A 1970s casual restaurant chain that originated in Massachusetts is being revived by a couple who have been nostalgic about it for years.
Joe and Nachi Shea live in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and are bringing The Ground Round back to their hometown, where the first location opened in 1969 and closed in 2004.
The couple purchased the rights to The Ground Round, which was founded as a restaurant brand by hospitality giant Howard Johnson in 1969.
At its peak, there were more than 200 locations across the United States. They were known for their peanut-covered floors and pay-what-you-weigh system.
But in 2004, The Ground Round faced major financial shortcomings and declared bankruptcy. There are only four restaurants left, all in the Midwest.
The Shea’s want to add a fifth and hope that other locals will be just as eager to relive their fond memories of eating at this unique establishment with their families.
“People were talking about it, about missing it, about what a great place it was, and when enough people said it, I said, ‘Enough people are talking about this, why can’t that happen?’ Joe told Fox Business.
Joe told it too CBS News that he “was always there” growing up.
Pictured: One of the last Ground Round locations in Grand Forks, North Dakota
Joe and Nachi Shea are working to bring The Ground back to Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, where the first restaurant was founded
In the photo: the location where the new restaurant will open. It could open as early as January
‘This part of Shrewsbury had an iconic location. The brand is iconic and classic, and people were constantly talking about how much they missed it,” he said. “We were there the whole time. It was the place to go after practice, after games, or on the weekend with your family. It was the family place.”
Joe said he and his wife have been trying to become franchisees for years but “could never get any responses.” That changed when the then CFO of the former ownership group contacted them and offered to sell the rights and trademarks to the company.
Now the owners, Joe and Nachi have taken over the lease on a restaurant that closed in November and have begun renovating the building to recreate The Ground Round.
The restaurant had a simple menu consisting of burgers, baby back ribs and other standard American favorites. Joe added that they will be bringing back sundaes in plastic baseball caps, fried dough triangles and unlimited popcorn.
He and his wife are also considering bringing back the pay-what-you-weigh system by making it optional, but they “haven’t quite figured out exactly what they want to do yet.”
The redesigned restaurant will combine what it traditionally looked like in the 1970s with more modern aesthetic choices.
“We want to merge some parts of the past, whether it’s decorative photographs, things that remind people of that, maybe some stained glass and lamps and so on,” Joe said.
“But we’re living in 2024, going into 2025, so we can’t make it look exactly like it did 25, 30 years ago. There will obviously be more modern aspects to it too, like the way things are decorated and the overall look of it.”
The Ground Round replaces a restaurant that closed in November. The Sheas took over the lease shortly thereafter and began renovation work
The couple hopes to make it a “local destination and not the cookie-cutter of the big chains.” (Photo: the interior of the restaurant)
The renovation process, which started immediately after the couple took over the lease, is going ‘reasonably well’.
‘The tiling and bathroom renovation are all done. The bars are, I’d say, 90% done. The painting is 99% finished. Next up will be setting up the kitchen,” Joe said.
The couple hopes to make it a “local destination and not the cookie-cutter of the big chains.”
“We’re really hoping to take a step back and bring it back to a time when you were really enjoying your time with your family… seeing your neighbors, and some other people from the city,” Nachi shared. NBC Boston mid-November.
As of now, the couple have no plans to open any more restaurants, although they have hinted that this could change if the Shrewsbury location becomes successful.
“We focus on food and making sure it’s done well and done right,” Joe said. “And then, you know, if it makes sense to do that in the future, we’ll look at it. But at this time we have no plans to expand.”
The couple said they aim to open the final Ground Round in January after the New Year.