>I worked at a Sambos restaurant for a short period of time (they had great waffles). Denny's was around at the same time. They are not the same. Sambo's was purchased by an investment company and went bankrupt (due to picketing, poor marketing, and bad publicity due to the connotations the name entailed in the south when it became an ethnic slur while it wasn't originally but more due to the new management which is sad considering they were famous for a long time for their management training programs and practices). The name Sambo came from a combination of the original owners' names (they were nicknamed Sam and Bo - I cannot remember their full names). They read the book "Little Black Sambo" about an eastern indian boy who removed a thorn from a lion's foot and they became friends) and thought it was a good match. The history of Sambo's used to be on murals on the walls of the restaurant. The first and last Sambo's was in Santa Barbara, CA.
The owners names were Samuel Battistone and Newell Bohnett.
"Once again, we come to the Holiday Season, a deeply religious time that each of us observes, in his own way, by going to the mall of his choice." -- Dave Barry
