The quality of the food at most of the major chain restaurants has been in a gradual decline for several years. I think it is a combination of making the product with less expensive and lesser quality products combined with ingredients and preservation methods that allow the food to be precooked and kept for weeks before being delivered and served at the restaurant. Most of those type places do not have real cooks any more. The only preparation is heating the precooked food by boiling a bag in hot water, or heating it in a microwave or convection oven. Unfortunately, the costs to the restaurants that still use fresh and quality ingredients and have real chefs make it very difficult to compete with the chain restaurants on the price of a meal and those places then start having to find ways to make the meal less expensive, usually resulting in a decrease in the quality.

Another partial reason for the change is the staggering amount of state and local laws that make it extremely difficult and expensive to prepare food on site. In some locations, is almost impossible and the food has to be prepared in a large commercial type kitchen someplace else and shipped to the restaurant.