The history of Red Barn restaurants in Ontario

Throughout the 1970s, Toronto was home to several distinctive barn-shaped buildings, a signature feature of the now-defunct fast-food chain, Red Barn. 

Founded in 1961 in Springfield, Ohio, the burger chain quickly expanded across the U.S., Canada, and even established a presence in Australia, operating between 300 and 400 locations at its peak. 

Southern Ontario was home to dozens of these rural-themed restaurants, including multiple outposts right here in Toronto at Finch and Yonge, Keele and Wilson, and Pharmacy and Lawrence. 

Photo: Old Ontario Series.

At a time when fast food was on the rise, Red Barn stood out for its barn-shaped buildings, complete with a glass front. The menu featured lots of staple burger joint items, including hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fried chicken, and fish sandwiches. 

The chain's "Big Barney" sandwich was similar to the McDonald's Big Mac, while its "Barnbuster" was comparable to a Quarter Pounder or a Burger King Whopper.

Photo: Lost Toronto.

Part of its appeal was its innovation — the Red Barn was the first fast food chain to introduce a salad bar, which was a concept widely imitated by its competitors in response to the feature's success.

Advertising also played a major role in the chain's popularity throughout the 1970s. A catchy jingle in their commercials repeated the line, "When the hungries hit, when the hungries hit, hit the Red Barn." Three mascots were also regularly used in the chain's commercials, namely "Hamburger Hungry," "Chicken Hungry," and "Big Fish Hungry." 

Despite its loyal following, Red Barn struggled to keep up with the booming popularity of McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's, with those challenges only further exacerbated by corporate changes. By the time New York businessman Phillip Kahn purchased the company in 1983, only about 100 restaurants remained. 

In 1986, with that number having dwindled to just 22 locations, the company filed for bankruptcy protection, and Red Barn's days were up. 

Although the chain disappeared, its architecture has left a lasting mark, including here in the GTA. Traces of former Red Barn locations still exist across the continent, where businesses retained the barn-shaped structures long after the fast-food chain's departure.

Photo: Jack Landau.

The Mr. Sub location at 1725 Dundas St. E. in Mississauga is just one example of how the chain's legacy has lived on, even if its existence has faded from the modern fast-food scene.