The Horne's chain was founded by Bob Horne in 1948. He was a member of the family that owned Horne's Beautyrest Cabins--a modest motel court south of Jacksonville in Bayard, Florida. According to www.stuckonstuckeys.com Mr. Horne had been an employee of Stuckey's and began his own business after WWII following a disagreement with the Stuckey family. Other sources have indicated that Horne had been making candy for Stuckey's and lost the business when Stuckey's opened its own production facilities prompting Horne to strike out on his own. In any event, the yellow roofed chain bore a striking resemblance to the original Stuckey's formula.

Early on, Horne's expansion was gradual and limited to the Southeast--mostly along the then main U.S. highways. Like Stuckey's, focus was placed on providing a wide range of services to travelers. Gas, food, and gifts were available all in one place, and motorists were assured of quality service reinforced by standard architecture and signage punctuated by the steeply pitched eye-catching yellow roofs!

Circus Grille The kids will love our famous Circus Grille ...Seating for 50 to 100 at counter or booths. You will enjoy the tasty food, fountain treats, and fast friendly service. There's something special about eating in Horne's famous Circus Grille...whether it's a quick snack...a fountain delight...or a full dinner...a treat-filled interlude awaits you and the whole family under the bright and gay canopy.

As Horne's evolved it became less like Stuckey's and perhaps borrowed ideas from successful operations like Howard Johnson's. Restaurants offered both counter and dining room service, and like HoJo's Horne's made a strong appeal to children emphasized by its imaginative Circus Grille, complete with balloon light fixtures and clown decorations.

Contrasting the fanciful Circus Grille, Crown Rooms which were a fixture in later Horne's, offered a more sophisticated dining experience.

Gift Shoppe You could spend hours in our gift shoppe...there are so many things to see...jewelry, house gifts...toys, exciting novelties, gourmet taste delights, and of course, our delicious candies. This favorite shopper's paradise is loaded with Horne's fine candies, gourmet taste thrills, jewelry, house gifts and exciting novelties to delight everyone's fancy. just browse around, you'll see.

While Horne's highway stops attempted to re-image themselves during the later 1960s and early 1970s, the integrated Gift Shoppes, a throw-back to earlier times, continued to play an important role in generating profits appealing to the public's desire for trinkets and souvenirs!

Above & Below: Horne's tastefully decorated guest rooms meet the highest standards of comfort, convenience and cleanliness. And you'll find all the extra comforts that you expect in a fine lodge...including swimming pool, lounge, meeting and banquet rooms, and dining and grill rooms. And Horne's means fine foods,,,whether you're enjoying a full course dinner in Horne's formal dining room, or a delightful snack in Horne's sparkling bright Grill Room.

Most of the lodges offered about 100 rooms and room size, amenities and layout were based on plans remarkably similar to classic Holiday Inns. However few Howard Johnson's traits were emulated since the Orange Roofed chain employed larger facilities, more amenities, and were considerably more costly to construct. Nonetheless Horne's motor lodges helped to usher in a new and better age of standardized lodging facilities. Travelers quickly discovered that they could be assured of similar if not identical quality and service from Horne's to Horne's!

Hallmarks of the American Way of Life, prosperity and mobility went hand and hand to foster the golden age of roadside hospitality that lasted into the 1970s. As Interstates supplanted old routes, new types of businesses serving travelers were created, and existing ones evolved or perished. Clustered at the fresh new interchanges, they vied for the eye of the motorist and his passengers as they sped along at 70 mph.

Although the open road represented adventure, most people sought out familiar places of business that were easily recognizable and offered standard service and quality -- thus the rise and success of chain operations like Horne's.