Route 66 researcher Carl Johnson sent me this excerpt about the Shakey’s Pizza chain that was published recently in the Springfield (Ill.) Journal-Register (I no longer have the link, as it’s gone into a fee-based archive):
Shakey’s Restaurant, 2441 S. MacArthur Blvd., is changing its name to Diamond’s Buffet Restaurant. Shakey’s USA is going to a new concept, focusing on sit-down, order-from-the-menu restaurants, that don’t include buffets. But local owner Dale Diamond wants to keep the buffet concept in Springfield.
At one time, Shakey’s had more than 275 restaurants. Now there are fewer than 25, mostly in California.
“Only three buffet restaurants were left, all in the Midwest,” Diamond said. ‘The new owners want to be identified as a pizza parlor rather than a buffet. And they want to make all the Shakey’s the same.
“I can’t make my restaurant into a sit-down restaurant. So as of Sept. 1, I’ll no longer be a Shakey’s franchise.”
Diamond hopes only the name will change.
There’s a slew of Shakey’s restaurants in California, including at least one on Route 66 in Arcadia. But the one in Springfield was the last survivor in Illinois. I remember there being one in Decatur; as my family would sometimes take me there and we’d hear a live ragtime band perform on the premises. Very cool.
I use to love Shakey’s when the were in NH. We loved going there after work and hanging out as teens.
Sing alongs, Cartoon, Stoogies movies
Good Times
There were at least two Shakey’s in Wisconsin awhile back. One was in Fon du Lac, and the other in Oshkosg, By’gosh.
Really great eating and reasonable prices. Loved those wings and pizzas.
unfortunately Stephen the new owner moved away from Shakey’s recipe for the pizza. It isn’t the same good buffet as when Dale owned the place. Shakey’s has since moved back to lunch/dinner buffet. I just at at the Warner Robins Ga. one last Wednesday
Dang it. I loved Shakeys! I’ll never get to California. I grew up with the one in Springfield. Does Diamond Buffet Restaurant still exist? Can you still get the same pizza there? I haven’t lived near central Illinois for years but I can get there.