Have you heard about Bonanza or maybe Ponderosa, or perhaps both? These were the steakhouses that grew in popularity during the 1970s and the 1980s. These restaurants were named after the iconic western TV show “Bonanza.”
Bonanza debuted in 1959 on NBC and starred Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, & Pernell Roberts. In 1963, after starring in four seasons, Dan Blocker, who portrayed Hoss Cartwright, opened the first Bonanza Steakhouse in Westport, Connecticut.
Back when it first opened, it was called the Bonanza Sirloin Pit. Blocker ran the steakhouse with the western theme and very fair prices. For just 0.99 cents, diners could choose between a steak dinner, a giant steak sandwich, or a chopped sirloin steak platter.
Bonanza promised that a family of five could quickly eat for less than six bucks. In addition, signage for the early Bonanza Sirloin Pits advertised casual dining and had a no-tipping policy, “Come as You Are – No Tipping.”
Soon the chain began to grow. The actor promoted the brand and made appearances at local stores. Soon it was purchased by brothers Sam and Charles Wiley in the mid-1960s. Meanwhile, in 1965, another chain of western-themed steakhouses began to emerge. Ponderosa, named after the fictional ranch where the movie Bonanza was set, was founded by Dan Lasater & Norm Wiese.
The competition between the chains was huge. When Bonanza heard about Ponderosa’s plan, it trademarked Ponderosa’s name but did not bother to trademark their own name Bonanza. Lasseter and Weiss trademarked the name Bonanza. This led them to swap their names later on.
The competition eventually ended when both Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Steakhouse merged together in 1997 under a parent company Metro Media Steakhouses. However, the brand did not do that well together. So it reorganized its activities under its current name of Home Style Dining.
