Why You Don't See Childs Chain Restaurants Anymore

Food at Coney Island occupies a unique part of American culture. Not only is it famous for the deliciously saucy Coney Island hot dog, but it was also the launching pad for plenty of variations on the theme — like dirty water hot dogs — and hot dogs as a whole. Without Coney Island, hot dogs might not be as ingrained in American culture as they are now.

While hot dogs get all the fame, there are plenty of other significant contributions to American culinary history that come from Coney Island. Hidden in the annals of Coney Island's history is the Childs restaurant chain, which slowly disappeared from the public eye throughout the late 1950s and 1960s. Although the chain was once relatively popular, it never recovered from bankruptcy and over time its locations were bought and sold off.

Today, the most famous relic of the chain is its Coney Island location. (There appear to be several other facades in Queens.) Although the restaurant inside the Coney Island spot is not a Childs restaurant, the building has been made a historical landmark. Renovations have resulted in some changes to the building as a whole, but overall the original Childs restaurant building stands as a beacon of what once was, at Coney Island.

Childs was born at a time where chain restaurants were not quite yet a thing. The original location was in New York City in 1889 and became renowned for its high quality of cleanliness, which at the time was not as commonplace as it is now. Its efficient service and affordable prices further endeared the Childs restaurant in the eyes of the public.

Brothers Samuel S. Childs and William Childs, who founded the original Childs restaurant, decided to take a chance on expansion, which paid off well. At the chain's peak, there were 125 locations overall, with several locations even opening in Canada. However, the passing of one of the brothers and a change in direction towards a vegetarian menu foreshadowed the eventual downfall of the chain.

These changes combined with the rise of fast food giants like McDonald's proved to be too much of a struggle for the Childs chain. By the 1960s, nearly all Childs locations were closed or sold. It wasn't until 2002 that public interest in the chain resurfaced, resulting in the Coney Island building being declared a landmark site; It is now home to another restaurant that has no relation to the Childs chain.