. They had a million dollar location way before McDonald's. And their stores averaged a far higher volume than the average McDonald's.

Then management got greedy. They diverted their efforts into Rustler Steakhouses and a couple of other ventures. They didn't put the necessary bucks into Gino's advertising and upkeep. During the early 70's McDonald's saw the opening and took over both markets.

[john b]

The Gino's in my town became a Roy Rogers, then a Boston Chicken, then a Boston Market (same place, just a name change). When the Boston Market closed, the building was knocked down and now a McDonald's stands in its place.

[Sfuffy]

I used to eat at Gino's as a kid up in North Jersey. I only knew McDonalds from TV commercials (I only remember one near my grandparents) and then from family vacations (but was totally repulsed by its policy of putting both mustard and ketchup on burgers).

For everything you ever wanted to know about Gino's (and more) including its logos, there's the Gino's Hamburgers Website.

Edited October 16, 2004 by Sfuffy (log)

[18/10]

Thanks to all for the info.

Lots of good flashbacks to childhood-however-that gino hero was nasty.

I completely forgot they were in cahoots with KFC.

Holly should write a book about all of his adventures in the early expansion days of fast food-though I assume those NDA's never expire.

[CoolPapaBell]

In fact, I don’t know if this was at select or all locations, but shortly before Gino’s closed they tried the gourmet burger thing. They even had a condiment bar. As I remember it was not as elaborate as Fuddruckers but along those lines.

It used to be where you could get KFC.

[phifly04]

Anyone remember Genos? (or Ginos-can't remember the spelling)

Local rival to McDonald's--similar menu.

I believe they had a version of the Big Mac called the Genos Giant.

I think they had a cool logo as well-the G was kinda like the Phillies P in the 70's.

Of course my childhood memories are that it was much better--but I don't trust that.

I get a feeling Holly will remember this...I believe he was in that biz at the time

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I remember they had a Gino,s on Mcdade Blvd. in Darby,i used to love there burgers and i beleive they had there own chicken to-used to get a bucket to go to the swimclub- Dave s

[foodE]

I remember they had a Gino,s on Mcdade Blvd. in Darby,i used to love there burgers and i beleive they had there own chicken to-used to get a bucket to go to the swimclub-  Dave s

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This is the one I remember. This post also reminded me of the condiment bar, which I thought was a novel idea at the time.