Like many cities, Liverpool has welcomed man popular and well-loved restaurant chains over the years.
Today, you don't have to go too far till you stumble upon a McDonald's, Burger King or Pizza Hut. But decades ago, the somewhat "early" restaurant chains looked a lot different - as did their prices.
Some generations remember their first taste of Kentucky Fried Chicken, or what it was like to head to a Wimpy's with family in the city centre. If you were kids at the time, portions sizes felt massive and it was more of a special treat to head to these venues.
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Here, we take a look back at some of the earlier chains to come to the city - and their menus from the 1970s. Reflecting life and the economy at the time, we can assume there were many similar items and prices at the Liverpool branches during the decade.
This list is not intended to be comprehensive, we've selected a number of brands and their 1970s menus. But if you have any suggestions of restaurant chains you'd like us to include, let us know in the comments section.
Berni Inn
Back in 1955, brothers Aldo and Frank Berni opened the first Berni Steakhouse, Rummers, in Bristol, alongside business partner Paul Rosse. Berni Inn introduced post-war Britain to the likes of steak and chips, prawn cocktails and Black Forrest gateau and arguably paved the way for the pub-restaurant chains we know so well today.
It later expanded its empire to London, Birmingham, Manchester - and Merseyside. Many will remember the likes of the Berni Steak Bar in Sefton House, the River Inn on St George's Road, Pierhead, The Albany on Old Hall Street and the Mersey Tavern on Lord Street.
Berni Inns in Southport included the Fox & Goose on Cable Street and Thorps Tavern on Nevill Street and there was also the Queens Royal in New Brighton. Many will remember visiting a number of the Merseyside Berni Inns to celebrate a special occasion or enjoy some of their staple menu items.
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But over the decades, the Berni Inns became a chapter of the past. The brothers sold the chain to Grand Metropolitan for £14.5 million in 1970 and by the mid 1990s, the chain was sold to Whitbread who later converted the outlets into their own Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants.
A 1970s Berni Inn menu from a nearby Chester branch, The Criterion, also shows customers could get a soup of the day for 55p, prime rump steak for £6.25, and fillet of plaice for £2.99. On the dessert section, lemon and sultana cheesecake cost 75p and the Berni Meringue Fountain was 90p.
Wimpy
If you're craving a delicious burger these days, you can head to many Merseyside restaurants, as well as chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, Five Guys, and more. But generations ago, Wimpy was still the go-to burger joint in Britain.
Beginning in Bloomington, USA, in 1932, the first restaurant in Britain opened at Lyons Corner House in London in 1954. And by 1970, Wimpy had 1,000 outlets worldwide, including branches in Liverpool city centre, Runcorn, Bootle and Birkenhead.
A rediscovered menu from the 1970s, shows some of the tasty favourites and crazy prices from the era. These include a Wimpy Burger for 16p, Wimpy Cheeseburger for 21p and a Wimpy Kingsize for 31p. A Wimpy Grill sold at 36p, a Wimpy Special Grill was 41p, and the top of the range Wimpy International, including steak and all the trimmings, was 51p.
Do these awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
It's worth remembering, of course, if these prices seem ludicrously inexpensive that these reflected life and the economy at the time. The last Wimpy in Liverpool city centre finally closed in 2011 and former Wimpys in Runcorn and Bootle now operate under different brands.
But the last remaining Wimpy on Merseyside can be found in Princes Pavement, in the Grange & Pyramids shopping complex in the middle of Birkenhead. You can still go there to enjoy some classic meals.
KFC
The ECHO recently took at look back at the city's first KFC, which opened in 1965 on County Road, Walton. Predating the arrival of a number of fast food chains that are popular today, Kentucky Fried Chicken, the brainchild of Colonel Sanders, first arrived in the UK that same year.
By 1975, KFC also had three more stores in Liverpool, one on Aigburth Road, one on Stanley Road in Bootle and the other on High Street in Wavertree. And on June 3, 1975, a Liverpool ECHO advertising feature reported how the County Road KFC was celebrating a decade in business.
On advert, also published in the feature, promoted Kentucky Katering, which supplied special occasions, such as weddings, picnics, reunions, receptions, jamborees, anniversaries and parties with Kentucky Fried Chicken. Catering from 50 to 500 people, customers could be set up with buffet style meals and have the mess cleaned up afterwards.
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In 1975, the 'take home' packs menu sold two piece boxes for 39p, chicken and chips for 47p, a chicken dinner option for 59p, a four-piece box for 72p, a six-piece box for £1.05, an eight-piece box for £1.40 and a party bucket for £3.40. Side dishes also included chips for 10p, large barbeque beans and large coleslaw for 17p each and a large gravy for 9p.
Today, there are many KFC branches across Merseyside, serving traditional recipe chicken. But many will have fond memories of the first KFC store in Liverpool in its infancy - from what it looked like to the menu and prices it offered.
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