Well sited along I-80 between San Francisco and Sacramento, the large Fairfield Restaurant opened in 1973 and was among the earlier locations to employ the Mansard design. The unit survived past the 1986 break up of the Howard Johnson Company and well into the FAI era. In fact when it finally closed in late 1991 or during 1992 it was the very last Howard Johnson's Restaurant west of Kansas.

Abandoned since its early 1990s closure, many of its HoJo's cues remained in place--even its "browned-out" highway sign was still readable from the Interstate. And what passing motorist could miss Fairfield's Orange Mansard Gleaming in the California sun! Announced in 2005, I-80's interchange at Nelson Rd. was to be realigned resulting in Nelson Road's realignment behind the former HoJo's. Nonetheless highway planners indicated that the parcel would still be available for development/reuse which will result in Fairfield's demolition--if it has not happened already.