Ft. Lauderdale-Beach

Brochure circa 1990s

The Restaurant at Ft. Lauderdale-Beach had been a corporate location, and when Marriott acquired Howard Johnson's in 1986 it continued to operate the restaurant as a HoJo's! An extremely high volume eatery, Marriott retained its Howard Johnson's name rather than converting it into a Big Boy or other concept. In 1991 the now defunct Franchise Associates Incorporated (FAI) took control of the location. Unfortunately FAI ceased making any capital improvements allowing the once popular and busy Restaurant to wither. Finally FAI closed the unit in about 1999 cashing in on its valuable beach-front location, and ended a chapter in Howard Johnson's history.

Photograph January 2001

Brochure circa 1990s

Photographs January 2001

Where the Boys aren't
Fort Lauderdale, having fought a public relations battle for many years to shake its image as a place filled with rowdy Spring Breakers, has nearly succeeded. No longer a place where the boys and girls are, the beach is now a scene of unbridled redevelopment.

Moroever there is no longer a Howard Johnson's for the "Average Joe." Soon it seems that only the mega-rich will be able to enjoy nature's splendor along our coasts. The Howard Johnson's complex was purchased in August of 2005 by Transacta Prive Developers for $20.6 million, and subsequently closed. Trasacta is run by Thomas and Silvia Sabates Coltrane who will have razed the HoJo's and replaced it with a 340 room condo-hotel called the Orion Resort.

Photographs June 24, 2006