As commercial American aviation grew, Pan American Airways was a shining star. An airline that brought the country into the jet age and pioneered technology into the industry. A true beacon of family flying and ultra luxury... that all came to an end in 1991. But why?
Not many industry altering companies go unnoticed these days, but there were a time back in the mid 1980's, where the official cruise line of Walt Disney World was booming. Their family cruise model changed everything and created giant competitors, including Disney. Lets look at the fascinating history of Premier Cruise Lines.
After over 70 years as America's iconic airline, today I wanted to take a look at a company most grew up with flying with their family only for the airline, like Pan Am, to grow into one of the largest airlines in the world. Today let's take a look at the iconic, TWA or better known as Trans World Airlines.
New on the budget airline scene was a young company, flying competitive routes from Europe and The United States to Iceland. Their crazy pricing structure won over many new customers, yet came at a cost... one that eventually took down the entire company, stranding thousands of passengers in just mere minutes. This is WOW Air.
After over a hundred years in business, General Motors was the worlds largest corporation producing some of the most iconic cars in history. However in the early 2000's, the company made some bad decisions and quickly brought the worlds most powerful company into turmoil, on the brink of shutting down, and eventually.. bankruptcy.
In the mid 1990's, two entertainment moguls along with plenty of huge celebrities like Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger came together to create a restaurant business unlike any other. One which took the spirit of Hollywood and brought it to cities around the world like Chicago, Nashville, New York, Las Vegas and Walt Disney World. But as quick as this idea grew, the sooner everything came crashing down. This is the story of Planet Hollywood.
Objectively back in the 1900's, when you thought about taking pictures, you thought Kodak. They were once the worlds most iconic photography brand making popular cameras and film, innovating at every step. They generated tens of billions of dollars and secured themselves as one of the symbols of pop culture. However, in just a few short years, their photography empire came crumbling down in 2012 when they filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.
In 2012 there were two major "eco", luxury sedans. Everyone knows about the Tesla Model S and how it succeeded and went on to re-shape the entire auto industry... but many don't know about its rival at the time, Fisker Automotive. They were just as ambitious as Tesla, with a former BMW designer at the helm, guiding their flagship, the Fisker Karma into production. However it ultimately failed and just a few years later the entire company went under. So join me as we explore what happened and how Fisker may be back from the grave and trying another time to take on the automotive industry!
Anyone shopping for some accessories and gifts back in the 1970's, 80's, 90's & early 2000's would remember the go-to store for stylish and exotic goods. It was a successful business model for decades however as competition grew and their strategy didn't, the company was left in a precarious public perception issue. Ultimately they couldn't weather the recession and in 2020, declared bankruptcy. This is how it happened...
There are very few ocean liners in existence that has survived going down in infamy or the scrap yard as iconic as the RMS Queen Mary. From her start as the fastest liner of the time to her incredible war service, it only made sense to save her at the end of her long career or sailing. The city of Long Beach, California had proudly kept her as a tourist attraction and hotel since the 1960's but as I discover, never at a profit. Join me today as I look into the rich, yet troubled past for this incredible liner and the events that lead to her ultimate bankruptcy and uncertain future...
Standing as a multi franchise icon of so many children of the 90’s, Discovery Zone quickly grew from its humble beginning in 1989. Soon, the entertainment centres with a fitness twist expanded across North America with will over 300 locations. They took on McDonalds and the giant, Chuck E Cheese with success. However it was short lived as their fall from grace was almost just as quick as their rise. Join me as I found out why this was and how Discovery Zone ultimately went Bankrupt.
It's well known today that all department store retail in America is pretty bland and uninspired. Walmart, Target and others all look more or less the same. But there was one retailer in the mid to late 20th century that shook things up a bit. That invested into insane and bizarre architecture for their showrooms and was led by charismatic and innovative family. The BEST Products Company ultimately grew into 200 stores across the country and revenue of over $2 billion. But it all came crashing down in the late 90's and now is more or less forgotten about as truly one of the most unique retailers in history. So join me today as I explore the history of this truly incredible company.
Since the early 90's, one special cruise line made a name for themselves as the ultimate, luxury vacation at sea. Crystal Cruises became a large brand despite only having a small fleet of ultra luxury cruise ships. Competing with the likes of Viking and Ponant, the line became beloved by their millions of passengers. However, just as the new year of 2022 was rung in, the company announced they would by filing for bankruptcy and their ships arrested for non-payment. How did this once great cruise line fall so far?
In 1994, film industry elites Steven Spielberg and Jeffery Katzenberg came up with an idea to build their very own, highly themed restaurant chain. It opened in Los Angles as Dive! the underwater dining experience where much like Planet Hollywood, you'd be immersed in a grand environment. But unlike their highly successful competitor, Dive only saw 3 locations built. They all closed not long after opening and have been more or less forgotten.
Cruise ships are a massive business worth billions of dollars around the world with multiple companies with massive fleets of ships. Out of all of them however, there is only one cruise ship that is registered to the United States. That being the Pride of America which began life by a completely different company, encouraged by the US Government. Them, along with Norwegian Cruise Line, both tried their hand at building out an all American fleet of cruise ships under a completely American company. Today I'm going to tell that little known story and how both those attempts at something special in the industry, failed spectacularly.
With over 1,500 stores across the country and over 200,000 employees, the J.C. Penney Company was a mega retailer in the United States. It grew from humble beginnings with its founder James Penney and grew into an iconic retail institution in America. However those golden years only lasted until the early 2000's, when the retailer experienced a violent downturn until its eventual bankruptcy in 2020. Join me as I find out how this company went from billions to nothing.
In the early 2000's, General Motors had released what would be one of the most controversial vehicles of the decade. The Hummer H1, H2 and H3 were all either loved or hated by Americans and with decent sales and an enthusiastic set of supporters, the massive SUV became an icon of the era. But, within just a few short years, the early success of the Hummer quickly declines until GM killed off the brand entirely before the decade was over. Join me as I find out why.
For nearly 50 years, Bed Bath and Beyond was at the top of their game, known across the industry as a "category killer", able to stand up to the largest companies in America like Walmart and Target just by their niche in the market. Millions of deal-hungry shoppers, wedding registries and college young adults shopped here and helped skyrocket the company into massive success with over 1,500 stores. But just as quickly as their rise, the retailer then fell on hard times. In under a decade, the company went from record sales, to bankruptcy and a total collapse of the brand. Join me today as I explore why this happened and document the final moments for a beloved retailer.
Starting from the novel idea of adding animatronics and arcade machines to a pizza restaurant, Chuck E Cheese's grew into an enormous, world wide chain. Though, not without issues as the company has suffered two bankruptcies, fierce competition from copycat chain, Showbiz Pizza, and an overall decline in popularity. Join me today as I explore the fascinating and turbulent history of the restaurant chain and find out if this twice bankrupt company has any chance for a future.
In the mid 1990's a travel company based in Spain was seeking an ambitious goal. They wanted to be the leader in Spanish speaking cruises, sailing ships all around the Mediterranean, Mexico, Caribbean and South America. They ultimately succeeded and got the interest and investment from Royal Caribbean, the mega American cruise company. But despite all of their success, the company declared bankruptcy in 2020 and was completely liquidated. Join me today as I find out why!
Started in the early 1970's, the Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain quickly grew to become an international goliath. They had restaurants spanning several countries, employed tens of thousands of people and at its peak, grew to over 900 locations. But ever since their peak in 2007, the chain has seen a quick downfall until their bankruptcy in 2021. So join me today as I look into the rise and fall of this iconic restaurant chain known for their salad bar, Ruby Tuesday.
Since the early 1960's, Six Flags has grown to become the world's largest theme park company, at one point, operating over 37 parks around the world. Their parks were beloved from their original property, Six Flags Over Texas, to others like Magic Mountain and Great Adventure. But after a series of terrible decisions, the company failed to make even the slightest profit and ultimately declared bankruptcy. In doing so, they left parks demolished or abandoned in their wake. Join me today as I find out why.
Since the 1970's, Borders Bookstores have been a place of comfort and peace for millions of shoppers. Their unique strategy of offering a cozy place to shop, with tens of thousands of highly trained employees was a winning one that earned the company billions in sales. But, it all came crashing down in 2011 and now, the brand is non existent. Join me today as we find out why.
In 2013, Elon Musk unveiled his concept for a "5th mode of transportation" called Hyperloop. Spawning from this idea was a lot of public excitement as well as companies racing to build one. Virgin Hyperloop One was one such company, seemingly making the most progress of any company with technological breakthroughs including the first human test. But after a decade to work and over $400 million invested, in late 2023, the company declared the equivalent of bankruptcy and shut down. Join me today to find out why.
After evolving from a aeronautical company in the mid 1920's, to a major airline along the United State East Coast by the 40's, Eastern Airlines was an iconic brand name that only grew larger by the year. With a massive fleet of state of the art aircraft and service spanning multiple countries, it seemed there was no stopping this massive airline. However it all came crashing down by the late 90's and saw the brand name disappear entirely by the early 90's following a devastating bankruptcy. Join me today as we take a look at the rise and fall of this once revered airline.
Since the late 1960's, Red Lobster has grown to become an American seafood institution with over 650 restaurants and tens of thousands of employees. It's also one of the most successful casual restaurant chains to ever exist. So it was pretty surprising to many when they filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in early 2024. However while many in the media reported on the famous Endless Shrimp as the culprit, the truth as to how this company fell so quickly is a bit more complicated. Join me today as we find out how this iconic chain ultimately declared bankruptcy.
From its origins as a convenience store kiosk created by the McDonald's corporation, Redbox grew to become a massive DVD rental brand with tens of thousands of locations across America. However in 2024, the company came crashing down and will soon be lost to time forever. Join me today to find out what happened to this beloved brand.
Well known across southern States in America, 99 Cents Only Stores was a growing company, focused on customer service and offering products at a gimmicky, yet very enticing price point... 99 cents. But after corporate takeovers and rising costs, this chain of around 300 locations would begin to struggle and ultimately declare bankruptcy.