See one of the last Bonanza Steakhouses demolished after standing for 45 years

Unfortunately no longer a potful of gold - Bonanza!

For 45 years, folks in Tupelo, Mississippi, lined up for the buffet at Bonanza Steakhouse, the chain whose name is taken from the hit TV Western. That particular buffet became a ghost town after the restaurant got bought by Dollar General and shuttered in August this year. Then Wednesday brought a day that stamped out the chain in Tupelo for good when that Bonanza Steakhouse was demolished. Steel your steak-loving heart and see the damage done in this video from WTVA below:

Did you ever eat at a Bonanza Steakhouse sometimes now called Ponderosa Steakhouse? With only eight locations left in the country, we're living in a new time that's a far cry from when the popularity of the chain reached its peak in 1989, when there were 600 steakhouses spread across the U.S. Is there still one in your area?

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8 Comments

WilliamLAllen 69 months ago
I worked at the Bonanza Steakhouse in Florham Park NJ for about a year in 1975-76. It was a converted tire shop. As employees all we got was a discount on hamburgers and fries.
JeffTanner 69 months ago
No, We never had any Bonanza SteakHouses in our area, But there were 4 or 5 Ponderosa's, which I thought were better. Now there's none left.
VinSim 70 months ago
There was a Boanza Steakhouse in Talladega, Alabama when I was a kid. It burned down, then they rebuilt it. Before the resturant closed in the 80s, it did change its name to Ponderosa. Now, its turn down and a doctors office is on the property.
MichaelV 71 months ago
Ponderosa and Bonanza steak houses are under Homestyle Dining based in Plano Tx. Pon-bon.com. We lost ours many years ago. We had 3 Ponderosa’s. I ate at a Bonanza in Pennsylvania while on vacation.
MichaelSkaggs 71 months ago
Mark, according to the website they are the same company, headquartered in Indiana. Also, they report there are 63 locations.
Mark 71 months ago
It wasn't a buffet, it served cafeteria style.
Mark 71 months ago
Bonanza and Ponderosa were two different, competing restaurant chains. Not the same company.
nerakr 71 months ago
Nope. I live just outside Tupelo. Ate there once.
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