Do You Eat at Fast Food Restaurants when Traveling?
Jul 15, 2019, 9:54 am
#121
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That's what I try to do once I'm in the US. Not necessarily fast food but these chains that I haven't found in Europe like Applebee's, Cheesecake Factory or similar.
Chipotle is my favourite in the fast food category though.
Chipotle is my favourite in the fast food category though.
Jul 15, 2019, 10:00 am
#123
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Chipotle (along with El Pollo Loco and Baja Fresh) is fast casual.
Jul 15, 2019, 10:32 am
#124
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Jul 15, 2019, 11:48 am
#125
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Chipotle follows the same concept as Subway and many other "fast food" restaurants which is cafeteria a la carte. I still order from Chipotle because of the ease for customization within the app which few chains have mastered.
Jul 15, 2019, 12:15 pm
#126
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I must admit that I felt a bit guilty adorning Chipotle with the "fast casual" buzzword in the absence of anything concrete to differentiate it from Subway. It's almost like the marketers have drawn an arbitrary line in the sand for us. That having been said, Chipotle and Taco Bell (which, I also eat on occasion) are clearly different. And, until better descriptors are available, I can't improve on "fast casual" myself.
Jul 15, 2019, 1:43 pm
#127
Join Date: Sep 2013
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I must admit that I felt a bit guilty adorning Chipotle with the "fast casual" buzzword in the absence of anything concrete to differentiate it from Subway. It's almost like the marketers have drawn an arbitrary line in the sand for us. That having been said, Chipotle and Taco Bell (which, I also eat on occasion) are clearly different. And, until better descriptors are available, I can't improve on "fast casual" myself.
Agreed. There is a definite difference within the fast food category that fast casual doesn't capture. Having seen the precooked bag of Taco Bell meat, my first though was dog food. Then I worked at a dog food plant, I now know better.
Jul 15, 2019, 1:45 pm
#128
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Jul 16, 2019, 2:29 pm
#129
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It's hard to put a finger on it. I think of Potbelly's as a cut above Subway. It's literally the exact same ingredients, but Potbelly's presents it better and in most cases takes better care of the restaurants. Same with McAlister's.
I think of Noodles & Company as a cut above most of the rest of the fast food universe. I think that was the chain with which I first saw the "fast casual" term. Definitely a higher quality experience than, say, a Taco Bell.
Jul 16, 2019, 7:21 pm
#131
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Actually, in Paris we found Starbucks was about on par, price-wise, with the corner cafe. But there were so many of the corner cafes that there was really no need to look for the long-haired lady.
Jul 17, 2019, 7:58 am
#132
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As a side benefit, consuming 16 ounces of espresso can help you save on airfare, as you can basically just fly all the way home by yourself after that.
Jul 17, 2019, 11:13 am
#133
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I still think of it all as fast food, but I do appreciate the brands that try to do a fresher less-processed take on the concept, or generally adhere to a more pleasant, cleaner, modern ambiance.
It's hard to put a finger on it. I think of Potbelly's as a cut above Subway. It's literally the exact same ingredients, but Potbelly's presents it better and in most cases takes better care of the restaurants. Same with McAlister's.
I think of Noodles & Company as a cut above most of the rest of the fast food universe. I think that was the chain with which I first saw the "fast casual" term. Definitely a higher quality experience than, say, a Taco Bell.
It's hard to put a finger on it. I think of Potbelly's as a cut above Subway. It's literally the exact same ingredients, but Potbelly's presents it better and in most cases takes better care of the restaurants. Same with McAlister's.
I think of Noodles & Company as a cut above most of the rest of the fast food universe. I think that was the chain with which I first saw the "fast casual" term. Definitely a higher quality experience than, say, a Taco Bell.
Jul 17, 2019, 1:00 pm
#134
Join Date: May 2009
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While I eat fast food when traveling for the same reasons I eat it at home (fast, convenient, inexpensive) where I go for fast food varies with the locale. I try to pick local flavor instead of the big name brands I can get back home-- though even back home I don't eat at the big name brands that often. On many trips overseas I do try an American chain restaurant like McDonald's once to see how it's different from in the US.
Jul 21, 2019, 5:15 am
#135
Join Date: Jul 2019
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Yes, I had this confirmed by a Vietnamese friend, when I asked why so many people would want to eat there (we were walking through the 'new' part of HCMC). "Amongst our younger generation, it infers that you are cool and have made it, a sort of status symbol" was her answer.