The 1970s Chain Restaurant Remembered For Its Late-Night Eats (Hint: It Was Owned By Walgreens)

When you think of Walgreens, what comes to mind? We're not telepathic, but we're willing to bet that it isn't breakfast food and burgers. However, back in the 1970s, that's what the national drug chain was up to. It owned a food franchise called Wag's that sold both burgers and breakfast dishes all day, every day. Specializing in late-night food, Wag's was open 24 hours a day.

Do the two names sound weirdly similar to you? That's actually on purpose. Back in the day, Walgreens used to feature sit-in diners at its pharmacy locations. Around the 1970s, it decided to split the two. That's when Wag's was born. Unlike some chain restaurants with menu items stuck in the past, Wag's menu was evergreen. In addition to burgers, it sold pancakes, potato skins, strawberry French toast, and, briefly, stir-fry. Wag's time, however, was short-lived. After being sold to Marriott Corporation in the late 1980s, Marriott racked up major debt and lost most of its Wag's locations.

When the '90s rolled around, Wag's time had run out. All the Marriott-owned locations were shuttered by 1991. There were a few (owned by Lunan Corporations) still chugging by, but those only lasted three more years. In 1994, Lunan went under. However, not every Wag's restaurant was closed simultaneously. During that three-year time frame, Wag's restaurants were converted to Shoney's, which, much like Wag's, never stops serving breakfast. The restaurants that didn't become Shoney's were usually converted into IHOPs, though there were some exceptions. Some former Wag's workers and customers have claimed that their local Wag's was turned into a Boston Chicken and a Denny's.

At the time of writing, no Wag's currently exist. There is one restaurant in Maryland with the same name and a similar menu, but it doesn't seem like there's any affiliation with the old franchise. Even though Wag's has been lost to time, people who grew up in the 1970s will remember its food.