The actor who played Eric "Hoss" Cartwright, Dan Blocker, created a chain of Golden Corral-style buffet restaurants named after the television series in 1963, as reported by Vox. Blocker opened the first of his restaurants in Westport, Connecticut, and by 1989, more than 600 locations stretched from "sea to shining sea." They served up hearty fare, including ribeye and sirloin steaks, and the brand still holds a soft spot in many people's hearts, according to Wide Open Eats.
How did the Ponderosa restaurants fit into the picture? Charles Kleptz, Norm Wiese, and Dan Lasater founded the dining brand independently in 1965. The Ponderosa chain opened locations across Canada and the United States.
Although it would take three decades, these two restaurant chains eventually joined forces in 1997. That's when Metromedia Family Steakhouses acquired both brands. Unfortunately, Metromedia declared bankruptcy in 2009, bringing the history of the Bonanza and Ponderosa Steakhouses largely to an end. Although a few of these establishments still persist in places including New Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Presque Isle, Maine, they're a fast-vanishing feature of the landscape. Nevertheless, Wide Open Eats notes, "The legacy of the Bonanza Steakhouse chain will always be a big part of America's history."
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