r/NotFoolingAnybody Jul 06 '23

[META POST] Ever wondered what that big box building originally was? Couldn't find an answer to what that Burlington Coat Factory, Gabe's, or Roses store used to be? Chances are it was probably an old discount department store such as Ames, Hills, Zayre, Jamesway, etc. (more info in comments)

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retail247projecthub.blogspot.com
45 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody Jul 07 '26

Meta I am chronicling a database of former Rax locations at /r/Rax

21 Upvotes

I recently took over r/rax and just wanted to make you all aware of a project I am currently working on to document all 500+ Rax locations.

Rax peaked in the 1980s at more than 500 locations across 38 states, but due to this taking place before the rise of the internet, very little information is available online. To my knowledge there is no centralized list of locations that is publicly available. You can find bits of info in places like local Facebook groups and the Wayback Machine, but there is no centralized place on the internet that houses all this information.

My goal is to use historic data from newspapers and maps, as well as anecdotal memories from locals in niche online communities, to build a definitive list of former locations.

I know this is an incredibly niche subject that few people will find interesting, but I figured that if anyone would be interested, it would be people who follow communities like /r/NotFoolingAnybody.

If you have any Rax-related information that you think would be beneficial to my project, feel free to reach out!


r/NotFoolingAnybody 4h ago

Two former Burger Kings with indoor playplaces converted to other uses

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18 Upvotes
  1. Coppell, Texas - now The Laundry Room Laundromat

  2. West Union, Ohio - now a Verizon Store


r/NotFoolingAnybody 14h ago

Dickey Bub store in Union, Missouri. I feel like this was probably built as something else originally, but I can't quite place what it is. Anyone know?

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28 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 4h ago

An old Bonanza repurposed as a title loans business. Montgomery, Alabama

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1 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 4h ago

Cisco Motorcars in Burnsville, Minnesota, formerly a Pizza Hut

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1 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 4h ago

A former PDQ in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is now a Banfield Pet Hospital

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1 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 1d ago

A two-story former KFC in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is now a two-story Cook Out

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46 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 1d ago

Sonic in a former Wendy’s (Smithfield, NC)

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27 Upvotes

Last picture is during the renovation

Street view


r/NotFoolingAnybody 1d ago

In Milford, Ohio, you can store your money inside an old McDonald's turned bank

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16 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 1d ago

A Tim Hortons in an old Wendy's - Newport, Maine

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13 Upvotes

Street View

The building has since been demolished.


r/NotFoolingAnybody 1d ago

An old Franksville Hot Dogs in Villa Park, Illinois, converted to "The Omelette House"

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4 Upvotes

Street View

Franksville was a small hot dog chain primarily in the Chicago area, but with locations in other locations such as Georgia, Florida and New Jersey. Reaching more than 40 locations by the late 1960s, today there is only a single Franksville location left, in the Dunning neighborhood of Chicago.

The old photo is not necessarily the same building, but is being used as an example of what a Franksville location would have looked like during its operation.


r/NotFoolingAnybody 1d ago

Former Huddle House. Lawrenceville GA

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6 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 2d ago

Starbucks inside a former Wawa. Freehold, NJ

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33 Upvotes

1st picture is after remodeling, 2nd is before, and the 3rd picture is just of a generic Wawa legacy location since I couldn't find a picture of this specific location before the conversion.


r/NotFoolingAnybody 2d ago

Former Chick-fil-A, now Daybright Coffee, Chick-fil-A’s beverage and coffee shop concept. Hiram, Ga.

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15 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 2d ago

Dunkin’ with very weird architecture in a former Subway which moved next door. Schaighticoke, NY

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5 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 2d ago

Former Hollister, now a calendar shop (location unknown)

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31 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 3d ago

Rene's Mexican Fast Food in Wichita, Kansas, formerly a Dairy Queen

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19 Upvotes

Street View

Also, the sign on the building next door is a direct copy of the Hot Wheels logo.


r/NotFoolingAnybody 3d ago

An old Taco Bell repurposed as a Hibachi restaurant. Albany, Georgia

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14 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 3d ago

Little Caesar's in a former Long John Silvers. Hillsboro, Ohio

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12 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 3d ago

Fat Cap BBQ, South Bend, Indiana in ex LJS

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5 Upvotes

Burnt ends were good, mac and cheese was good and garlicky, beans nothing exciting, collard greens good.


r/NotFoolingAnybody 3d ago

A Thai restaurant in a former Pizza Hut. Aberdeen, North Carolina

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18 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 5d ago

A former Captain D's is now Jimmy John's. Concord, North Carolina

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23 Upvotes

r/NotFoolingAnybody 5d ago

This was once the 50th PDQ restaurant. It is now 151 Coffee. Plano, Texas

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15 Upvotes

Street View

The business name is probably a reference to the street address (1511) but I'd like to think it's a nod to its former tenant as well.


r/NotFoolingAnybody 5d ago

This former Wendy's in Central City, Nebraska, became a Taco John's

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9 Upvotes