22 Forgotten Mascots from Fast Food’s Golden Age

Sambo’s restaurants were based on The Story of Little Black Sambo, and its mascot included Sambo and other characters from that tale. Of course, the story, published in 1899, did not age well by the later 20^th century. Not only that, but “Sambo” became a slur against African American people. By the ’80s, Sambo’s replaced its original mascot with a chef. Around that time, the chain filed for bankruptcy. In 2020, the last remaining Sambo’s changed its name to “Chad’s,” putting an end to the restaurant’s branding for good.