This Chain Restaurant, Popular In The '80s And '90s, Just Made A Small Comeback In Its Home State

Massachusetts millennials may be able to get a hit of nostalgia with the recent reopening of a once-popular family restaurant. The Ground Round recently returned under new ownership to its hometown of Shrewsbury, with its original focus on simple, fantastic food and friendly, family-oriented service.

Inspired by their own memories of the original business, new owners Joseph and Nachi Shea relaunched the restaurant in April, near the original location which closed in 2004. The relaunch drew a surprising amount of interest with locals bringing in memorabilia from the original stores, some of which the Sheas have displayed in their new restaurant.

An online Ground Round fandom has even suggested that the Sheas move into vacant restaurant properties nationwide, but new ownership is focused on making the Shrewsbury location successful first. According to WBUR, Joseph Shea explained that "we don't have investors or deep pockets. We're bootstrapping this." The Sheas bought the rights after a failed comeback attempt by previous owners, which itself followed a 2004 bankruptcy after The Ground Round was eclipsed by other great family restaurants like Chili's and IHOP. A handful of locations, now considered licensed units, continued business.

The Ground Round was initially founded in 1969 by Howard Johnson's, one of the many once-popular restaurant chains that vanished in the 1990s, which sought a new concept for some of its underperforming locations. The fun, family-friendly atmosphere featured popcorn stations and whimsically-plated desserts. Former customers recall ice cream in food-safe baseball hat bowls, and chocolate mousse served in a flower pot with cookie crumble "dirt" and candy worms.

The menu proved very popular with children, who could also dine at a discount on select nights. The Ground Round was famous for a pay-what-you-weigh promotion, where kids' meals would cost one cent per pound of the child's weight. The Sheas plan to bring back this promotion, albeit with the purchase of one entree at full price.

There are a lot of great classic restaurants in America, including Massachusetts' own Union Oyster House in Boston. But The Ground Round is a sleeper contender for the honor, thanks to its help in popularizing now-ubiquitous appetizers like potato skins. Early excitement suggests The Ground Round's comeback is one to watch out for.