This week for Georgetown Time Machine, I’m dipping back into the collection of 1993 shots I have. This one features one of the former classic fast food restaurants that used to be in Georgetown: Roy Rogers.
Nowadays this spot (southwest corner of Wisconsin and Prospect) hosts the Wawa. Prior to that for many years it had the Restoration Hardware store. But from sometime in the 1970s through to the 90s, it had the Roy Rogers. Although at its peak this chain stretched across the country, it has its oldest roots right in the DC area. It was started in the late 60s by the Marriott Corp to compete with Bob’s Big Boy. The first location opened in Bailey’s Crossroads, with may more scattered around the DC suburbs to follow.
What you can’t quite make out in the photo above is the legendary Key Theater, which sat next door to the south. You can see both storefronts in this screengrab from St. Elmo’s Fire:
Both the theater and the Roy Rogers were closed in 1997 to make way for the Restoration Hardware:
The Roy Rogers location has a long history in the food business. Before the Roy Rogers was there, a Little Hot Shoppes occupied the space. As far back the the 50s a restaurant called John’s Place was there.
The Georgetown Metropolitan 
There are no longer any RRs in DC, but some remain in nearby MD and VA.
Anything on the movie “Dave”? Dave Kovic’s Temp Agency was set on the corner of Wisconsin NW and O Street in a pharmacy building. Through the doorway, across the street, a National Jewel something appears. I found the street on Google maps and it all lines up, except the view through the front door, which doesn’t seem to angle right.
Here’s what used to be the pharmacy:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.9078406,-77.0636655,3a,75y,191.33h,92.9t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sXY0dlzdZBWTfjJ7CIbif0Q!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D-2.903306865569178%26panoid%3DXY0dlzdZBWTfjJ7CIbif0Q%26yaw%3D191.32587657864534!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDIwNC4wIKXMDSoJLDEwMjExMjMzSAFQAw%3D%3D
The building across the street use to have a much different looking facade. https://maps.app.goo.gl/SvHUzawxzLGKBcjU8