Originally Posted by
t325
The thing is though, quality can vary between locations of the same chain, so while the menu may be familiar, the quality of the food and service is still unknown.
The service and food at the Applebees near my house was horrid. Tried it a few times, every time was worse than the previous. Eventually, that location closed after only being open a few years. The Applebees 20 minutes away near my grandfather's house where we eat with him every now and then is decent - at least for an Applebees. Same chain, same city, two entirely different experiences.
If I'm in a new city, I want to try the local places, even if it's unknown. I didn't travel all this way to eat the same stuff I can get back home. Thanks to the internet, you can view the menu before going and read reviews to get a sense of how good it is. A bad meal is unfortunate, but I can just as easily have a bad meal at a chain.
Agreed.. some chain locations can be awful in terms of food quality and consistency..
Thus the chain quality, food and service management systems is important.. When seeing a brand, if you've had good experiences consistently, then as a consumer you wouldn't have a problem showing up at the next one..
McDonalds is pretty consistent.. bottom of food chain choices.. but you know what you're going to get, when you'll get it, and how much you're going to pay for it.. so no problems there..