Why are chain restaurants so popular in the US?
Sep 3, 2011, 11:09 pm
#91
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As an owner/operator of chain restauraunts, not only is consistency key, there are economy of scales, better pricing, buying, advertising. If you have a change you can build the brand, for example McDonalds is the leader, they have a standard that is recognized by everyone. Put one up internatioally, and there is instant recognition. I would agree that QVSC is higher in chains, than independents. Sometimes, the independents do have better food, as they are owner-operated and have specialties.
But these are my thoughts exactly, why chain restaurants are effective.
Sep 3, 2011, 11:16 pm
#92
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You nailed it quite nicely. I rarely dine at any chain near where I live but will eat at selected chains when on the road about 30%-40% of the time excluding breakfast which is usually at my hotel (free thanks to thanks HH ). I go to the mid-priced chains and always avoid the low and high priced chains.
MisterNice
MisterNice
Fridays, applebees or the olive garden I don't understand this?
last week I ate at a local establishment.
Sep 3, 2011, 11:28 pm
#93
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Within 50 miles from home, I rarely eat at a sit down chain, the exceptions being 3-4x/year at Cheesecake Factory with my parents, and once or twice a year at Capital Grille and/or McCormick and Schmick's. And those are all chains where I would eat on the road as well, if I had a taste for that particular style of food.
For work travel, in places where I go infrequently or it's a smaler town, I'll settle for an Outback or Ruby Tuesday. For one dinner, the ROI on the time investment of finding a local place and having the local place actually be better is not worth it. Let's face it, a grilled chicken sandwich and an order of french fries is not that much different from Ruby Tuesday or the local diner. Add in the risk of the diner not moving their inventory fast enough, and Ruby Tuesday is fine.
But if it's a city where I'll be returning multiple times over the course of a couple of years, or one of the ten largest cities, I'll find something local.
For work travel, in places where I go infrequently or it's a smaler town, I'll settle for an Outback or Ruby Tuesday. For one dinner, the ROI on the time investment of finding a local place and having the local place actually be better is not worth it. Let's face it, a grilled chicken sandwich and an order of french fries is not that much different from Ruby Tuesday or the local diner. Add in the risk of the diner not moving their inventory fast enough, and Ruby Tuesday is fine.
But if it's a city where I'll be returning multiple times over the course of a couple of years, or one of the ten largest cities, I'll find something local.
my local Ruby tuesday is at the garden state plaza.
Sep 3, 2011, 11:58 pm
#94
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For the people who travel on business and your in a small town, maybe visiting a factory and going out with a group, on nights your alone instead of going to the olive garden, applebees, chillis Fridays. do you people ever eat in the hotel since your company is paying the bill?
I can understand if your in New York city, Chicago , Boston or La you want to see the city, maybe meet some locals and eat in in local establishments
But if your in a small town do you ever eat at the hotel?
what do you people think about Mortons? with the exception of Chicago are all of there restaurants in Malls?
are the Malls very expensive?
do you people eat at Mortons with customers or by yourself?
the 2 mortons in my area are in Malls and the Malls are very expensive.
I can understand if your in New York city, Chicago , Boston or La you want to see the city, maybe meet some locals and eat in in local establishments
But if your in a small town do you ever eat at the hotel?
what do you people think about Mortons? with the exception of Chicago are all of there restaurants in Malls?
are the Malls very expensive?
do you people eat at Mortons with customers or by yourself?
the 2 mortons in my area are in Malls and the Malls are very expensive.
Sep 6, 2011, 12:43 am
#97
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so when your in your area let's say about 10 minutes away on your own money you would rather eat at a restaurant that's a local , but if your traveling on business depending upon where you are you would rather go to
Fridays, applebees or the olive garden I don't understand this?
last week I ate at a local establishment.
Fridays, applebees or the olive garden I don't understand this?
last week I ate at a local establishment.
For myself, when travelling, its nice to know where you're going on the road.. and chains seem to provide the consistency sometimes we need, without doing alot of research..
Sep 6, 2011, 3:26 pm
#98
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When I'm at home there's only a couple of chains that I eat at with any regularity - Nandos (because a friend of mine is, quite literally, addicted to them), Wetherspoon (a cheap pub that serves consistent, if not great, food), and a fast-food place called Spud-U-Like (nice jacket potatoes).
When I'm travelling within the UK, I try to find gastropubs, or fish and chip shops that look like they attract a lot of locals.
In foreign countries, I look for places that are busy, clean, and affordable. Sadly, chain food everywhere else in the world seems far nicer than chain food in the UK, so I've been known to rave about how amazing food is somewhere only to find out that the place I love so much is considered to be one step above McDonalds to the locals
When I'm travelling within the UK, I try to find gastropubs, or fish and chip shops that look like they attract a lot of locals.
In foreign countries, I look for places that are busy, clean, and affordable. Sadly, chain food everywhere else in the world seems far nicer than chain food in the UK, so I've been known to rave about how amazing food is somewhere only to find out that the place I love so much is considered to be one step above McDonalds to the locals
Sep 8, 2011, 2:55 pm
#99
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If I have time to do some research or I'm visiting people in an area I trust, I love to eat at local restaurants. But if I'm traveling, especially if I'm doing a road trip, I'd rather hit a chain. They offer consistency, they're usually built close to the on/off ramps of highways and they're used to servicing customers who are on the go.
That being said, even on road trips I always try to find a local place for dinner, but for lunch I'm perfectly happy with a chain.
That being said, even on road trips I always try to find a local place for dinner, but for lunch I'm perfectly happy with a chain.
Sep 8, 2011, 3:18 pm
#100
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2. "better" or "fine" dining is a relatively new thing in the us. perhaps there was fine dining in the 50's in nyc or san francisco, but other than that, not much.
...
any french was really basic. italian was southern tomato italian. chinese was mostly basic cantonese. the greek was real.
there were very few ethnic pockets back then that had brought cooking over from "old country"
...
any french was really basic. italian was southern tomato italian. chinese was mostly basic cantonese. the greek was real.
there were very few ethnic pockets back then that had brought cooking over from "old country"
Before the 1980s, there were very few places in the US where you could get fine dining. The "best" restaurants were often private clubs, and the food there was rather boring (Prime Rib, anyone?)
Wine -- you were lucky to find a Southern Italian place with jugs of chianti in straw-wrapped bottles. An evening out (which was much rarer then) other then the yearly visit to dine at the country club, was usually an ethnic European restaurant, far removed from the original cuisine, but that was the best available in many cities and towns for the once-per-fortnight night out.
The food revolution appears to have split the country into two lines -- the fine dining foodies have cultivated quality dining at a couple of restaurants almost everywhere. But the old-school ethnic restaurants have disappeared, replaced for the mass market by the upscale casual chain restaurants.
Another casualty -- dinner parties. Dinner parties used to happen in our neighborhood in the 1970s twice a week -- and everyone reciprocated (lots of hostesses would hire help then as well and put on quite a show). I probably throw two dinner parties per year now.
Sep 8, 2011, 3:28 pm
#101
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Isn't the UK going this way too, though? In London and perhaps the larger cities, then yes, you do get the chains, but they are just another option among many. For the rest of the country, though, you can expect a selection from Pizza Express, Strada, Ask, La Tasca, Frankie & Benny's, Prezzo, Harry Ramsden's, Old Orleans, Nando's, Aroma, Caffe Uno, Cafe Pasta, Cafe Rouge, Chez Gerard, Loch Fyne, Chiquitos...
Sep 8, 2011, 3:34 pm
#102
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Sep 9, 2011, 12:22 am
#104
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At Big Island having been there a bunch, we frequent specialty local places all the time..
At Disney World with my young family.. we want food fast.. so Golden Corral (I know what am I thinking, but its convenient and unbelievably cheap for what they offer), Sizzlers, or Ponderosa.. if we aren't doing a $100 plus sit down meal onsite at the theme parks..
We just want to eat, go home, sleep.. and get up for next day's excitement..
Sep 9, 2011, 1:40 pm
#105
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Pretty simple, Americans drive more.
Chain restaurants thrive off giving you something you know when you are in a place you do not. American's are far more likely to drive 20-30 minutes to a strip mall or a movie theater, or whatever else. That is where all the chain restaurants are - along routes to WalMart, right off the interstate, etc. They are generally not in the downtown business area where people will be more knowledgeable about their food choices (not that they don't exist there ever, just less often).
It is not because Americans are "cowards", but because we put ourselves in unfamiliar places more than others.
Chain restaurants thrive off giving you something you know when you are in a place you do not. American's are far more likely to drive 20-30 minutes to a strip mall or a movie theater, or whatever else. That is where all the chain restaurants are - along routes to WalMart, right off the interstate, etc. They are generally not in the downtown business area where people will be more knowledgeable about their food choices (not that they don't exist there ever, just less often).
It is not because Americans are "cowards", but because we put ourselves in unfamiliar places more than others.