It seems to have been an instant success and was even visited by international celebrities (for instance, The Rolling Stones were photographed in a tram in the restaurant in 1973).

In a 2004 article, The Oregonian newspaper wrote that "the key to the Old Spaghetti Factory's success has always been full-service meals at fast-food prices, served in large restaurants with intimate spaces created by Tiffany lamps, refurbished trolley cars and lots of gleaming brass.

"[1] However, the article reported that the chain had recently recorded its first-ever same-store decline in sales as increasingly diet-conscious Americans were cutting back generally on their pasta intake.

The restaurant decor traditionally features antiques, including chandeliers, brass headboards, and footboards as bench backs for booths.

[1] The number of U.S. locations currently stands at 43,[2] in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

The downtown Seattle location, which opened in 1970 and was the second in the chain's history, closed in December 2016 due to the sale of the building.