The Lexington Howard Johnson's Restaurant was open by the mid 1950s and remained a HoJo's until the end of the 1970s. If you look closely at the picture above you can see holes for the brackets that once held Simple Simon and the Pieman on the blue squares to the right of the entryway.

While the exterior of the building and even the trapezoid sign are still extant, the interior was renovated leaving only the original terrazzo floor which was found through the Restaurant's dining area.