Howard Johnson’s 5th Anniversary Champagne Glass

Submitted by Mod Betty RetroRoadmap.com February 1st, 2011
Certifikitsch Winner

This is one of what used to be a pair of HoJo’s champagne glasses that I found on one of my thrifting adventures when RetroRoadhusband and I lived in Delaware. When I moved there in 2000 there were at least 3 Howard Johnson’s restaurants still in operation, however now years later they’ve all been changed to other restaurants.

According to the great Howard Johnson’s resource HoJoLand.com, the Newark DE Howard Johnson’s restaurant was at exit 1 off of 95 at Glasgow Road in Newark DE. I can’t seem to find out when the restaurant opened, but I think it’s pretty cool that they had glassware made up to celebrate their 5 year anniversary!

I have very fond memories of Howard Johnson’s as it is a Massachusetts based chain that figured big in my childhood, from stopping on the Mass Pike on the way home from Girl Scout camp for a meal, to the “all you can eat “clam strip nights, to my favorite ice cream flavor ever, HoJo’s mocha chip. My grandmother would often buy pints of their ice cream as well as frozen macaroni and cheese, and I’m a big fan of their color scheme.

5 Responses to “Howard Johnson’s 5th Anniversary Champagne Glass”

  1. Allee Willis

    I absolutely love HoJo’s and am very jealous of this glass!

    The mere mention of HoJo’s clam strips you makes me sweat as I loved them so much. I love Howard johnson colors – orange and turquoise, still one of my all-time fave color combos -, as well as the smell of the restaurant when you walk in, the ice cream, the menus, but nothing so much as those fried clam strips!

    I wish we knew what year this glass was from. It’s wonderful one way or the other.

  2. k2dtw

    Great post!!…Beautiful glass…was it a give away??…or did they serve in it??..
    Great memories of HJ…always loved that HJ roof so much… and their beautiful weathervane.

  3. Mod Betty RetroRoadmap.com

    I’m not sure the origin of the glass but I’d love to think that folks might’ve ordered a drink and be served in this during some swanky celebration in the restaurant. Somehow I’m touched by such a permanent reminder of an anniversary of a business that isn’t even there anymore.

  4. Mod Betty RetroRoadmap.com

    Update! A roadsidepal of mine Glenn Wells – who runs the website Roadsidefans.com just posted this to my FB page, so I’ll repost here:

    Glenn Wells I have found Rich Kummerlowe’s web site is without equal in the Ho Jo field. According to it, the Newark, Delaware Howard Johnson’s opened in 1964. The restaurant is now a Friendly.

    Here is a link to some photos/post cards of the Newark Hojos:

    http://www.highwayhost.org/Delaware/Newark/newark1.html

    So this glass is from 1969. Love how there are folks out there devoting their time to creating these resources that we can all learn from.