dchristiva

No, they are not.

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.

darthbimmer

I think there are two main factors behind that. One, as chain restaurants have increased in number and prevalence they have squeezed out some of the locally owned restaurants. Two, chain restaurants follow the bulldozer of new development. They are in the new plazas built at the new interchanges along the new roads. The local restaurants are in the old town cores and shopping developments of decades past, which are often off the beaten path today.

The widespread usage of Internet handhelds and success of user rating sites such as Yelp is diluting the value of restaurant brand names. One big reason people choose chains is for a predictably acceptable (I won't say "good") experience. They're not interested in the guesswork of picking a no-name alternative. But with a smart phone and Yelp, people can quickly identify which restaurants are liked most. Brands aren't needed so much anymore as indicators of quality.

I was reminded of this as recently as three days ago. Friends and I were in an unfamiliar corner of our metro area at dinner time. We punched up Yelp on our iPhones and quickly zeroed in on an excellent ethnic restaurant we never even would have found, let alone tried, otherwise. And now our 5-star reviews have joined the chorus so that those who find them in the same situation next week, next month, or next year will have an even easier time finding this gem of a family-run restaurant.

Ancien Maestro

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..

Gamecock

Or Taco Bell in San Antonio.

dw210

When my kiddo was little he got violently sick after we ate at Olive Garden - - probably had nothing to do with the food, the kid caught every flu, virus, etc imaginable. To this day (15 years later) , the restaurant is still known as Vomit Garden to my family.

I think that these chains appeal to young families - - they are almost always kid friendly.

Ancien Maestro

Funny.. my 5 year old in Houston, puked 8 times just before we reached the hotel..

One of my wife's favorite restaurants..

Sweet Willie

AMEN:-:^:-:, a trite bit of effort can take one off the path of chain mediocrity.^

There are more informed sites than yelp for certain cities but yelp is a decent start.

kipper

As a kid, I got violently sick at a local chain restaurant, while waiting to be seated. The restaurant has since closed that location, but even now, when passing that building, it is usually mentioned that I threw up while waiting for a table there.

emma69

Perhaps I haven't been very observant in the US but certainly in many places in Europe, and in Canada too, the restaurants have menus outside the door, so you can take a look at selection, price etc. without committing. I also have no problem asking to see a menu if there isn't one posted, before deciding whether we want to remain there. Quality is hit or miss, whether a chain or not. Service, I tend to find it better at an independent restaurant, where the staff may be related to the owner, or have been there a long time. At the chains I go to occasionally, the staff seem almost exclusive college age, and move on frequently.

kipper

Most places I've visited in the US don't have the menu outside the door typically.

darthbimmer

I could argue the opposite conclusion from the same assumptions. Staff related to the owner are more likely to be working there out of family obligation, in one direction or the other, and are more likely to continue working there even if they're not very good at it. At a chain restaurant without such relationships, it is more likely that workers who can't perform their jobs well will leave or be dismissed.

I only see locally owned restaurants enjoying an edge in service if I compare apples to oranges: a bright, loud, mid-scale chain versus a quieter, more fine dining-oriented local restaurant. Within comparable styles and price ranges, they're more or less the same overall.

Ancien Maestro

Chain restaurants don't preclude from food quality that causes sickness..

It seems we get less sick at the chain restaurants, but certainly wouldn't say its safer.. Just used to the locations we visit..

nkedel

I've found when I live someplace, I can find local places that fit my taste better than any chain. There's sufficiently little accounting for taste that while Yelp (etc) can help avoid those local places which are genuinely BAD, the "fits my taste better than a chain does" aspect is not usually that helpful and it is more hit or miss.

emma69

I guess I have been more fortunate. Ones where people have a (financial) stake in the business seem to be better run than those who are simply minimum wage cogs.

I also like the fact that at (local Italian) I can request a different pasta with a particular sauce, or ask for additions / changes, and it isn't a problem, as there is a skilled cook or chef there, who is happy to rustle up something a bit different. Most chain restaurants have someone who can put together the dishes on the menu. End of. They can't or won't make changes, and so much of the food is prepared in advance, or made off site and brought in (such as pasta sauces) that they couldn't change / alter even if they wanted to. I ate at a very well known chain a couple of years ago, ordered the stir fry. Asked if it could be ordered without mushrooms (as I am not keen), and was told it was 'pre prepared'. Really, a stir fry pre-prepared, that is cooking 101! When it arrived (with mushrooms), I discovered a piece of plastic in with the food 'oh it is microwaved in the container, sorry, it must have broken off and got in with the food'. A microwaved prepared off site stir fry. Sums it up for me.