An ode to Pizza Hut Classics, Dairy Witch hangs up her broom, Muffler Man moves to NYC suburbs
Plus, many more headlines from the American roadside
The Retrologist is featured in this terrific video by Sam Reid, above.
It all began in June 2020, when I stumbled upon my very first Pizza Hut Classic “in the wild,” in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania. Earlier, I’d heard there was one more, in Warren, Ohio, but I figured that store was a novelty. But here was another one, and after exploring the restaurant as best as I could (these were the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its dining room was shuttered), I posted the photos as quickly as I could to Instagram — my excitement was impossible to contain — and I set to doing research.
Over time, I learned of more than a dozen locations, all vintage Pizza Huts fitted with design signatures of the chain’s 1970s-1990s heyday, from the faux Tiffany lamps reading “Pizza Hut” to the channeled red leather booths. They were, in short, “retro renovated” back to an earlier stage in their design existence.
I kept posting examples of Pizza Hut Classics to Instagram to increasing degrees of social virality, but it wasn't until October 2022, right after I’d launched this Substack, that I got the idea to build a running list of PH Classics. It’s astonishing I had to do this, because you would have figured Pizza Hut would have been promoting these redesigns heavily and the growing list of locations would have been continuously updated on their website or social platforms.
But The Hut has been mum on these, and I could get no hard information. Instead, glimmers of news about the program — often contradictory — would emerge through the grapevine or from franchisees, who themselves may not have known the full scope of the program.
Meanwhile, my Pizza Hut Classics list became the go-to resource for this incredibly popular throwback restaurant campaign, so much so that I often joked that I should be on Pizza Hut’s payroll. (Trust me, I’m not!)
Back in March, the New York Times finally weighed in, and I was so impressed with the lovely piece by Steven Kurutz and the stunning photographs taken by Noah Kalina. To think, I almost missed Steven’s DM on Instagram, but thank goodness we connected, and he allowed my journey of Pizza Hut discovery to animate the piece, starting with my name as the first two words of the article, as he recounted my first visit to the Tunkhannock restaurant.
Kurutz turned up some interesting news,
There are 140 Pizza Hut Classics, so I have much updating to do on my list. There are a total of 6,200 Pizza Huts, so just a little over 2 percent of them are Classics. The fact that most of them are in rural communities underscores how hard it is to find them.
The program appears still to be on, with the latest Pizza Hut Classic in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.
Even some parts of Pizza Hut leadership lacked a firm grasp of the program, with a senior marketing executive being unfamiliar with how or when the initiative began. That explains a lot of why this program still has an air of mystery about it.
Please give the Times piece a read. And to those who followed me as a result of it, I am most grateful for the support. Please make sure you’re also plugged into what I'm doing on Instagram, and get your hands on my book, “The Great American Retro Road Trip,” which has a section on Pizza Hut Classics!
Retrologist Roadside Roundup
So sad: One of my favorite ice-cream stands in New England, and happily featured in my book, has closed. Dairy Witch — in Salem, naturally — will not reopen this summer after 74 years in business.
After a renovation, the iconic Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C., has reopened, with a special tribute to founder Virginia Ali. (Ben’s is featured in my book, in the Mid-Atlantic chapter.)
The last Boston Market (formerly Boston Chicken) in Massachusetts has closed. The chain’s decline has been sad to see, and now no stores remain in its home state. (Hardly any are left. Period.)
The neon sign for the former Fabulous 7 Motel in El Cajon, California, has been relit.
And in more great neon news, an iconic sign in Kingman, Arizona, for the Hotel Beale shines anew for the first time in decades.
The future of the building in Albany, New York, where a giant Nipper, the RCA mascot, sits, is imperiled. Whither Nipper? (The story of Nipper is in my book.)
Parting is such sweet sorrow: Always sad to see a location of See’s Candies close. This one was in Los Gatos, California.
This ad combo was “sealed in its purity package” for decades. (Liz Dowell/Fox 2 via Joe Millitzer) A historic advertising mural uncovered in Clayton, Missouri, will be saved. The mural features old ads for Borden’s unsweetened evaporated milk and Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum. (I wrote about this discovery two years ago.)
El Faro, a 65-year-old San Francisco taqueria, is for sale as its owners reel from a big rent hike. The family-owned business is known for its Super Burrito.
If you were looking for an Arby’s in Puerto Rico, you’re out of luck. You won’t find “The Meats” there as the chain is exiting the market.
A celebration of the “dying breed” that is the old-school Nordstrom cafe.
Fire destroyed the old Hot Tamale stand at South of the Border in Dillon, South Carolina. It was called Burrito Loco in its final iteration. (South of the Border is featured in my book!) It still had a fantastic vintage look, below, until recently.
The historic giant Dixie Cup has been removed from the long-shuttered factory in Wilson, Pennsylvania. The complex is a landmark along with the Dixie Cup, and it will be restored and returned to display nearby. The building itself will be converted into apartments. The factory dates to 1921, and Dixie left the building in the early 1980s.
My photo of the Dixie Cup, taken back in March 2024 (Rolando Pujol) Per Lehigh Valley Live:
The original cup will be redesigned before resting in the park. Bartee said Bruce Rosenbaum from the Netflix series “Amazing Interiors” is doing the design.
Inside the cup there will be an AI robot named Trixie. People will be able to go inside the cup and ask the robot questions about Dixie. The interior will also feature lighting and historic images from the Dixie Cup manufacturing era.
A larger, fiberglass replica is planned be installed atop the building so it remains visible from the highway.
The space that held the beloved Ritz Diner on Manhattan’s Upper East Side is now for lease. Take a look inside:
Muffler Men are enjoying a comeback across the country, and I couldn’t be happier. Westchester County in New York now has a SECOND one - this fellow who showed up in Peekskill back in March. It was made specifically for the owner of Dependable Tree Service by Mark Cline, who restores and manufactures the fiberglass goliaths. The Peekskill Giant Man joins a longtime giant at the BP station in Elmsford, below, who is also featured in my book. Look for him in the Northeast chapter.
Red Lobster’s CEO is banking on nostalgia as he takes on the troubled chain. Deploying a nostalgia-centered plan that also freshens the brand and emphasizes food quality might be what the doctor ordered, but the prescription must be applied with great care. The article is paywalled, but here’s a taste of his strategy. All I hear in my head is the soothing tones of the 1980s jingle, “Red Lobster for the seafood lover in you.” I’m not a seafood lover, and man, that campaign makes me want to be one!
New Substack alert: From the keeper of the RetailAfterLife Instagram account comes a new Substack, which began with a meditation on the “Burdines Palms.” Ah, Burdines, that much-missed Florida department store. I developed an affection for it during my childhood visits to Miami. It was sadly subsumed by Macy’s in 2006 amid Federated’s great culling of its regional brands to serve under R.H. Macy’s tattoo — uhhh red star.
A historic and delightfully weathered New Jersey road sign in Pennsville, stolen to great public consternation in January 2025, has been found by police and will be returned to its original home. I hope it will be a little harder to steal this time!
The Star-Ledger@starledgerHistoric N.J. road sign found after year-long searchnj.comHistoric N.J. road sign found after year-long search12:40 AM · Mar 14, 2026 · 915 Views2 Likes
Are you aware of the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, IL? It opened a few years back and showcases some of the Muffler Men.
Thanks for featuring Dairy Witch! I hadn't been there in decades but it's sad to see it go.