For
many years North Carolina's laws did not allow motels to be
pet friendly so Jacksonville's Howard Johnson's Restaurant
seized an opportunity to appeal to people traveling with their
critters. As more and more Americans took to the road with
their pets, Jacksonville's HoJo's Restaurant welcomed dogs
and cats in an attempt to garner good will and increase business.
Opened
in 1955, the Jacksonville Restaurant stood next to the Circle
Drive Motel. The motel featured "90 Air conditioned Guest
Rooms with private baths, Steam Heat, Room telephones and
TV." Near the Marine base at Camp LeJeune, both the HoJo's
Restaurant and Circle Drive Motel were assured of having a
steady stream of patrons.
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