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Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett began this restaurant chain in 1957, the first restaurant being located in Santa Barbara, CA; the name "Sambo's" came in part from the first two initials of each owner's last name. It was probably also selected because of the widely-known 1899 children's book by Helen Bannerman "Little Black Sambo."

This chain grew quickly, attaining 1,200 outlets nationally in 1979. The term, "Sambo," was viewed by many as perjorative, hurting sales; some communities chose to block the Sambo's chain from opening within their city limits. Additionally, the company was sued over hiring controversies, also depleting cash flow and growth prospects. It declared bankruptcy in 1981. In 2008, only the original Sambo's location was still in operation.

PCAD id: 11357