The Retrologist by Rolando Pujol

Rolando Pujol, who runs the Instagram account @rolandopujol, shares captivating stories about retro travel, along with tips for planning your trips and much more!

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Let's visit a unique McDonald's that found its 'Classic' essence again after a tragedy

2 weeks ago | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

When my pal Yanis Carreto (@hopelessnostalgic on Instagram) and I took a drive through southern New Jersey last Saturday, we came across so much interesting roadside history. (Check out our adventure in my Substack chat for my patrons, and Yanis’ photos and a condensed version of this writeup on Instagram.)This particular site, a McDonald’s in Mount Ephraim, New Jersey, has more layers – some joyful, some tragic – than meet the eye.
New! Join The Retrologist's subscriber chat for retro road-trip inspo & more

3 weeks ago | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

Today I’m announcing a brand new addition to my Substack publication: The Retrologist subscriber chat. My first thread is all about a road trip I took to New Jersey this weekend. (Some of the photos are above!)This is a conversation space exclusively for subscribers—kind of like a group chat or live hangout. I’ll post questions and updates that come my way, and you can jump into the discussion. On road trips, I’ll be sharing live updates on the Chat.
By jove! Arthur Treacher's opens new store, returning to a former location it built in 1971

1 month ago | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

Arthur Treacher’s, the fish-and-chips chain that once numbered over 800 locations, is staging a comeback. The chain named after an actor who played Jeeves the Butler is now at your service at a new, third standalone location. This new location is the site of an original Arthur Treacher’s that opened for business the week of Feb. 15, 1971.
1966 Taco Bell, a rare 'mission' building, to close in Scottsdale as historic status is denied to another classic in Santa Barbara

1 month ago | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

It’s the Taco Bell of your vintage dreams, and at age 59, it appears to be the oldest franchise of the Mexican food chain that is still operating out of its original mission-style building. It opened just under four years after the chain was founded by Glen Bell, the “Bell” in Taco Bell. This historic Taco Bell, at 821 N. Milpas St. in Santa Barbara, California, failed to gain “historic status” last month.
Big news! My book, 'The Great American Retro Road Trip,' is available for preorder

1 month ago | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! The Retrologist has written a book!I’m so excited to announce that you can preorder my first book “The Great American Retro Road Trip” right now! You can buy it wherever you get your books.
'The Great American Retro Road Trip' by Rolando Pujol is available for pre-order, hits stores June 24

1 month ago | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

Check out the official press release for my book! Celebrate the nostalgic pleasures of America's vintage signs, quirky roadside attractions, and offbeat fast-food relics with journalist, “The Retrologist” Rolando Pujol in “The Great American Retro Road Trip” “[A] love note to the unique charms of the American landscape.” —Dylan Thuras, co-founder of Atlas Obscura “[A] joyful reminder that America is so wonderfully weird and quirky, charming and strange, bizarre and magical.” —Margaret...
A 1947 Dairy Queen's unsettled future; Neon Park's rescue mission; status check on Taco Bell's Numero Uno; a 'peach' of a roadside relic

1 month ago | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

There’s a Dairy Queen that is like none other, and its future is suddenly unsettled. Dating to 1947, the DQ is Roseville, Minnesota, is a curiosity, a tall, glass jewel box on a cream concrete base with slanted windows, topped by a blue-trimmed roof and the architectural cherry on top — the classic 1950s-era Dairy Queen neon sign. Betraying my East Coast roots, this Dairy Queen is like an old-school Carvel stand on steroids.
Last batch at 1950s Boston donut shop; last call at Wyoming's smallest bar; last gasps for 2 beach motels; hat's all for Arby's sign; cry for help from beloved chili shop

1 month ago | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

The Boston area has a defensible position as the American sweet spot in the story of the donut. Dunkin Donuts and Mister Donuts are the two most famous examples of familiar brands that would launch hereabouts and spread far from the Commonwealth. Still, there are other spots, the smaller ones, the local joints that have long injected the region with a carb-friendly strain of its culinary character.
McAtlas: A photographer's global odyssey to document McDonald's in over 50 countries

Feb 12, 2025 | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

I suspect it’s been years since you’ve needed a travel atlas, thanks to the ruthless efficiency of smartphones and GPS. Satellites and cell towers collude to make it a snap to get around, but we do lose a certain sense of adventure and charm that used to come with wrestling with an atlas while on the road.
Slicing into culinary history and pop culture on National Pizza Day

Feb 9, 2025 | rolandopujol.substack.com | Rolando Pujol

My Pizza Hut Classic piece is the most popular post I’ve ever published on the Retrologist Substack. Although my list of dozens of restaurant locations has been up for over two years, I still receive hundreds of visitors daily to that single post. Why? Well, it’s elementary that Americans love Pizza Hut and, more broadly, pizza, regardless of its point of origin. But the obsession with Pizza Hut, in particular, is about more than culinary affection.