Money.msn.com - Some famous American restaurant chains are becoming difficult, if not impossible, to find. As McDonald's (MCD) and Subway outlets proliferate, once-common eateries like Howard Johnson's and Ground Round are fading. Others have disappeared altogether.

The website 24/7 Wall St. turned to Technomic, a consulting and research firm serving the food industry, to identify chains that have vanished or moved overseas or have been reduced to doing business in just a few locations. In their heyday, these chains had hundreds, if not thousands, of restaurants. As of 2012, however, most had 25 or fewer restaurants.

What happened? According to Technomic's Darren Tristano, troubles can often be traced to increased competition from the likes of Applebee's, TGIF, Olive Garden and Red Lobster.

"Those brands did better in terms of expansion," Tristano said. "Those that couldn't keep up and didn't have the franchises or the financing struggled."

Read through this slide show, published Aug. 13, for a look at famous but faded restaurants chains Continue