COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — While Arthur Treacher’s is staging an Ohio comeback, scattered across Columbus are the shells of more than a dozen former locations that once fried up cod and hush puppies.
Launched in 1969, the central Ohio chain was named after British actor Arthur Treacher, who appeared in numerous 1930s films and in Disney’s “Mary Poppins.” Its British-inspired menu helped fuel rapid expansion and, by the end of the 1970s, there were more than 800 Arthur Treacher’s locations nationwide.
Financial trouble hit early in the next decade. The company filed for bankruptcy in 1982, just months after being acquired by Lumara Foods of America. After years of ownership changes, Chapter 11 proceedings and declining sales, the chain’s footprint shrank drastically. Today, just three restaurants remain open, all in northeast Ohio.
The chain made headlines this summer when a deal to revive one of its former locations fell through. Marino’s Seafood Fish & Chips at 1216 W. Fifth Ave. in Grandview Heights was once an Arthur Treacher’s in the 1980s. The restaurant’s owners had planned to retire and transfer operations to the chain, but the agreement collapsed and Marino’s reopened in August. Watch a previous NBC4 report on Marino’s and Arthur Treacher’s in the video player above.
The following list of former Arthur Treacher’s locations was compiled by ColumbusRestaurantHistory.com, a site that since 1997 has documented central Ohio restaurants.
Former central Ohio Arthur Treacher’s locations
261 Lincoln Circle in Gahanna.
- This property was among Arthur Treacher’s first locations that opened in 1969 and is now home to a longtime Massey’s Pizza.
355 Granville St. in Gahanna.
- This Gahanna site has seen several tenants over the years, including Swan Cleaners and most recently Buckeye Candy Company.
561 S. Hamilton Road in Whitehall.
- An Arthur Treacher’s location until 1980, this Whitehall property was the home of Indochine Café before closing in 2022.
808 S. High St. in German Village.
- Another original Arthur Treacher’s that operated from 1969 until the mid 1970s, this German Village property has been owned by Taco Bell since the 1980s.
1216 W. Fifth Ave. in Grandview Heights.
- Once an Arthur Treacher’s in the 1980s, this Grandview Heights location has operated under the Marino’s brand since 1992.
1765 Brice Road in Reynoldsburg.
- This Reynoldsburg site is the longtime home of creole restaurant Cajun Island.
2110 Cleveland Ave. in Columbus.
- Another Arthur Treacher’s from 1969 until the mid 1970s, this Columbus property recently featured a beauty salon, but has since been boarded up.
2127 E. Livingston Ave. in Columbus.
- This Columbus property was among Arthur Treacher’s later locations, open from the 1990s until 2005.
2183 N. High St. in Columbus.
- Near Ohio State University, this site was an Arthur Treacher’s beginning in 1969 and now includes a Domino’s location.
2245 Morse Road in Columbus.
- Listed as Arthur Treacher’s original central Ohio location, this Columbus property is now a E-Z Cash Pawn Shop.
3871 E. Livingston Ave. in Columbus.
- This Columbus site has served as an auto sales business since the 1980s.
5328 N. High St. in Columbus.
- Previously known as Acropolis Gyro Palace, this Greek Express location has operated on this Columbus site since 2001.
209 E. Broad St. in Columbus.
- Once a shopping center, this property is now features a towering apartment complex that started construction after the COVID-19 pandemic.
