When I was a kid, my best friend's father worked nights at the newspaper company. We frequently tagged along. We used to go to Sambo's for breakfast in the wee hours of the morning for pancakes and eggs. We loved getting to choose our own food. I had forgotten about the wooden nickels. I have happy memories of those early mornings. Sadly, my best friend, her father and Sambo's are all gone to live only in my fond memories.
Interesting, my mom was briefly a big city newspaper copy editor on the night shift and we used to pick her up on Saturday mornings and hit the Sambo on the way home. Must’ve been, maybe 1970?
I feel your loss. I too miss the atmosphere and memories of being at Sambo's with loved one's and friends. I'm 65 now and will always have those pleasant memories.
I loved stopping at Sambos for breakfast when we traveled. Loved reading the story of Little Black Sambo on the kids menu. 😀 The good old days when life was carefree.
@@TwistedTerrorOfficial It gets old doesn't it? Just seems to be the flavor (Narrative) of the day. Those who wish to ignore or erase history are destined to repeat it. Sad.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I worked in a Sambo's in 1977. The demise is so sad, because I always thought that the Tiger theme had it all - colorful, happy, child-pleasing, and distinctive. The Tiger theme was every bit as good as the Big Boy theme. Oh, and the food was very good, too. Oh, and I still have a Sambo's employee handbook. (Wish I had kept a menu.)
@ Notanya Leiff thank you. My mom and grandpa took me to one in Michigan when I was little. I loved the story depicted on the walls as much as the food.
Speaking, me working in sit-down full-service restaurants, l worked at couple in King, Prussia, Penna., near Phila., Penna. from early-1990s till late-2000s decade. And l followed in f'tstps, my oldest s'blng, who's since been d'csd. He w'rkd at couple, pancake house r'strnts near M'lvrn, Penna. In mid/late-1970s and early-1980s
When I was a very young military recruit, I remember going to Sambo's in Spokane, WA numerous times. They served a very inexpensive meal that was always delicious. That restaurant got to be a late night hangout for me and 8 to 10 buddies. We would go there to eat, talk, and, of course, drink all the free coffee they would make. Good times remembered.
I grew up in Spokane in the 60-70's. It was always such a treat to go there for Pancakes and hamburgers...it was so wholesome and innocent. I think the narrator is correct they were just on the wrong side of History and unfortunately the name and imagery offended many people I certainly don't think there was any malice it just went off the tracks and fortunately
Per my memory, Sambo's pancakes were very unique and had a fantastic taste. It was the "Tiger Butter" that really made the taste. I'm glad Chad's is still operating in Santa Barbara. I'm going to visit it
I feel the same way. I enjoyed the 10 cent cup of coffee too. I worked there for a few years and enjoyed it until the restaurant was remodeled. Half a year later the restaurants went down hill. I wish it never had happened for I often remember the “pizza omelette “ and the burger that topped “Mc D s”.
^_^ I was thinking the SAME THING, though the name is gone I BET THE FARM you get the same experience as a kid back in the 70's!! Tell me how it turns out?
There was a Sambo restaurant on Miracle mile in Coral Gables FL in the early 1970s. Gone a long time now and glad it is gone. I thought it was racist especially if you did not know the origin of the name
Because people, and I mean irrational adults, are uptight and take everything literally. Just relax and enjoy some pancakes. Put the protest signs down. Lol.
The only controversy was uptight people that must be so bored in their daily lives they need to make life hell for everyone else. Oh it's just the 2 owners names combined and NOT a derogatory term eh?? Yea we don't care, it triggered us and we don't like it.
Why in the World couldn't they just let people know that the name was a combo of the names of the two Owners? I could see if they had a picture of the Dude from "Uncle Ben's" or something like "Aunt Jamima" but I never got the vibe about their being a racist connotation. God take a look at the symbol of Coon Chicken Inn if you want a negative stereotype.
It was the start of Cancel Culture and liberal indignation at something that was really nothing and was totally off base. Note: The Original Sambos is still open in Santa Barbara though it hides its .name
Sambos was always my favorite place to eat as a child. I loved looking at the tigers and how fun they were, with their expressions. I always thought that it was a magical place to go and eat at. I have wonderful memories of the restaurants and the food, i always will.
The end of a perfect day at Disneyland in the 1960s was a pancake dinner at the nearby Sambos. Great mid century decor too. I loved the children’s book as well, I thought Sambo was a smart and resourceful kid.
@@aneli1943 We do need those and they are expensive. You are all doing a great job clearing up the trash, kudos. My suggestions. The traps should be made by a government funded non profit company which also helps train unskilled workers and are established in every state, city or town depending upon population size. Education for children in garbage disposal and recycled materials, not just telling them don't drop litter, showing them how bad it is and how the trash can be used again for good Products. Reduced package/ wrapping and more organic products rather than plastic. Posters on public display reminding that litter is bad. More public bins in busy areas, specifically for plastic and cans plus organic. More waste food products and produce turned into composting fertilisers for domestic and agriculture, again by government funded non profit organisations or profit sustainable and eventually self funding but never given authority for being an independant profitable company. Funds raised by the green companies should go towards environmental projects and maintaining parks and green areas within the city or county limits. A little more thought, a lot less politics and a few more caring people taking charge of some of the billions wasted by government agencies and we will all be looking at a better future for our children.
Will i have two of the stuffed tigers i bet they are going to be worth some money now also i have a old Sambos coffee cup that says Sambos 1000 Restaurant opened September 27.1978
My mother worked in a Sambo's in San Diego when I was a kid. I remember going there sometimes after school for dinner. The interior was bright and cheerful. I'm not sure, but at 2:40 the outside signage design may be where Denny's got the idea for theirs? I never connected the name with anything racist or derogatory -- Perhaps because I focused on a tiger eating pancakes. Sadly we've reached a point in our history where something is going to trigger / upset someone, somewhere. That's living in the past and if a person does that, they never live in the day - they just dwell on negativity.
Unfortunately this goes well beyond triggering or focusing on negativity. I also loved Sambos as a kid but as a society we can aspire to be more aware and evolved.
Lara Bouzid - Agreed. Sadly, the depiction lacks context and is incomplete. It was not simply the amalgamation of the two founders’ names to create the name nor was it the decor of a children’s book. Sambo was a character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin and was widely used as a euphemism for a racial slur from the turn of the 20th century. Slurs were often pulled from popular literature or terms used in culture as they still are. We need lock no further than just a few months ago for an example of this when a Colorado State Senator called his Bláck colleague “Buckwheat” from the Colorado State floor while in session. “Buckwheat” was a fictional character, a 7yo Bláck boy from the 1930s’ show “Our Gang/The Little Rascals” but this was the name chosen to be given to the Bláck colleague in 2021. Without historical context, none of this means anything. This is a short context and history. Agreed ... as we grow in awareness, may we also fully understand the past.. This will help us to move forward.
I happily ate at a Sambo's in Orlando, FL in 1976. I don't think I ever had their pancakes but I sure loved their bacon waffle! IT WAS THE BEST. It's an absolute shame the chain is gone and I miss seeing them.
There was a Sambo's in Greenville, Texas. My best friend worked there. We had many good times there. He and I would have all of the world's problems solved in two pots of coffee or less!
Back in summer of 1964 I was 10. My parents had just gotten divorced. My mother lived in Santa Barbara and we stayed with her all of that summer. She would take my sister and me to the Sambos in Santa Barbara. As I recall it was on the coast highway near the Santa Barbara pier. Great but sad memories.
My first job as a teenager was at Sambo’s. I still have found memories of those years. My older brother was on the west coast training team in the late 70s. They were responsible for training staff as new restaurants opened.
I wonder if your brother trained and opened the Albany Oregon location? I was hired to open and work in that restaurant. Maybe your brother trained me?
It's something reading a lot of the comments they evoke a time when you could go to a nice place and get really good food at different times of the day, I miss that America. I didn't know the original Sambos was in California I grew up in Victorville.
In the 1970s my parents took me every Sunday there to eat in Livermore California. I loved the sweet innocent story of the little boy and tigers. I never knew why they disappeared. I guess that time of childrens stories and make believe are gone for good
I remember going to these back in the 60's - especially the one in Santa Barbara and Seattle. My family like them very much and we never thought anything of the story.
They needed to change the name and the graphics. It was a victim of the times. If they had done that and kept the food and the service they would be thriving still.
The last Sambo's I ate in was 1981 in Albuquerque NM. I was very broke and bought a cup of "Green Chilie" soup. The book, that the theme was based on was a childhood favorite of mine and puts little Sambo in a positive light as he was able to overcome not get eaten. The version I had was one of the "Little Golden Book" series.
We had a Sambos in Tarzana, California when I was a teen in the late 1970s, early 1980s. Loved it. This location had the Sambo boy image on the sign. Awesome! Can still picture sitting at the counter with my nanna.
Because of a "name" a "word" and assumptions about that word, a thriving business where everyone could get a lot of good food for not lot of money was destroyed. We had a Sambos in upstate NY and we always knew the name came from a combination of the owners name. My family struggled back then, so we often ate at Sambos because it was so affordable and delicious. There always has to be someone that gets their panties in a wad about something?
Even this narrator is afraid to pronounce it correctly like "Sam", feels the need to dumb it down to "Som-bo's". The boy in the story wasn't even black, he was Indian. Good old political correctness.
In order to understand the issue, it is necessary to engage in an empathic understanding, Symbols are representative of each of our cultural and experiential backgrounds. Sambos is not "just a name" or a :"word." To an entire race of people, Sambos is a symbol of ingrained racism starting with importing African slaves. Growing up in New Orleans, I had the book and I fully understood the theme. As I grew up, I came to appreciate how racist my book was as a constant reminder of the black history in America. I was happy to give up the benign symbol of my happy childhood in recognition of the negative symbolism for others.
Me and my friends always went to Sambo's after the bars and discos closed. It was a great midnight hang out. The food and prices were great too. It never occurred to us that there was a controversy until much later.
In 1973 we had a Sambo's in Bozeman Montana. It was open late, had good food, great coffee! We spent many an hour there as high school kids with dates. Thanks for the memories!!
When I was a boy we moved from Kansas to Mississippi I started the 3rd grade there. I remember going to a restaurant called Sambo's. We liked going there fairly regular. When I was in Jr. High school we as boys had tents and loved to camp out in one of our yards. We collected the Sambo's wooden nickels and go there late at night to get coffee. The coffee was Sanka ( decaf) and sugar and a lot of milk. We thought we were something. I still have a wooden nickel from there reminds me of being a boy.
When I was in collage, my friends and I would sit in Sambo's for hours talking, smoking cigarettes and drinking the free refills of coffee. My favorite was the patty melt they served.
I remember those restaurants! My family & I ate there all the time when I was a little kid, usually on Sundays. Even in addition to the pancakes (which were very good), they also had a pretty good menu selection overall as I remember. I always found something on there to appeal to me. I don't recall ever seeing the wooden nickels for coffee, but I _did_ have a little stuffed tiger that they sold to customers up front by the cash-registers. I think I still have it somewhere buried in the boxes of old toys from my childhood...
Sambo was not African, he was East Indian. To us as children, he represented a brave yet wise character, worth modeling after. It is a shame that such cherished characters have been destroyed by the bullies and propagandists of the current cancel culture. I have fond memories of Sambos restaurant and my visits there with my family. That's something they can never cancel.
Cancel culture is a step in destroying a nation’s identity and way of life. What comes after the psyop is never good for anyone but the elitists in charge; tyranny for everyone else.
I loved eating at Sambo's in Lubbock, Texas, as a child. I loved the kid and his tiger and I'm certain there are some Sambo's relics in my curiosity jar. I can remember vividly playing with some plastic Sambo's hand mitts that had the characters on them like puppets.
I'm 17 so I'm apart of this overly sensitive generation and I don't see anything offensive about the name Sambos or the use of the tiger and the boy,it's cute and wholesome and Sambos is about the foundeds,I hate people finding offense over everything.
Unfortunately,, you and your generation aren’t being well-educated. There was nothing “cute,” wholesome, or fun about the word Sambo as it was used in American culture since the Civil War. It was a derogatory slur just like the ones you hear today. It was offensive and was meant to be offensive. It was not a term of endearment (see the song “Sambo was a lazy cooon.”) These songs and ditties were sung by armies, children and groups for group “fun.” The people who wanted it taken out of the culture wanted to take it out for that reason because it was offensive. I hope you and your generation would do your own research and find the meanings. It’s not hard to find as they were in the culture in television, print and newspaper. I hope you educate yourselves. You’re not being told the actual story.
@@RichieTrashmouthTozier Just like the Swatztka Is a symbol of anti- semitism.Please get with the program.Its not aimed at you and your wbite.Pleeeaaasssee....
My grandmother used to take me to Sambo's in Portland periodically in the 70's. Always had a good meal as well as a good time. We never even had a thought about there being racial overtones or implications, just good people, and food at a good price. It's a shame that people can't leave some things alone and feel the need to push their own agenda.
I remember Sambo’s as a kid in SoCal for sure. I loved the kind of tropical feel with the artwork of the boy and lions and pancakes. I used to read to my son the story of Little Rahjani (?) which was the same story of the boy and the mean lions, that he turns into pancakes. Just a magical children’s story. Peace all and take care of each other!
I live in Fort Worth, Tx. There was a Sambos my parents & our friends would stop at on our way home from out of town dances back in the 70’s. If memory serves, that is one location sold to Denny’s, as the architecture looks identical. Gosh, we miss that Sambos. Their food used to be the best!
Our number one civil rights icon here in Spokane, Washington, was attorney Carl Maxey. He ate there all the time and apparently, had no problem with the 'imagery'. The restaurant here was located on 3rd avenue near downtown.
I waited out a hurricane with some friends late one night in the early '80s at one of the last Sambo's restaurants. I still remember the pictures from the storybook that fascinated me as a child. Because Sambo was a hero in cleverly defeating the tigers, I didn't connect it to racism until the social backlash began closing their restaurants. In trying to compel social justice, we continually throw out the babies with the bath water.
Regularly went for coffee and pancakes (Dad had the coffee) at Sambos . My friends Dad was manager. Our 3rd grade class ate pancakes there for a field trip . It was only opened a few years here in Hutchinson Ks. I was sad that my friends Dad was transferred with the closure . I remember more the colorful decor (orange , turquoise) than the book depictions
My family loved going to Sambo's on Aurora Ave. in Seattle in the 60 's. We didn't have much money when I was a kid, so going out to breakfast was a big deal! I still remember getting my plate of 6 Sambo cakes with fruit syrup and a side of bacon. It was wonderful to see those familiar little cartoon drawings of Sambo and the tiger- thank you!
I remember there being a Sambo's here in Santa Clara, CA. They had a 3-panel mural with the little boy with his parasol and the tiger, and one scene had him crying cuz the tiger took his parasol. I remember the pancakes (can almost taste them now!), and they had an activity book featuring the Tiger Kids (to which I would act my own funny drawings, lol!). This and Bob's Big Boy up on Winchester Blvd. in San Jose by the famous Mystery House were enjoyable parts of my childhood. Ah, being a kid in the '70s!😊
My family ate at the Sambos across the street from Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, Ca many times. The chocolate pancakes were great. It was sad to see it close.
I loved Sambo's restaurants back in the day. Their food was reasonably priced and the quality was awesome. What a shame that an innocent child story the chain was named after would stir up a hornets nest, upsetting a lot of butt hurt people to force this great chain into bankruptcy. I miss Sambos. But all great things must come to an end, unfortunately.
But that's the thing--the chain was NOT named after the children's book---it was named after the two restaurant founders! That it was the name of a children's book was pure coincidence. Yes, the founders incorporated the characters and imagery of the book into art for the menus and restaurant, but since the story was about an Indian boy and his Tiger, I personally saw nothing wrong with that.
I remember these on the way to visit my grandparents in Nashville. It was 72-76 maybe, I was about 5 or 6 years old. The restaurant's sign back then only had a tigers face on it but it was called Sambo's. I always liked stopping there.
I remember Sambo's. I must have been about 9 and that summer my grandmother went to visit her sister in CA. This would have been about 1959 and that was a trip of many firsts. We flew, out and took the bus back. A summer I will never forget. We were there for about 10 days and several mornings we had breakfast at Sambo's. My grandfather gave me some spending money and I remember I bought several of the stuff toys. I actually had not thought about this in close to 60 some years. Thank you for this post and the excellent video.
Another excellent video. The only thing missing was the part of the Little Black Sambo story where the tigers ran so fast in a circle that they turned into butter, lol. I do remember the wooden nickels, classic. Funny how after growing up, I was taught as a good tip to not accept wooden nickels, lol...
Loved getting to stop at them on early morning road trips with my family! My favorite breakfast was the blueberry waffle with a good piping of whipped cream on top! My mom never made us things like that at home so it was a real treat! A couple of them in my area of San Jose and Los Gatos turned into "Season's Restaurant" and didn't last much longer than that in the early 80s!
I worked at a Sambos in St Pete FL all through my 4 years of HS (graduated in 1980). It was a great first job. Learned lots about working and made many friends.
There is a Sambo somewhere halfway between San fran and Anahiem Ca.3of my friends and I were coming back from a teachers convention in the 70s and we were dead broke.We ordered 4 cups of hot water and were putting ketchup packs in it and eatting saltines.The management noticed and we were getting up to go when they insisted on treating us to breakfast.So kind of them and have never forgotten it!!!Use to always stop there when times were better.
I grew up in Seattle and Samboo's was my family's regular Sunday after church place to go. I will always remember the story of little sambo and his tigers! Loved the food I think I still have a wooden nicole in drawer somewhere. Thank you for the memories. I always wondered what happened to the restaurant chain.😀
There’s also a Sambos in Oregon. Lincoln City to be exact. Still open. Even has an elevated tiger statue that holds an umbrella with its tail. Super cool looking I might add!!! I was just there recently. 😊🤙🏼
I remember when I was a little kid I used to love to eat there. I remember the restaurant's dishes were a turquoise and white combination. I loved Sambo becuase I saw him as another little kid like me that made it inviting. Bob's Big Boy was great as well and you would get a free comic book! Also, the Golden West pancake restaurant where they would give you a free native American feather piece to put on your head, which made you feel you were given something very special and cool to wear! I Loved all of that, and I miss it greatly! I'm so grateful I was able to experience a childhood that was a simple time, and you were allowed to be a kid, verses today's society striving for a bleak, minimalist, Orwellian, Marxist existence.
This is what has happened to far to many companies and Individuals who are blacklisted or slandered because their lifestyle or politics and in many cases their careers destroyed. Thank you for this important part of history that has been brought to light. Justice in America is in the Beholder's eyes and the politics of the day.
Sambo's had the best bacon-waffles ever. We had a location two blocks from high school in L.A. - it's where I usually spent my mornings drinking ten cent coffee, instead of sleeping in government class. Three people could eat breakfast for less than five dollars total.
A Sambo's had opened in my neighborhood of Flour Bluff, in Corpus Christi, TX, when I was in high school. It was a nice addition to my area, being on the road to the beach, but I was aware of the problems the chain was having with the name which caused its ultimate demise. In a library book about American festivals, I saw a picture of a Little Black Sambo balloon in a parade celebrating the Southeastern Fair in Atlanta, carried by Shriners.
I worked for Sambos in the middle 1970's in Albany Oregon. In fact, I was involved in the opening of that store. I miss those days. Thanks for bringing back some fond memories.
When I was a kid back in the 70s our family would eat at the Sambo’s that was near us quite often. That restaurant closed when all of them started shuttering their doors when they filed for bankruptcy. A few years later the building that had been vacant reopened as a strip club. Over the past 40 years it has changed ownership to a long line of sleazy strip clubs that stay open only for a few years before closing. The surrounding neighborhood has been in the same decline. It’s funny that it started as the pancake restaurant.
what's funny is how something that was supposedly bad closed down, leading to really bad stuff happening! it's the same thing that's happened with Defund The Police!
I was a kid in the 60s-70s and loved going to Sambo’s for pancakes. Every time we went, I’d always make my dad tell me the story of Sambo fighting the lions. I always thought it was so cool.
We had a Sambos in ABQ. Great restaurant. Funny how extremists found Sambos offensive, it had nothing to do with them. Indians never seem to have a problem with it.
This was a great memory. Thank you for this video. In the 1970's, we got to go to Sambo's on Folsom Blvd in Sacrameto, CA, one Sunday a month after church. My brother and I got so excited for those Sundays! Such great memories with my parents and my brother. 🥰
As a child, I loved the story of little black Sambo. in Japan, it was called chibi kuro sambo. I still associate having pancakes with the tiger butter and how it looked in the illustrations in the book. I never associated the story to racism. Used to frequent the Lombard street location in San Francisco while attending Marina Jr high.
I, too, loved this book when I was a child. We kids viewed the main character as a "hero", who turned the mean old tiger into butter. Even though this was back in the early 1960's, there were never any negative connotations presented, at least in my family, with the book. I, too, was fascinated as the tiger turned itself into butter (it was my favorite part of the story). I can fully understand however, why this story and book have evoked such negative responses from others in the many decades since I was a little girl. As I grew older, I realized that the racial overtones of the book, especially the title, were more than likely intended, given the period in which the book was written, to present an stereotypical portrait of an entire group of humans. As such, I was always uncomfortable seeing that there was a restaurant named, as I thought, after such a book, whose title was, more than likely, insulting to an entire segment of the population, who lived their lives through the lense of racism, segregation, demoralization and humiliation. That book could NEVER have been written, let alone published, today!
@@Jon_A. Maybe NOT to YOU, but, given the current climate in this country, what parent in their right mind would want their child reading about little BLACK SAMBO or taking them to eat an establishment bearing THAT monikor?
@@Jon_A. It has ZERO to do with being a Liberal, Conservative or Bozo the Clown. It has EVERYTHING to do with being a HUMAN, who believes we ALL should be treated and portrayed with RESPECT! Words, Labels, Monikors...they can HURT, whether intended or not! The old saying and song, "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" certainly applies to and is my response to your comment. No chips on shoulders here...seems you may have an ANVIL on yours though...the question is WHY?
@@Jon_A. AGAIN...interpretation....tell you what... Since you believe that there's nothing to be interpreted as racially insensitive (in today's climate) about the name of the book, and because it IS designed to be read and enjoyed by children, you should contact and implore the Secretary of Education to recommend, no better yet, REQUIRE the book to be part of the Elementary education curriculum in all schools (suburban, rural, and inner city) throughout the US. I'm sure your request would be viewed as a complete JOKE! No " Drama Queens" occupy The Department of Education when it comes to THIS topic, I'm certain. And, those are my FINAL thoughts on this topic...
There was a Sambo's near our house in Richmond, California. My parents were inordinately frugal (Depression Era), but every so often they would take my bro and me to Sambo's for supper. The illuminated story of little Sambo and his tiger really captivated me. Different times then, for sure. Thank you for bringing up fun times.
I remember the Sambo's in Bloomington, IL. I would get my grandmother to take us there for pancakes at least once every time we went to visit. I think it first showed up around 1969-1970 but was gone by around 1980. As I recall, the building is still there as a different restaurant, but it's been many years since I've been back that way.
I started out in life as a dishwasher in the Florida Ave Sambo's in Lakeland Florida in 1973. Then I was trained to be a short order cook. It was the happiest time of my life. The restaurant was thriving and I even had good co-workers who were black. I knew about the accusations about the racial preducisim but I never witnessed any of it in the 15 years I worked there. I truly miss seeing the Sambo signs out on the highway billboards and stopping in for a great affordable meal. I give the founder's of Sambo's a thumbs up. Thank you Sam & Boe's for creating such a fine resuraunt. And yes! I remember those wooden nickels. I would give them to family & friends who wanted a free cup of coffee.
Went there as a kid in the late 70’s early 80’s in SoCal. Loved their food. On one visit around 1977, my parents got me the Sambo’s plush tiger 🐯 Too bad they all closed down or sold off
My first job was washing dishes at a Sambo's in Concord, NH. I have many great memories of the place and have always been saddened when hearing stories about how the name was twisted to ruin a great franchise.
I remember Sambo's as a kid in the 80's...Loved their food and decor! Who remembers Wag's? It's sad that it has come to a time when everyone is offended about something!
There was a Sambo's in my area and I had the book as a kid in the 1970s. We didn't eat there very often but, we didn't eat out anywhere very often and, it was a treat when we did. To my knowledge, there was never any racism associated with either the restaurant or the book around here. As a matter of fact, the kid in the book must've been pretty smart, after all, he got his clothes and umbrella back AND had plenty of butter for his pancakes at the end!
You should do an episode on "The Wiz". They said nobody beats the Wiz. But, the Wiz was one of the first to go defunct, even before Circuit City, CompUSA, etc...
Yes, I remember. When a child, it was the family place for dinner out. I had eaten at Sambo's hundreds and hundreds of times, if not thousands of times thru the 70s. Then. it was gone, or the one we always went to was gone, replaced by some franchise and it was no more for us. The true history behind it as you share is good to know.
When I was a kid, my best friend's father worked nights at the newspaper company. We frequently tagged along. We used to go to Sambo's for breakfast in the wee hours of the morning for pancakes and eggs. We loved getting to choose our own food. I had forgotten about the wooden nickels. I have happy memories of those early mornings. Sadly, my best friend, her father and Sambo's are all gone to live only in my fond memories.
Interesting, my mom was briefly a big city newspaper copy editor on the night shift and we used to pick her up on Saturday mornings and hit the Sambo on the way home. Must’ve been, maybe 1970?
I feel your loss. I too miss the atmosphere and memories of being at Sambo's with loved one's and friends. I'm 65 now and will always have those pleasant memories.
Many years ago I used to go to Sambo's every Sunday with my grandma and grandpa. Thank you for the happy memory.
I loved stopping at Sambos for breakfast when we traveled. Loved reading the story of Little Black Sambo on the kids menu. 😀 The good old days when life was carefree.
@@TwistedTerrorOfficial It gets old doesn't it? Just seems to be the flavor (Narrative) of the day. Those who wish to ignore or erase history are destined to repeat it. Sad.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I worked in a Sambo's in 1977. The demise is so sad, because I always thought that the Tiger theme had it all - colorful, happy, child-pleasing, and distinctive. The Tiger theme was every bit as good as the Big Boy theme.
Oh, and the food was very good, too. Oh, and I still have a Sambo's employee handbook. (Wish I had kept a menu.)
Hope you got a couple mugs. It was a great restaurant.
@ Notanya Leiff thank you. My mom and grandpa took me to one in Michigan when I was little. I loved the story depicted on the walls as much as the food.
I did I have 6 of them.
Speaking, me working in sit-down full-service restaurants, l worked at couple in King, Prussia, Penna., near Phila., Penna. from early-1990s till late-2000s decade. And l followed in f'tstps, my oldest s'blng, who's since been d'csd. He w'rkd at couple, pancake house r'strnts near M'lvrn, Penna. In mid/late-1970s and early-1980s
When I was a very young military recruit, I remember going to Sambo's in Spokane, WA numerous times. They served a very inexpensive meal that was always delicious. That restaurant got to be a late night hangout for me and 8 to 10 buddies. We would go there to eat, talk, and, of course, drink all the free coffee they would make. Good times remembered.
I grew up in Spokane in the 60-70's. It was always such a treat to go there for Pancakes and hamburgers...it was so wholesome and innocent. I think the narrator is correct they were just on the wrong side of History and unfortunately the name and imagery offended many people I certainly don't think there was any malice it just went off the tracks and fortunately
@Milk Andhoney , it was next door to what is now The Days Inn.
Per my memory, Sambo's pancakes were very unique and had a fantastic taste. It was the "Tiger Butter" that really made the taste. I'm glad Chad's is still operating in Santa Barbara. I'm going to visit it
I feel the same way. I enjoyed the 10 cent cup of coffee too. I worked there for a few years and enjoyed it until the restaurant was remodeled. Half a year later the restaurants went down hill. I wish it never had happened for I often remember the “pizza omelette “ and the burger that topped “Mc D s”.
^_^ I was thinking the SAME THING, though the name is gone I BET THE FARM you get the same experience as a kid back in the 70's!! Tell me how it turns out?
They were some really delicious pancakes.
There was a Sambo restaurant on Miracle mile in Coral Gables FL in the early 1970s. Gone a long time now and glad it is gone. I thought it was racist especially if you did not know the origin of the name
@@merylew4969 Your kind is what is WRONG with this world. Liberal. Your kind needs to go.🤬🤬🤬
As a kid I never realized there was a controversy. I just loved the pancakes, the tigers and collecting the "Tiffany" Coka-Cola glasses.
Because people, and I mean irrational adults, are uptight and take everything literally. Just relax and enjoy some pancakes. Put the protest signs down. Lol.
The only controversy was uptight people that must be so bored in their daily lives they need to make life hell for everyone else. Oh it's just the 2 owners names combined and NOT a derogatory term eh?? Yea we don't care, it triggered us and we don't like it.
Why in the World couldn't they just let people know that the name was a combo of the names of the two Owners? I could see if they had a picture of the Dude from "Uncle Ben's" or something like "Aunt Jamima" but I never got the vibe about their being a racist connotation. God take a look at the symbol of Coon Chicken Inn if you want a negative stereotype.
It was the start of Cancel Culture and liberal indignation at something that was really nothing and was totally off base. Note: The Original Sambos is still open in Santa Barbara though it hides its .name
@@johnbernstein7887 That is not Party approved Correct Speech for Allowed Thinking
Sambos was always my favorite place to eat as a child. I loved looking at the tigers and how fun they were, with their expressions. I always thought that it was a magical place to go and eat at. I have wonderful memories of the restaurants and the food, i always will.
🎶Memories, like the pages of my mind🎵
The end of a perfect day at Disneyland in the 1960s was a pancake dinner at the nearby Sambos. Great mid century decor too. I loved the children’s book as well, I thought Sambo was a smart and resourceful kid.
@@aneli1943 We do need those and they are expensive.
You are all doing a great job clearing up the trash, kudos.
My suggestions.
The traps should be made by a government funded non profit company which also helps train unskilled workers and are established in every state, city or town depending upon population size.
Education for children in garbage disposal and recycled materials, not just telling them don't drop litter, showing them how bad it is and how the trash can be used again for good Products.
Reduced package/ wrapping and more organic products rather than plastic.
Posters on public display reminding that litter is bad.
More public bins in busy areas, specifically for plastic and cans plus organic.
More waste food products and produce turned into composting fertilisers for domestic and agriculture, again by government funded non profit organisations or profit sustainable and eventually self funding but never given authority for being an independant profitable company.
Funds raised by the green companies should go towards environmental projects and maintaining parks and green areas within the city or county limits.
A little more thought, a lot less politics and a few more caring people taking charge of some of the billions wasted by government agencies and we will all be looking at a better future for our children.
One of the things that made a drive from NY to Florida easier was knowing we could get Sambos
I’m a SoCal gal and remember it well. It was much better than Denny’s for sure.
I remember that location. I also remember the animal-shaped bushes in the yard around it.
@@aneli1943
Really dumb irresponsible link.
I still own a stuffed tiger animal from Sambo's !!! It was given to me back in the late 70's !!!
Will i have two of the stuffed tigers i bet they are going to be worth some money now also i have a old Sambos coffee cup that says Sambos 1000 Restaurant opened September 27.1978
also have the Sambos the original on the beach Santa Barbara California USA
Will I had my stuffed Sambo’s tigers since I was 6 years old now I’m 60 years old.
@@MegaHockeyfan2 Cool got mine when I was 4. I'm 50 !!! 😎✌️👍
I have no idea what happened to my tiger from Sambo's in Corpus Christi, TX. Probably be worth something if I still had it.
My mother worked in a Sambo's in San Diego when I was a kid. I remember going there sometimes after school for dinner. The interior was bright and cheerful. I'm not sure, but at 2:40 the outside signage design may be where Denny's got the idea for theirs?
I never connected the name with anything racist or derogatory -- Perhaps because I focused on a tiger eating pancakes.
Sadly we've reached a point in our history where something is going to trigger / upset someone, somewhere. That's living in the past and if a person does that, they never live in the day - they just dwell on negativity.
My dad did as well early 70’s in SD😀
Unfortunately this goes well beyond triggering or focusing on negativity. I also loved Sambos as a kid but as a society we can aspire to be more aware and evolved.
It's a real oxymoron. Sometimes the anti-racists are more racist than what they're protesting against.
@@Lemoncatsf absolutely not. PC cvnts are weak
Lara Bouzid - Agreed. Sadly, the depiction lacks context and is incomplete.
It was not simply the amalgamation of the two founders’ names to create the name nor was it the decor of a children’s book. Sambo was a character in Uncle Tom’s Cabin and was widely used as a euphemism for a racial slur from the turn of the 20th century. Slurs were often pulled from popular literature or terms used in culture as they still are.
We need lock no further than just a few months ago for an example of this when a Colorado State Senator called his Bláck colleague “Buckwheat” from the Colorado State floor while in session. “Buckwheat” was a fictional character, a 7yo Bláck boy from the 1930s’ show “Our Gang/The Little Rascals” but this was the name chosen to be given to the Bláck colleague in 2021.
Without historical context, none of this means anything. This is a short context and history. Agreed ... as we grow in awareness, may we also fully understand the past.. This will help us to move forward.
I happily ate at a Sambo's in Orlando, FL in 1976. I don't think I ever had their pancakes but I sure loved their bacon waffle! IT WAS THE BEST. It's an absolute shame the chain is gone and I miss seeing them.
There was a Sambo's in Greenville, Texas. My best friend worked there. We had many good times there. He and I would have all of the world's problems solved in two pots of coffee or less!
My family is from Sulphur Springs!
That's Awesome!!!😊😊😊
Back in summer of 1964 I was 10. My parents had just gotten divorced. My mother lived in Santa Barbara and we stayed with her all of that summer. She would take my sister and me to the Sambos in Santa Barbara. As I recall it was on the coast highway near the Santa Barbara pier. Great but sad memories.
We remember! What a loss for no reason! These folks were not racist.
My first job as a teenager was at Sambo’s. I still have found memories of those years. My older brother was on the west coast training team in the late 70s. They were responsible for training staff as new restaurants opened.
I wonder if your brother trained and opened the Albany Oregon location? I was hired to open and work in that restaurant. Maybe your brother trained me?
I loved sambos. Very good memories.
It's something reading a lot of the comments they evoke a time when you could go to a nice place and get really good food at different times of the day, I miss that America. I didn't know the original Sambos was in California I grew up in Victorville.
and at a cheap price!
In the 1970s my parents took me every Sunday there to eat in Livermore California. I loved the sweet innocent story of the little boy and tigers. I never knew why they disappeared. I guess that time of childrens stories and make believe are gone for good
Yes they are. I can relate. Just glad we grew up in that wonderfully innocent time.
Sambo's sure bring lots of memories. We had one 3 blocks away from our school ans we always use to go almost every day.
I have a Sambo's coffee mug to this day. Love it.
I remember going to these back in the 60's - especially the one in Santa Barbara and Seattle. My family like them very much and we never thought anything of the story.
What a shame! There was nothing wrong with the name nor the images. I miss Sambos very much. Loved it as a kid in the 70's.
I remember the wooden nickes they gave out!!
I agree and miss it also.
They needed to change the name and the graphics. It was a victim of the times. If they had done that and kept the food and the service they would be thriving still.
@@itsjohndell Why should they change the name? You can find racism in any named restaurant. Dumb
@@TwistedTerrorOfficial I am old enough to remember the sambos that Waco Texas.
The last Sambo's I ate in was 1981 in Albuquerque NM. I was very broke and bought a cup of "Green Chilie" soup. The book, that the theme was based on was a childhood favorite of mine and puts little Sambo in a positive light as he was able to overcome not get eaten. The version I had was one of the "Little Golden Book" series.
Albuquerque's N.M.'s most-populous city, while in-state Santa Fe's its capital city
We had a Sambos in Tarzana, California when I was a teen in the late 1970s, early 1980s. Loved it. This location had the Sambo boy image on the sign. Awesome! Can still picture sitting at the counter with my nanna.
My regular Sambo's was on Nordhoff at the 405. Probably a lot of Valley people interested in this video.
Great memory. Cherish it.😊
On the corner of Ventura and Reseda Blvd.
Because of a "name" a "word" and assumptions about that word, a thriving business where everyone could get a lot of good food for not lot of money was destroyed. We had a Sambos in upstate NY and we always knew the name came from a combination of the owners name. My family struggled back then, so we often ate at Sambos because it was so affordable and delicious.
There always has to be someone that gets their panties in a wad about something?
Even this narrator is afraid to pronounce it correctly like "Sam", feels the need to dumb it down to "Som-bo's". The boy in the story wasn't even black, he was Indian. Good old political correctness.
@@GenerallyGeneralLee - Right? So ridiculous.
@@GenerallyGeneralLee 🔯 political correctness 🔯
I caught that too🙄
In order to understand the issue, it is necessary to engage in an empathic understanding, Symbols are representative of each of our cultural and experiential backgrounds. Sambos is not "just a name" or a :"word." To an entire race of people, Sambos is a symbol of ingrained racism starting with importing African slaves. Growing up in New Orleans, I had the book and I fully understood the theme. As I grew up, I came to appreciate how racist my book was as a constant reminder of the black history in America. I was happy to give up the benign symbol of my happy childhood in recognition of the negative symbolism for others.
Me and my friends always went to Sambo's after the bars and discos closed. It was a great midnight hang out. The food and prices were great too. It never occurred to us that there was a controversy until much later.
The one on Peck RD in EL Monte CA - It was the all night place to go if your were young.
We did the same thing and never gave any thought of the name.
In 1973 we had a Sambo's in Bozeman Montana. It was open late, had good food, great coffee! We spent many an hour there as high school kids with dates. Thanks for the memories!!
When I was a boy we moved from Kansas to Mississippi I started the 3rd grade there. I remember going to a restaurant called Sambo's. We liked going there fairly regular. When I was in Jr. High school we as boys had tents and loved to camp out in one of our yards. We collected the Sambo's wooden nickels and go there late at night to get coffee. The coffee was Sanka ( decaf) and sugar and a lot of milk. We thought we were something. I still have a wooden nickel from there reminds me of being a boy.
When I was in collage, my friends and I would sit in Sambo's for hours talking, smoking cigarettes and drinking the free refills of coffee. My favorite was the patty melt they served.
Collage?
@@300books College too
@@300books - In Collage, where I learned to write good.
Yes I remember sambos growing up but I had totally forgotten about it until now thanks wow I am getting old lol
I remember those restaurants! My family & I ate there all the time when I was a little kid, usually on Sundays. Even in addition to the pancakes (which were very good), they also had a pretty good menu selection overall as I remember. I always found something on there to appeal to me.
I don't recall ever seeing the wooden nickels for coffee, but I _did_ have a little stuffed tiger that they sold to customers up front by the cash-registers. I think I still have it somewhere buried in the boxes of old toys from my childhood...
Sambo was not African, he was East Indian. To us as children, he represented a brave yet wise character, worth modeling after. It is a shame that such cherished characters have been destroyed by the bullies and propagandists of the current cancel culture. I have fond memories of Sambos restaurant and my visits there with my family. That's something they can never cancel.
No it wasn't bullies. It was idiots using it as a slur against African Americans and then thinking it was okay.
Cancel culture is a step in destroying a nation’s identity and way of life. What comes after the psyop is never good for anyone but the elitists in charge; tyranny for everyone else.
This is racist branding at it's worst, but you need to check yourself. You're lost in your own elitism.
@@annemurphy9339 Cancel culture is those being terrible having to be accountable for their words and actions. I think we will be okay.
In the voice of peter Griffin ahhhh good ole fashion racism
As a family we always would stop at sambos on vacation! They always had fresh good food with good portions!
I loved eating at Sambo's in Lubbock, Texas, as a child. I loved the kid and his tiger and I'm certain there are some Sambo's relics in my curiosity jar. I can remember vividly playing with some plastic Sambo's hand mitts that had the characters on them like puppets.
I'm 17 so I'm apart of this overly sensitive generation and I don't see anything offensive about the name Sambos or the use of the tiger and the boy,it's cute and wholesome and Sambos is about the foundeds,I hate people finding offense over everything.
Unfortunately,, you and your generation aren’t being well-educated. There was nothing “cute,” wholesome, or fun about the word Sambo as it was used in American culture since the Civil War. It was a derogatory slur just like the ones you hear today. It was offensive and was meant to be offensive. It was not a term of endearment (see the song “Sambo was a lazy cooon.”) These songs and ditties were sung by armies, children and groups for group “fun.” The people who wanted it taken out of the culture wanted to take it out for that reason because it was offensive. I hope you and your generation would do your own research and find the meanings. It’s not hard to find as they were in the culture in television, print and newspaper. I hope you educate yourselves. You’re not being told the actual story.
That's because you're WHITE. People who aren't white find it offensive. DUH. Stay in school, kid.
@@brad3042 I am thank you for the advice. Its only offensive if you want it to be no matter what color you are.
@@RichieTrashmouthTozier Just like the Swatztka Is a symbol of anti- semitism.Please get with the program.Its not aimed at you and your wbite.Pleeeaaasssee....
@@noble604 Thx You!!
My grandmother used to take me to Sambo's in Portland periodically in the 70's. Always had a good meal as well as a good time. We never even had a thought about there being racial overtones or implications, just good people, and food at a good price. It's a shame that people can't leave some things alone and feel the need to push their own agenda.
Portland sure has changed, huh? The whole country has. Sad.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Agreed. Sad barely begins to scratch the surface of defining the state of America these days though!
That is not Party approved speech and allowed thinking
Love your videos. I did get to eat at Sambos in the early 70's & remember very good pancakes. As a kid we liked the little Sambo & his tiger friends.
I remember Sambo’s! And the tiger chased around the tree so fast that he turned into butter! (Convenient, seeing as pancakes were on the way)
Sambo's, In San Bernardino, California At Highland Ave & Valencia, Across Perris Hill Park, Loved It, Miss It ☹️
I loved, loved, loved Sambo's and miss it.
there was a sambos in college station tx when i was in college in the mid 70's.....it was awesome....loved to go there....miss it
I remember Sambo’s as a kid in SoCal for sure. I loved the kind of tropical feel with the artwork of the boy and lions and pancakes. I used to read to my son the story of Little Rahjani (?) which was the same story of the boy and the mean lions, that he turns into pancakes. Just a magical children’s story. Peace all and take care of each other!
Euless, TX at the corner of Hwy 157 & Hwy 10, southwest corner, where the QT is now located. Thanks for the memories!
I live in Fort Worth, Tx. There was a Sambos my parents & our friends would stop at on our way home from out of town dances back in the 70’s. If memory serves, that is one location sold to Denny’s, as the architecture looks identical. Gosh, we miss that Sambos. Their food used to be the best!
we went to Sambo's in Santa Barbara back in 1970, stayed right door at the Motel 6.
Our number one civil rights icon here in Spokane, Washington, was attorney Carl Maxey. He ate there all the time and apparently, had no problem with the 'imagery'. The restaurant here was located on 3rd avenue near downtown.
The Sambo’s in Miami Beach was great! In the early seventies we’d head there late night. GREAT food & memories!
I waited out a hurricane with some friends late one night in the early '80s at one of the last Sambo's restaurants. I still remember the pictures from the storybook that fascinated me as a child. Because Sambo was a hero in cleverly defeating the tigers, I didn't connect it to racism until the social backlash began closing their restaurants. In trying to compel social justice, we continually throw out the babies with the bath water.
Sambos reminds me of my grandma. We used to go there often. How sad. A simple name with no ill intent closed now. Thanks for the memories Sambos!
Regularly went for coffee and pancakes (Dad had the coffee) at Sambos . My friends Dad was manager. Our 3rd grade class ate pancakes there for a field trip . It was only opened a few years here in Hutchinson Ks. I was sad that my friends Dad was transferred with the closure . I remember more the colorful decor (orange , turquoise) than the book depictions
My family loved going to Sambo's on Aurora Ave. in Seattle in the 60
's. We didn't have much money when I was a kid, so going out to breakfast was a big deal! I still remember getting my plate of 6 Sambo cakes with fruit syrup and a side of bacon. It was wonderful to see those familiar little cartoon drawings of Sambo and the tiger- thank you!
I remember there being a Sambo's here in Santa Clara, CA. They had a 3-panel mural with the little boy with his parasol and the tiger, and one scene had him crying cuz the tiger took his parasol. I remember the pancakes (can almost taste them now!), and they had an activity book featuring the Tiger Kids (to which I would act my own funny drawings, lol!). This and Bob's Big Boy up on Winchester Blvd. in San Jose by the famous Mystery House were enjoyable parts of my childhood. Ah, being a kid in the '70s!😊
In the 70s, my mom would take us six kids to Sambos in San Bruno, CA. We never thought anything of the name. We always loved to go there!
Sambos had great food,I always would go there with my family.
My family ate at the Sambos across the street from Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park, Ca many times. The chocolate pancakes were great. It was sad to see it close.
I loved Sambo's restaurants back in the day. Their food was reasonably priced and the quality was awesome. What a shame that an innocent child story the chain was named after would stir up a hornets nest, upsetting a lot of butt hurt people to force this great chain into bankruptcy. I miss Sambos. But all great things must come to an end, unfortunately.
Michael, all those butt hurt people are destroying America. I won’t be sitting still while that happens.
@@kevinwilson2082 It's the white supremacists who are destroying America. Would U be 1?
@@kevinwilson2082 Get educated.
But that's the thing--the chain was NOT named after the children's book---it was named after the two restaurant founders! That it was the name of a children's book was pure coincidence. Yes, the founders incorporated the characters and imagery of the book into art for the menus and restaurant, but since the story was about an Indian boy and his Tiger, I personally saw nothing wrong with that.
@@413smr
I didn't know Maxine Waters is white.
I loved Sambo's. Thank you for the memories of my younger days.
I remember these on the way to visit my grandparents in Nashville. It was 72-76 maybe, I was about 5 or 6 years old. The restaurant's sign back then only had a tigers face on it but it was called Sambo's. I always liked stopping there.
I remember Sambo's. I must have been about 9 and that summer my grandmother went to visit her sister in CA. This would have been about 1959 and that was a trip of many firsts. We flew, out and took the bus back. A summer I will never forget. We were there for about 10 days and several mornings we had breakfast at Sambo's. My grandfather gave me some spending money and I remember I bought several of the stuff toys. I actually had not thought about this in close to 60 some years.
Thank you for this post and the excellent video.
Another excellent video. The only thing missing was the part of the Little Black Sambo story where the tigers ran so fast in a circle that they turned into butter, lol. I do remember the wooden nickels, classic. Funny how after growing up, I was taught as a good tip to not accept wooden nickels, lol...
Me too.😊No wooden or yankee nickels. Lol🤣
I remember very much sambos when I was young we eat there all the time miss it alot
Loved getting to stop at them on early morning road trips with my family! My favorite breakfast was the blueberry waffle with a good piping of whipped cream on top! My mom never made us things like that at home so it was a real treat! A couple of them in my area of San Jose and Los Gatos turned into "Season's Restaurant" and didn't last much longer than that in the early 80s!
I worked at a Sambos in St Pete FL all through my 4 years of HS (graduated in 1980). It was a great first job. Learned lots about working and made many friends.
There is a Sambo somewhere halfway between San fran and Anahiem Ca.3of my friends and I were coming back from a teachers convention in the 70s and we were dead broke.We ordered 4 cups of hot water and were putting ketchup packs in it and eatting saltines.The management noticed and we were getting up to go when they insisted on treating us to breakfast.So kind of them and have never forgotten it!!!Use to always stop there when times were better.
Great story!
Was this in a small town on highway 152, Los Banos?
Awesome Story.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I remember Sambos well. That was my first job after high school. I got married, husband was in Air Force in Biloxi, MS. Right on the beach.
I grew up in Seattle and Samboo's was my family's regular Sunday after church place to go. I will always remember the story of little sambo and his tigers! Loved the food I think I still have a wooden nicole in drawer somewhere. Thank you for the memories. I always wondered what happened to the restaurant chain.😀
I went there was it near north gate.
@@crestonhorton6970 Yes, on Aurora Ave., I believe
There’s also a Sambos in Oregon. Lincoln City to be exact. Still open. Even has an elevated tiger statue that holds an umbrella with its tail. Super cool looking I might add!!! I was just there recently. 😊🤙🏼
I remember when I was a little kid I used to love to eat there. I remember the restaurant's dishes were a turquoise and white combination. I loved Sambo becuase I saw him as another little kid like me that made it inviting. Bob's Big Boy was great as well and you would get a free comic book! Also, the Golden West pancake restaurant where they would give you a free native American feather piece to put on your head, which made you feel you were given something very special and cool to wear! I Loved all of that, and I miss it greatly! I'm so grateful I was able to experience a childhood that was a simple time, and you were allowed to be a kid, verses today's society striving for a bleak, minimalist, Orwellian, Marxist existence.
TY. Well said.
This is what has happened to far to many companies and Individuals who are blacklisted or slandered because their lifestyle or politics and in many cases their careers destroyed. Thank you for this important part of history that has been brought to light. Justice in America is in the Beholder's eyes and the politics of the day.
Sambo's had the best bacon-waffles ever. We had a location two blocks from high school in L.A. - it's where I usually spent my mornings drinking ten cent coffee, instead of sleeping in government class. Three people could eat breakfast for less than five dollars total.
Going to Sambos was a real treat when I was a kid.
A Sambo's had opened in my neighborhood of Flour Bluff, in Corpus Christi, TX, when I was in high school. It was a nice addition to my area, being on the road to the beach, but I was aware of the problems the chain was having with the name which caused its ultimate demise. In a library book about American festivals, I saw a picture of a Little Black Sambo balloon in a parade celebrating the Southeastern Fair in Atlanta, carried by Shriners.
I worked for Sambos in the middle 1970's in Albany Oregon. In fact, I was involved in the opening of that store. I miss those days. Thanks for bringing back some fond memories.
When I was a kid back in the 70s our family would eat at the Sambo’s that was near us quite often. That restaurant closed when all of them started shuttering their doors when they filed for bankruptcy. A few years later the building that had been vacant reopened as a strip club. Over the past 40 years it has changed ownership to a long line of sleazy strip clubs that stay open only for a few years before closing. The surrounding neighborhood has been in the same decline. It’s funny that it started as the pancake restaurant.
You lived in a liberal controlled area?
We had one in our town. After it closed it was bought by an independent owner and is currently a Ground Round.
At least your mom still has a place to work.
what's funny is how something that was supposedly bad closed down, leading to really bad stuff happening! it's the same
thing that's happened with Defund The Police!
Visited the Sambos in San Bernardino CA as a kid. Loved the pictures.
We used to have a Sambo's in Stuart, Florida in the 70s. The food was good.
I was a kid in the 60s-70s and loved going to Sambo’s for pancakes. Every time we went, I’d always make my dad tell me the story of Sambo fighting the lions. I always thought it was so cool.
We had a Sambos in ABQ. Great restaurant. Funny how extremists found Sambos offensive, it had nothing to do with them. Indians never seem to have a problem with it.
This was a great memory. Thank you for this video. In the 1970's, we got to go to Sambo's on Folsom Blvd in Sacrameto, CA, one Sunday a month after church. My brother and I got so excited for those Sundays! Such great memories with my parents and my brother. 🥰
I do remember these restaurants, good food and low prices
Loved Sambos. RIP
I remember Sambo's and going there as a kid. I enjoyed looking at the story board art of the tale of Sambo and the pancakes.
My first job in High School was a dishwasher and then cook at a Sambos where I grew up in Indiana
I remember going there in the early 70's as a kid.
I worked at Sambo's in Erie, Pa. I almost forgot about that place it was so long ago but it was a great restaurant. Too bad it's gone. 😔
As a child, I loved the story of little black Sambo. in Japan, it was called chibi kuro sambo. I still associate having pancakes with the tiger butter and how it looked in the illustrations in the book. I never associated the story to racism. Used to frequent the Lombard street location in San Francisco while attending Marina Jr high.
I, too, loved this book when I was a child. We kids viewed the main character as a "hero", who turned the mean old tiger into butter. Even though this was back in the early 1960's, there were never any negative connotations presented, at least in my family, with the book. I, too, was fascinated as the tiger turned itself into butter (it was my favorite part of the story). I can fully understand however, why this story and book have evoked such negative responses from others in the many decades since I was a little girl. As I grew older, I realized that the racial overtones of the book, especially the title, were more than likely intended, given the period in which the book was written, to present an stereotypical portrait of an entire group of humans. As such, I was always uncomfortable seeing that there was a restaurant named, as I thought, after such a book, whose title was, more than likely, insulting to an entire segment of the population, who lived their lives through the lense of racism, segregation, demoralization and humiliation. That book could NEVER have been written, let alone published, today!
@@Jon_A. Maybe NOT to YOU, but, given the current climate in this country, what parent in their right mind would want their child reading about little BLACK SAMBO or taking them to eat an establishment bearing THAT monikor?
@@Jon_A. It has ZERO to do with being a Liberal, Conservative or Bozo the Clown. It has EVERYTHING to do with being a HUMAN, who believes we ALL should be treated and portrayed with RESPECT! Words, Labels, Monikors...they can HURT, whether intended or not! The old saying and song, "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" certainly applies to and is my response to your comment. No chips on shoulders here...seems you may have an ANVIL on yours though...the question is WHY?
@@Jon_A. AGAIN...interpretation....tell you what... Since you believe that there's nothing to be interpreted as racially insensitive (in today's climate) about the name of the book, and because it IS designed to be read and enjoyed by children, you should contact and implore the Secretary of Education to recommend, no better yet, REQUIRE the book to be part of the Elementary education curriculum in all schools (suburban, rural, and inner city) throughout the US. I'm sure your request would be viewed as a complete JOKE! No " Drama Queens" occupy The Department of Education when it comes to THIS topic, I'm certain. And, those are my FINAL thoughts on this topic...
I remember stopping at the Sambo's restaurant in Willows California when I was a kid. I also remember when they changed over from Sambo's to Jerry's
The next roadside collection should either be big boys or beefy king
There was a Sambo's near our house in Richmond, California. My parents were inordinately frugal (Depression Era), but every so often they would take my bro and me to Sambo's for supper. The illuminated story of little Sambo and his tiger really captivated me. Different times then, for sure. Thank you for bringing up fun times.
I remember the Sambo's in Bloomington, IL. I would get my grandmother to take us there for pancakes at least once every time we went to visit. I think it first showed up around 1969-1970 but was gone by around 1980. As I recall, the building is still there as a different restaurant, but it's been many years since I've been back that way.
I started out in life as a dishwasher in the Florida Ave Sambo's in Lakeland Florida in 1973. Then I was trained to be a short order cook. It was the happiest time of my life. The restaurant was thriving and I even had good co-workers who were black. I knew about the accusations about the racial preducisim but I never witnessed any of it in the 15 years I worked there. I truly miss seeing the Sambo signs out on the highway billboards and stopping in for a great affordable meal. I give the founder's of Sambo's a thumbs up. Thank you Sam & Boe's for creating such a fine resuraunt. And yes! I remember those wooden nickels. I would give them to family & friends who wanted a free cup of coffee.
Went there as a kid in the late 70’s early 80’s in SoCal. Loved their food. On one visit around 1977, my parents got me the Sambo’s plush tiger 🐯 Too bad they all closed down or sold off
As a 70’s kid I loved Sambo’s. The dining room was always bright & cheery & they gave you you a cool coloring book.
My first job was washing dishes at a Sambo's in Concord, NH. I have many great memories of the place and have always been saddened when hearing stories about how the name was twisted to ruin a great franchise.
I remember Sambo's as a kid in the 80's...Loved their food and decor! Who remembers Wag's? It's sad that it has come to a time when everyone is offended about something!
There was a Sambo's in my area and I had the book as a kid in the 1970s. We didn't eat there very often but, we didn't eat out anywhere very often and, it was a treat when we did. To my knowledge, there was never any racism associated with either the restaurant or the book around here. As a matter of fact, the kid in the book must've been pretty smart, after all, he got his clothes and umbrella back AND had plenty of butter for his pancakes at the end!
I remember when my grandparents took me to Sambo's while I was younger. Oh the memories, best pancakes I've ever eaten in my life.
You should do an episode on "The Wiz". They said nobody beats the Wiz. But, the Wiz was one of the first to go defunct, even before Circuit City, CompUSA, etc...
Yes, I remember. When a child, it was the family place for dinner out. I had eaten at Sambo's hundreds and hundreds of times, if not thousands of times thru the 70s. Then. it was gone, or the one we always went to was gone, replaced by some franchise and it was no more for us. The true history behind it as you share is good to know.