Howard Johnson's
An Andover Story
Do you remember the orange roofs of Howard Johnson's?
In June 1926, a new Howard Johnson’s restaurant opened in Andover, at the intersection of Route 28 and 125. The restaurants were typically located near highway overpasses and ramps, convenient for automobile traffic.
Two-for-One Special
The Townsman reported that 3,200 quarts of ice cream and 3,096 frankfurters were served on opening day. Customers were lined up ten-deep at the counter, and kept clerks busy until after midnight. As parking cars flowed out of the parking lot, three police officers were assigned to control the heavy traffic.
Howard Deering Johnson so loved his mother’s buttermilk-enriched recipe for homemade ice cream that he took a gamble. In the 1920s he opened ice cream stands during those summers at beaches along the Massachusetts coastline.
Johnson believed that the automobile would revolutionize America's travel habits. As America headed out on the open road and the 41,000-mile Interstate highway system began to snake its way across the country, Johnson saw an opportunity. When the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940, Howard Johnson’s won exclusive rights to serve drivers at service station turnoffs. The iconic orange roof, cupola, and weather vane on Howard Johnson’s helped patrons identify their restaurants.
Howard Johnson’s in Andover was a busy place. World War II brought a special menu to town with a prominent “V For Victory” symbol on the cover.
On February 20, 1963, the Andover Howard Johnson's survived a devastating fire during a snowstorm. You can just make out the weathervane at the the top of the cupola in the photo below. In short order, it was re-built into the modern structure that many still remember. Do you?
Howard Johnson's reached its peak in 1975 with over 1,000 restaurants and more than 500 motor lodges in 42 states and Canada. Howard Johnson’s served more outside-the-home meals than any company or organization except the U.S. Army. The decade, however, would also mark the beginning of the restaurant chain's demise. The oil embargo of 1974 was pervasive. Americans could no longer afford long driving trips or take frequent vacations. The last restaurant in Lake George, New York, closed in 2017.
I remember HoJo's for ice cream and all-night coffee dates. How about you?
Do you have a photograph, postcard, or story about the Andover Howard Johnson’s that you would like to share?
When Ho-Jo's opened in 1926, Rt 125 did not exist yet. The Andover bypass was started 3+ years later..I do remember the overpass...