Why historic businesses matter was the subject of a recent conversation. That sparked some contemplation on remaining relevant with age as well as a bit of research. Since we are passionate about the sharing of America’s story, and inspiring road trips by telling people where to go, this discussion seemed made for Jim Hinckley’s America.

There’s something magical about drive-ins, old school food trucks, neon lit diners, and chili parlors that have survived decades, and in some cases more than a century. They have weathered changing tastes, highways, and commerce.

And then there are the business that have managed to evolve with changing times. A few of these have risen from the ashes like the mythical Phoenix and are experiencing a renaissance.

These magical places are living time capsules. They are tangible links to diverse chapters in the nations story. These survivors shows how America’s past still feeds its present — sometimes literally.

The Reinvention of a Roadside Icon: Stuckey’s

• From pecan stand to roadside empire: Founded in 1937 by W.S. “Sylvester” Stuckey, Sr. in Eastman, Georgia, Stuckey’s started as a simple roadside pecan stand where native southern pecans were sold to travelers. Soon a store was opened and Ethel, his wife, began making pralines, divinity, pecan brittle, and the now-famous pecan log rolls.
• Peak — then decline: Stuckey was pioneer in the devlop of franchises and by the 1950s Stuckey’s was a road-trip staple. At its peak there almost 400 Stuckey’s locations across the United States. But over time corporate ownership, shifting retail trends, and changing travel habits eroded the model. By the 2000s what remained was a shell — licensed “Stuckey’s Express” stores in a handful of locations, mostly relics of a bygone era.
• Enter the third generation: a risky bet — In late 2019, founder’s granddaughter Stephanie Stuckey stepped in, bought back the brand, and became CEO.
• Back to the nuts: candy & manufacturing revival — Stephanie has proven to be a marketing dynamo. She refocused the brand on what really made it special: pecans. In January 2021 the company purchased a pecan-shelling plant and candy factory in Georgia. This provided control over production of pecan log rolls, divinity, pralines, and related snacks for the first time in decades.
• New distribution model — reinvented for the 21st century: Rather than trying to rebuild dozens of full-blown travel plazas, Stephanie pivoted. Stuckey’s now sells in grocery stores, truck stops, convenience chains — over 5,000 outlets nationwide, especially in the Southeast. The legacy roadside store model is no longer the heart of the business.

What this means: Under Stephanie’s direction, Stuckey’s isn’t just surviving, it’s evolving. By reconnecting with its roots, the humble pecan, the candy-making, and resurgent road-trip nostalgia Stuckey’s provides a clear example of how heritage brands can come roaring back when they return to their origins and adapt to changing times.

The Dust-Off Revival of a Loyalty Legend: S&H Green Stamps

• A retail revolution born in the 1890s: S&H Green Stamps were introduced by Sperry & Hutchinson Company in 1896. This innovative project transformed everyday grocery, department store, and gas-station purchases into a loyalty program. Customers collected little green stamps in booklets. They then traded them in for merchandise from catalogs or redemption centers.
• Peak popularity: bigger than the Post Office: In the 1960s, S&H issued more stamps than even the U.S. Postal Service. This speaks volumes about how embedded they were in American consumer life. At its peak the company distributed some 35 million catalogs a year.
• The slow fade of media-age rewards: As consumer habits changed, trading stamps lost appeal. By the 1980s, the classic S&H Green Stamps program had largely ended.
• Enter Carl Norloff — making nostalgia tech-savvy again: Carl, a software professional and community-site creator, saw value in harnessing nostalgia in the restoration of the brand. In 2021, he acquired the S&H Green Stamps brand, determined to reimagine it for modern America
• Digital first — but community rooted: The revived S&H Green Stamps now operates via a mobile app. Participating merchants can give “tokens” to customers at checkout, which accumulate like the old stamps. These tokens can be redeemed for merchandise, or used to support local causes. Thisis a re-imagining of Green Stamps not just as personal rewards, but as community-building incentives.
• Aiming for the open road — and historic highways: Carl’s long-term vision? Tie S&H’s comeback to the romanticism of the great American road trip. He’s pitched S&H as “the official rewards program of Route 66” as the Route 66 Centennial approaches. That vision coupled with nostalgia-driven synergy could breathe new life and not just into the brand.

Bottom line:

S&H Green Stamps helped define 20th century American consumer culture. It exemplified community-driven retail, thrifty families, and the joy of “saving up” for something special. Their fall and revival reminds us that even beloved systems must evolve or vanish as times change.

S & H Green Stamps was the subject of the June 8, 2025 episode of Coffee With Jim. “If you are old enough to remember Route 66 before the interstate highway you probably have fond memories of S & H Green Stamps. And if you use an app or Google instead of paper maps, chances are that you will soon be making your own memories with this American classic that was launched in 1896. Did you know that S & H Green Stamps is making a comeback, but with a modern twist?

On today’s program we talked with Carl Norloff who is on a quest to make this community building, memory making classic relevant for a new generation. Carl joined the S & H company in 2000, helped launch S&H greenpoints, and rode out the bankruptcy of the company, and is now working to revive the iconic brand.

This program is a healthy dose of inspiration for entrepreneurs and community organizers, and a smile inducing stroll down Memory Lane for those us still remember Saturday mornings spent licking stamps.”

The revival stories of Stuckey’s and S & H Green Stamps are just two examples of how historic businesses can survive and even thrive. But they are not the only inspirational businesses found along the old highways.

As a general rule of thumb restaurants and diners have a short life span. Highways are realigned, neighborhoods change, and then there are diasters such as COVID. And so survivors are true treasures.

Still Serving America — One Burger or Chili Bowl at a Time

Louis’ Lunch

An argument can easily be made that the birth-place of the hamburger sandwich is Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, CT. Burgers have been served here since 1895! According to legend Louis Lassen reportedly slapped a ground-steak patty between two slices of toast for a rushed customer.

Today the fourth generation of the same family runs the place. This makes it one of the oldest family-run businesses in the country. Even more amazing burgers today are cooked to order on the 1898 cast-iron grills!

In 2025, the restaurant was named one of America’s best burger spots. So visiting Louis’ Lunch isn’t just a meal. It’s a pilgrimage, a slice of culinary history you can taste, still sizzle­ing after 130 years.

Ike’s Chili

Opening in 1908, the year after Oklahoma became a state, Ike’s Chili in Tulsa is often hailed as the oldest restaurant in Oklahoma.

Over more than a century, Ike’s has moved locations a few times, but the recipe has stayed the same. From a small alley-way parlor to its current home on Route 66 (1503 E. 11th St., Tulsa), Ike’s continues to serve chili the same way it was served decades ago.

Longtime customers still pull up a stool, order a bowl, and savor history as well as damned fine chilli. And road-trip adventurers scouting Mother Road history often stop by to experience what real, old-school chili is all about.

Clanton’s Cafe

Since 1927 Grant Clanton (nicknamed “Sweet Tator”) opened the Busy Bee Cafe a member of the Clanton family has been feeding locals and travelers in Vinita. By 1947 the business moved to its current building on Illinois Ave. (Route 66), where it has operated ever since. Today Clanton’s is known as the oldest continually family-owned restaurant on historic Route 66 in Oklahoma.

They serve up old-fashioned comfort food. Chicken-fried steak, homestyle pot roast, hand-cut fries, scratch pies and coblers make this one of my favorites on Route 66. In my decades of stopping here the menu and good cooking have stayed the same.

Taylor’s Mexican Chili Parlor

Long before traffic rolled along Route 66 in Illinois, Charles O. Taylor established a chili parlor on the square in Carlinville, Illinois. That was in 1904.

According to the story, Taylor had learned how to cook Mexican-style chili at the Mexican National Exposition during the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. He brought that recipe back to Carlinville and added something to the tamales that he sold from a push-cart. That soon evolved into a chili parlor. That humble six-stool place on W. Main Street soon became a fixture. t

Over the years the business expanded. There was even a canning operation launched in the 1930s. Although for a time the restaurant closed, the brand survived. Today, Taylor’s Mexican Chili still offers chili that preserves the flavor and heritage of the 1904 original. Taylor’s is a reminder that even the humblest beginnings can create a legacy that outlasts industries.

What These Stories Teach Us — And How They Matter to American Road-Trip Culture

• Resilience through reinvention: Some brands fade because they refuse to adapt. Others — like Stuckey’s — survive by shifting gears, from highway gift-shops to packaged-food nostalgia businesses.
• Community and continuity: Places like Louis’ Lunch, Ike’s Chili, Clanton’s Cafe, and Taylor’s Mexican Chili have thrived because families, communities, and generations cared enough to keep them going. They’re more than restaurants — they’re institutions.
• Cultural touchstones: These businesses are history made manifest. Each burger, bowl, or pecan log carries decades of stories, travel memories, and family traditions. For travelers and fans of the American story alike, stepping into them is like hopping into a time machine.
• A model for historic-district tourism: For those of us passionate about tourism and community development, these surviving businesses show how historic restaurants and roadside classics can anchor revitalized districts, inspire nostalgic tours, or become catalysts for economic development — all while preserving real, lived history.

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Road-Trip Invitation: Taste History

If you’re planning a cross-country trip, or piecing together a tour of Americana, here’s a thought. Build your route around history you can sink your teeth into.

• Swing by New Haven, CT for the burger that started it all at Louis’ Lunch.
• Head to Tulsa, OK for a bowl of chili that’s been simmering since statehood at Ike’s Chili.
• Drop in at Vinita for the Southern comfort cooking and genuine Route 66 hospitality at Clanton’s Cafe.
• Cruise over to Carlinville, IL to taste the 1904-born chili at Taylor’s Mexican Chili — a dish with a direct line back to the Mexican National Exposition and the dawn of modern chili parlors.
• And wherever you pass a Stuckey’s — or find their pecan logs and candy tins in a store — consider it a sweet wink from America’s road-trip past.

Because these places don’t just serve meals — they serve memories.