Farrell's Ice Cream

[runchadrun]

Also, what about Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor

There is still one Farrell's in Canyon Country at 21516 Golden Triangle Road, Santa Clarita. Their web site has a history of the chain at http://www.farrellsusa.com/story.html According to that there were as many as 130 stores but most locations closed by 1990 and only one store remained by 1995.

The Farrell's in Rosemead on Rosemead just south of Valley was the one I always went to as a kid. The ice cream parlor in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure where they take Napoleon is based on Farrell's and the Iggy Piggy is based on the Pig Trough, which was a double banana split.

[TheQuestioner]

Also, what about Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor

There is still one Farrell's in Canyon Country at 21516 Golden Triangle Road, Santa Clarita. Their web site has a history of the chain at http://www.farrellsusa.com/story.html According to that there were as many as 130 stores but most locations closed by 1990 and only one store remained by 1995.

The one store that remained was likely the one in Mira Mesa, CA, in the San Diego area. It relocated in 1996 and maintained the traditional atmosphere before finally closing in the summer of 2006. There's a nice article on that location and the changes relating to the chain and industry in general here:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/busi ... 29ice.html

The Santa Clarita location opened some time in the last 6-7 years, and is part of an attempt to resurrect the chain. The Kirin Group currently owns the name and concept, and they were not happy with how the CA franchisees handled the Santa Clarita location. That hindered the opening of additional CA branches. The legal battles between them continue, though another franchisee is beginning to reopen stores in Hawaii.

Unless they get the ball rolling on expansion soon, I would give Farrell's about as much of a chance of coming back to life as Howard Johnsons. I am glad people are trying to bring back these ice cream restaurants, but if these stores do not reappear in the next 5-10 years, no one under 30 at that time will remember them or likely care. These chains have been off most people's radar for a couple of decades, much longer than other "phoenixes" that seem to be growing again such as Roy Rogers or Big Boy.

[Dean]

There was a Farrell's along the Whittwood Mall. (Whittier CA)

[Groceteria]

Via Matt at Scrubbles: an extensive Farrell's tribute site.

[scanman2]

There was one located in the north west corner of the parking lot at Montclair Plaza (I-10 at Central Ave Montclair CA). The building was immediately torn down after it closed and no remnants remain...yes I remember getting a Pigs Trough for my 16th birthday there lol!