Whatever Happened to Arthur Treacher's Restaurants?
The fish-and-chips chain had 826 locations at its peak. Today, just seven Arthur Treacher's remain in business.
Remember Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips? If you do, you're not alone. The purveyor of the classic British combination of fried fish and fried potatoes once boasted hundreds of locations in the U.S. But as competition increased and consumers' tastes changed, the Arthur Treacher's chain shrank considerably. Take a nostalgic trip down memory lane with your taste buds to learn about the restaurant's fate.
Arthur Treacher, a real-life English character actor best known for portraying the butler Jeeves in Shirley Temple movies, was the spokesperson and nameplate for Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips. Contrary to popular perception, he wasn't the owner of the chain that at its peak had 826 restaurants in the U.S.
Arthur Treacher's recipe – and menu – was simple: Focus on the British staple of fried fish with a side of fries ("chips" to the Brits), and serve it up in large quantities. The founders acquired the recipe from Malin's of London, which originated the idea of serving customers on-the-go with deep-fried fish and chips, soaking in malt vinegar, in the 1860s.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The downfall of Arthur Treacher's began in the 1970s, when fast-food chains, new and old, were duking it out. The cod Arthur Treacher's used in its recipes doubled in price as a result of the 1975-1976 Cod War between Iceland and Britain. By the end of that decade, Arthur Treacher's had filed for bankruptcy protection. (In an interesting twist of fast-food fate, Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, actually helped get Arthur Treacher's up and running in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, before launching his own hamburger juggernaut out of the same city.)
Today, only seven Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips restaurants remain: Three in the metro New York City area and four in northeast Ohio, where the chain was created. You can also find Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips products at other restaurant chains, including Nathan's Famous.
Learn the fates of 13 more classic restaurant chains including Bennigan's, Chi-Chi's and Beefsteak Charlie's.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Bob was Senior Editor at Kiplinger.com for seven years and is now a contributor to the website. He has more than 40 years of experience in online, print and visual journalism. Bob has worked as an award-winning writer and editor in the Washington, D.C., market as well as at news organizations in New York, Michigan and California. Bob joined Kiplinger in 2016, bringing a wealth of expertise covering retail, entertainment, and money-saving trends and topics. He was one of the first journalists at a daily news organization to aggressively cover retail as a specialty and has been lauded in the retail industry for his expertise. Bob has also been an adjunct and associate professor of print, online and visual journalism at Syracuse University and Ithaca College. He has a master’s degree from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and a bachelor’s degree in communications and theater from Hope College.
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Rally Despite Rising Geopolitical Tension
The main indexes were mixed on Tuesday but closed well off their lows after an early flight to safety.
By David Dittman Published
-
What's at Stake for Alphabet as DOJ Eyes Google's Chrome
Alphabet is higher Tuesday even as antitrust officials at the DOJ support forcing Google to sell its popular web browser. Here's what you need to know.
By Joey Solitro Published
-
Roth IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 and 2025
Roth IRAs Roth IRA contribution limits have gone up. Here's what you need to know.
By Jackie Stewart Last updated
-
How to Find Foreclosed Homes: Best Foreclosure Listings Sites
Making Your Money Last Find foreclosed homes for sale on these foreclosure listing websites. Search for properties on these free, paid or government sites.
By Bob Niedt Last updated
-
Four Tips for Renting Out Your Home on Airbnb
real estate Here's what you should know before listing your home on Airbnb.
By Miriam Cross Published
-
Five Ways to a Cheap Last-Minute Vacation
Travel It is possible to pull off a cheap last-minute vacation. Here are some tips to make it happen.
By Vaishali Varu Last updated
-
How to Figure Out How Much Life Insurance You Need
insurance Instead of relying on rules of thumb, you’re better off taking a systematic approach to figuring your life insurance needs.
By Kimberly Lankford Last updated
-
Amazon Big Deal Days Is Coming! We’ve Got All the Details
Amazon Prime To kick off the holiday season with a bang, Amazon Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 9.
By Bob Niedt Last updated
-
How to Shop for Life Insurance in 3 Easy Steps
insurance Shopping for life insurance? You may be able to estimate how much you need online, but that's just the start of your search.
By Kaitlin Pitsker Published
-
Five Ways to Shop for a Low Mortgage Rate
Becoming a Homeowner Mortgage rates are high this year, but you can still find an affordable loan with these tips.
By Daniel Bortz Last updated