Which celebrities of old endorsed Arthur
Treacher's? And have you ever paired hot dogs with fried seafood? Arthur Treacher's
Fish & Chips isn't around much anymore, but it's got quite the backstory.
Keep watching for the details. Quick service fried fish wasn't exactly a thing
in America before Arthur Treacher arrived on the scene. Only a handful of restaurants offered
it, with McDonald's Filet-O-Fish dominating the early 1960s. If people wanted authentic fish
and chips back then, they either had to visit the United Kingdom, or call upon their British
friends to make some for them. The first Arthur Treacher's location opened in Columbus, Ohio
in 1969, and soon afterwards, more began to spread across the state, as the chain rapidly
became a staple in the Ohio fast food industry. And if you're wondering about that name, it
comes from real-life actor Arthur Treacher, who was best known for his work opposite
Shirley Temple in films like 1937's Heidi, and as Jeeves the butler in 1936's
Thank You, Jeeves. Treacher was very much involved in the development and
advertisement of his namesake restaurant. Not only was his name licensed for the franchise,
he was also a spokesman, which lent credibility and boosted the restaurant's popularity. He also
even reportedly sometimes said that the recipe for the fast food joint's beer-battered
cod fillets was based on his own recipe. In May 1940, TV personality Ed Sullivan brought
a compelling group of actors to Middle America: Akron, Ohio, to be precise. The United States
was slowly recovering from the Great Depression, and World War II had just begun overseas.
Sullivan's Stardust Cavalcade revue was a welcome break from all that. Arthur Treacher was
one of the performers, as he delighted audiences with his stand-up routine. It was his first
introduction to Ohio, a place he'd later return to over and over again during his involvement
in the Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips empire. But it was legendary comedian Bob Hope who
really pushed the real-life Arthur Treacher into the forefront of the fast food industry. Hope
grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and he was no stranger to the state's restaurant scene. According to
a 2019 Cleveland.com article, it was Hope's idea that the Arthur Treacher's restaurant
should work with Arthur Treacher the actor. With a team of celebrities touting their fried
seafood, Arthur Treacher's rapidly introduced fish and chips to a large population of American
diners. The big key to their success was frying up fillets of cod, just like the kind you'd
find in a traditional English fish and chips shop. It was so beloved that in just a few short
years, Arthur Treacher's became nearly as popular as McDonald's, with at least 800 stores
throughout the United States at its peak. Alas, Arthur Treacher's rapid growth came
to a screeching halt when a literal Cold War over cod fishing was fought between
several European nations. Long story short, this conflict began with a battle of fishing
between Iceland and the United Kingdom. Three separate Cod Wars were fought, with the final
one in 1976 resulting in Icelandic grounds being closed. This effectively put a stop to British
long-distance fishing. These conflicts caused issues in the United States as well, as the price
of cod became almost too expensive to import. With cod's price shooting up, business for Arthur
Treacher's began to crash. Franchises everywhere were hurting, and in a last-ditch effort to
save the brand, the company was sold to Mrs. Paul's in 1979. The hope was that the frozen fish
manufacturer would be able to supply restaurants with frozen fish products that would help recoup
the losses. Instead, though, things got fishy. "What's the problem?" "It smells like fish in here." The most controversial thing that Mrs. Paul's did
was meddling with the recipe that customers had grown to adore, as the meaty cod fillets were
replaced with pollack. This fish was cheaper, but customers saw right through the bait
and switch. Pollack's consistency is oilier, and more prone to flaking apart than
cod, causing it to crumble within its fried pocket and thereby reducing the
quality of the fish and chips experience. The Arthur Treacher's name was bought and
sold several times during the 80s and 90s, with many of its parent companies declaring
bankruptcy soon after the sales. Its popularity rose and fell while the brand desperately
tried to expand across the United States. During this time, the iconic fish and
chips shops closed across the nation, leaving an uncertain future
for quick-service fried fish. Just when things started to look bleak,
though, an unlikely hero emerged. While stand-alone Arthur Treacher's shops are hard
to come by nowadays, it's not too difficult to find one that also sells Nathan's Famous Hot
Dogs. That's because the company was acquired by the Nathan's Famous parent brand in 2002,
and it eventually fell under the TRUFOODS, LLC co-franchisor label in 2007. It's been synonymous
with the Nathan's brand ever since. Thus, we have Nathan's to thank for making hot dogs
and fried fish an unlikely but delicious combo. Arthur Treacher's may have had 826 locations in
its heyday, but after a few tumultuous decades, hardcore fans can only experience
the fresh catch-style taste at the one and only Arthur Treacher's Fish &
Chips restaurant still in existence. That final Arthur Treacher's location is found
in Akron, Ohio, the state where it all began. And after all these years, former customers
are happy to reminisce about their favorite fast food fish and chips experiences. As Ted
Berg wrote in a 2017 For the Win article, "One of my uncles used to work at Arthur
Treacher's, so we had a plastic Arthur Treacher's tray in my house growing up long before I ever
sampled the chain's signature fish and chips." Many community members got their
first job at Arthur Treacher's, or went on to be in charge of restaurants
of their own. Despite the chain's demise, it's nice to learn about the positive impact
that Arthur Treacher's has had on so many people. "Good service. Good- good fish.
It's worth the trip here." Check out one of our newest
videos right here! Plus, even more Mashed videos about your
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the bell so you don't miss a single one.
