<p>If you’ve ever ordered at a chain restaurant, then you know the homey feeling of knowing you’re about to eat the exact same meal as you could get at any other location. And even though the Golden Arches or a pair of red braids and freckles are some of the most recognizable franchise mascots today, if we flashback to the mid-1900s, then Simple Simon and the Pieman would’ve been just as recognizable as those other icons. Why? Because if you wanted a tasty clam belly, a delicious sundae, or to snag a couple of ZZZs, then there was one only one chain that fit the bill.&nbsp;</p><p>Rob teaches Ray about how the eponymous Mr. Johnson went from owning one small Massachusetts eatery, to running a national network of restaurants and lodges; why we can thank Eugene O’Neill for HoJo’s original boost in popularity; Jacques Pepin’s contribution to the franchise’s legacy; some unexpected controversies at HoJo’s; and how, even after the HoJo’s brand sank into obscurity, it still has a physical and cultural impact in today’s world.&nbsp;</p><p>If you like what we are doing,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.patreon.com/thiswasathing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">please support us on Patreon.</a></p><h3>TEAM</h3><p><a href="https://twitter.com/totesray?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ray Hebel</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/robwschneider/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Robert W. Schneider</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mark_schroeder/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mark Schroeder</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/thebillyrecce/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Billy Recce</a></p><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-schwartzberg-257334164/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daniel Schwartzberg</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gabecrawford/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gabe Crawford</a></p><p><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/34399519@N08/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Natalie DeSavia</a></p><h3>EPISODE CLIPS</h3><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBNUUeHNkDI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Howard Johnson’s Commercial 1962</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L085mEhkIL8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chef Jacques Pépin on working at Howard Johnson’s and his experiences on the American food scene</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KPlKIUBz-Y" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HOWARD JOHNSON RESTURANT</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHZ8Ry9sKTM" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">1970 Howard Johnson’s Animated Commercial #2</a></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAJGQEPoALY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Howard Johnson Restaurants This Is Howard Johnson Today 1988 TV Commercial HD</a></p><h3>ADDITIONAL MUSIC &amp; SOUND EFFECTS</h3><p>“Happy Bee” and “Happy Boy End Theme”</p><p>• Kevin MacLeod (<a href="https://incompetech.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">incompetech.com</a>)</p><p>• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0</p><p>•&nbsp;<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a></p><p>Additional Sound Effects from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/FinalCutPro.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Final Cut Pro</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/iLife11.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">iLife</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/LogicPro.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Logic Pro</a></p>