Cherry Hill Roy Rogers Part of the Chain’s Big Comeback

Fans of Roy Rogers rejoiced earlier this year when the fast-casual chain re-emerged in the Philadelphia region with a new location in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. After nearly disappearing from the fast-food landscape, Roy Rogers has begun to make its appearance again in the mid-Atlantic region.

According to the website Tasting Table, Roy Rogers once had 640 locations across the country, where customers could enjoy the menu of roast beef, burgers, and fried chicken. Despite reaching its height of popularity during the 1990s, favor for the chain fell off. By the early 2000s, only about 80 locations remained operational.

In 2002 two brothers, Jim and Pete Plamondon, bought the brand from Hardee's and the company's remaining locations. Their father, Pete Sr., had been a member of the original team from Marriott, the hotel chain that started Roy Rogers. While Jim and Pete closed underperforming Roy Rogers locations, they couldn't ignore the affinity for the brand from fans who wanted to keep Roy Rogers locations open in their communities.

During the mid-2010s, Roy Rogers began to get back into action. New spots opened in Maryland and Virginia before gradually expanding to additional locations in the mid-Atlantic region.

Under the Plamondon brothers' leadership, much of the old-fashioned appeal of Roy Rogers was returned to its new restaurant locations, including the large "fixin's bar" of toppings that customers can use to personalize their food.

According to Tasting Table, the first Roy Rogers opened in Falls Church, Virginia, in 1968. During the early 1970s, fried chicken and burgers were added to the chain's food offerings, creating the distinctive mix of meats on the menu.