Originally from Loopnet.
This is an updated version of what was on Carbon-izer (
on a page to be removed in the near future). According to TCAD, this restaurant was built in
the year 1965, though newspaper articles indicate a slightly different story, first as Uncle Van's Pancake House (opened circa 1960), which by 1966 was simply Uncle Van's.
In
May 1970 it became Roy Rogers, an unusual development as the franchisee was unconnected with Ram-Hart Systems, which failed and
brought down a number of other stores. In 1971, a beer and wine permit was even issued for Roy Rogers. Unfortunately, this was not enough to save it and it folded in 1974. In late 1975 Wendy's opened (by this time West 19th Street had been renamed as 415 West Martin Luther King Boulevard). Wendy's remained at this location for several decades afterward.
Going to the present, while the website of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (the current tenant) doesn't list store openings anymore (though it opened approx. September 2013),
the store's webpage makes no mention of its most notable feature...a rotating sign. This was carried over from Wendy's (unknown when they installed it), though the sign was physically reduced in size to a simple rectangle instead of the Wendy's-shaped sign.
It appears that the restaurant was extensively renovated from Wendy's (same footprint, even the back) but to what extent is unknown. (See the current restaurant on
Google Maps).
UPDATE 08-20-2025: Added new picture.
