The Beloved Steak Restaurant That Totally Vanished In The '80s

In the mid-1800s, serving merchants in dark and dusky chophouses evolved into serving the greater public in steakhouses. These steak restaurants have remained a staple in the United States ever since, partially because there will always be people who want steak for dinner. Over the years, there have been some steakhouses that time forgot (but not loyal customers), and one of them is Victoria Station.

Named after London's famous Victoria Station landmark, this steakhouse was established in December 1969 by Bob Freeman, Dick Bradley, and Peter Lee — nicknamed the Big Three. They became friends while attending Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, and after going their separate ways, decided to open a New York-like pub in San Francisco together. In a biographical article, Freeman recalled, "I was buying British railroad lamps to furnish the restaurant from contacts with British Rail and flying them back using my 50% Pan Am discount. My boss asked me what was I doing with 200 railroad lanterns and I said I'm building a restaurant."

From that first Victoria Station location, the company grew to more than 100, including a location at Universal Studios Hollywood. It became popular in the 1970s for its classic steakhouse menu, It became popular in the 1970s for its classic steakhouse menu, but its construction made it stand out the most. Even singer Johnny Cash got in on the action, producing a promotional album of train songs in 1975. The typical floor plan for the restaurant included four boxcars for dining and a caboose for cocktails, with a central waiting room and bar area. Inside, the decor was themed after the British railroad with artifacts on the walls and Freeman's railroad lamps. However, the success was short-lived, and the beloved chain slowly dwindled in the 1980s.

While some once-troubled steakhouse chains have completely bounced back from financial trouble — like Steak and Ale — Victoria Station wasn't so fortunate. For the fiscal year ending March 1980, the chain reported a more than $1 million profit, but for the fiscal year ending March 1981, it reported a more than $6 million deficit and started implementing turnaround strategies. However, Victoria Station became in violation of its loan agreements and closed about 40 locations in 1985, and its worst year was 1986 when it lost more than $35 million and reported $19 million in declining sales.

By that point, Victoria Station had posted losses for three straight years, citing a recession in the restaurant industry. Other reasons for its downfall were that the company grew too fast, while customers were becoming bored with the boxcar theme. Also, it failed in its venture into the gourmet burger business. The restaurant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 1986. It included a plan of reorganization to restructure its business as an upscale burger joint, and only had 39 operating restaurants.

Then, in early January 1987, it reached a reorganization agreement that involved issuing secured notes and closing more locations to distribute the proceeds to its secured and unsecured creditors. Victoria Station Acquisition Corporation was formed later that year and bought the trademark and 11 restaurants. After that, there's not much information available about what happened to the chain, but it was practically nonexistent by 1992. The Victoria Station location at Universal Studios Hollywood shut down in 1997, but while the last U.S. location in Salem, Massachusetts, remained open for another 20 years, it eventually closed in December 2017.

While the Victoria Station brand is nowhere to be found on restaurant fronts in the United States, it's one of the defunct American chains that still exists in other countries. Specifically, the chain still operates in Japan and has been since almost the beginning. It all started in 1979 when Wendy's International teamed up with Japanese retailer The Daiei, Inc.'s subsidiary Wenco Japan, Inc., to franchise Wendy's and Victoria Station locations in Japan. However, the details of this arrangement are unclear on the Victoria Station side.

In 2002, Daiei sold Wenco Japan to fast-food chain Zensho Company (now Zensho Holdings Co., Ltd), which operates a slew of restaurant brands. It continues to operate Victoria Station in Hokkaido, the country's second-largest and northernmost island. The restaurant menu features hamburger and steak dishes, and it has classic salad and soup bars as well as seasonal options. In some cases, Victoria Station is combined with Big Boy restaurants and offers a similar menu. The family steakhouses don't have the beloved British railcar theme, but if you really want to dine at a Victoria Station restaurant, you'll have to make a lengthy commute.