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I can't speak for others when I say no posturing here. All these chains literally were not in or near any neighborhood I've lived in the city proper in Chicago. They were always far and out of the way. The ones that were in the city most of them closed down many, many years ago. The first time I ever ate at a Taco Bell was in a suburb somewhere. There were no Taco Bells to be found in my city neighborhood or anywhere near its immediate vicinity when I lived there. There's one close to there now but only one and it's still in a suburb. All the rest are in the suburbs. There was a Long John Silver's there but it closed down.
The closest Pizza Hut to where I used to live in Chicago is 19 miles. The one that was closer closed down years ago. But there are several local pizza places in the neighborhood. I lived on a far side of the city and it was actually closer for me to go to downtown Chicago and have some authentic deep dish than it was for me to drive 19 plus miles into a suburb for Pizza Hut. And I'm going to choose authentic Chicago deep dish over Pizza Hut.
We love our White Castle though. White Castle puts Krystal to shame lol.
Where I grew up (Door County WI) there weren't any chains. Still aren't any north of Sturgeon Bay. But this is due to zoning laws supporting local businesses. Even Sturgeon Bay didn't have anything outside a seasonal Dairy Queen and a seasonal A&W until I was in my teens. The closest fast food of my youth was an hour away in Green Bay, and I definitely loved McDonalds then - I think all kids do. I would insist on stopping there on "shopping trips."
There's one McD's and a Jimmy Johns in my Milwaukee neighborhood and dozens & dozens of non-chains. The next closest chains after those are a good 15 minute drive (Wendy's is some miles SW).
Depends on where you are. Fast Food joints aren't ubiquitous for everyone. In some city neighborhoods, they're exceedingly rare; some other places make the sensible choice to discourage chains.
Are you saying though that in Chicago's "city proper" there just aren't many chains of any sort? Because from what I can tell on Trip Advisor, Chicago's got plenty of chain restaurants.
As for White Castle vs Krystal - the burgers in both places taste exactly the same to me. Exactly. And to be honest, I don't care for either.
My husband, the quintessential Texan, had never had a burger from either place. So we were on a road trip somewhere in the mid Atlantic, and to be honest with you, I can't remember whether it was a White Castle or a Krystal we stopped at, but we stopped because I wanted to see what he thought of such odd little burgers. He literally took one bite, and threw the rest of the burger in the trash can! I thought that was a little extreme myself, but to each his own.
I'm not saying they are completely non-existent, they are few or rare, even in the inner city. I promise you this. There's just too much, much better-tasting local fare to choose from. Just for kicks and giggles, I looked up Taco Bell in various zip codes that I or my family have lived in, and they are not close by. They are all in the suburbs. Two of the zip codes I looked up where me and my family have lived, there are ZERO Pizza Huts. Not one! All of the Applebee's are in the suburbs. Not one in the city. 17 come up and most of them are near or in the state of Indiana. Even in the closer-in burbs, you still are going to find a lot of local fare over fast food and casual dining chains.
Trip Advisor doesn't give you the full picture if you don't know what areas to look in.
I can definitely taste a difference between White Castle and Krystal. White Castle tastes much better.
Where I grew up (Door County WI) there weren't any chains. Still aren't any north of Sturgeon Bay. But this is due to zoning laws supporting local businesses. Even Sturgeon Bay didn't have anything outside a seasonal Dairy Queen and a seasonal A&W until I was in my teens. The closest fast food of my youth was an hour away in Green Bay, and I definitely loved McDonalds then - I think all kids do. I would insist on stopping there on "shopping trips."
There's one McD's and a Jimmy Johns in my Milwaukee neighborhood and dozens & dozens of non-chains. The next closest chains after those are a good 15 minute drive (Wendy's is some miles SW).
Depends on where you are. Fast Food joints aren't ubiquitous for everyone. In some city neighborhoods, they're exceedingly rare; some other places make the sensible choice to discourage chains.
^^^This.
In the rust belt midwest and northeast, there just aren't that many chains within the city limits of the major cities. We prefer mom n' pop hoagies and other deli sandwiches (or deli food in general), hot dogs, sausages and small local ethnic spots over national fast food chains, because that's what we've always had access to for over a century.
Those of us who grew up on deli and ethnic foods of great taste and quality aren't going to choose chains over that, which is why many of the chains usually end up closing (in Chicago anyway). There are Jack in the Box stores everywhere here in Texas. They closed them all down in Chicago back in the 70's or 80's. And Jack in the Box food is just awful.
In the rust belt midwest and northeast, there just aren't that many chains within the city limits of the major cities. We prefer mom n' pop hoagies and other deli sandwiches (or deli food in general), hot dogs, sausages and small local ethnic spots over national fast food chains, because that's what we've always had access to for over a century.
Well, we're not just talking about "city proper" restaurants are we? Because if that's the case, then in most Southern cities, the chains are predominately in the suburbs as well.
My husband works up in the Northeast and Mid Atlantic region a lot and consequently I travel up that way a lot as well. I see chain restaurants all over the dang place - and I'm not talking about touristy places either. And they're packed full of locals.
All this posturing about how rarely people from the north eat at chain restaurants is ridiculous.
Yes, but tells nothing nothing if the proportion of chain restaurants is lower up here. I don't think anyone is saying the Northeast is completely free of chain restaurants. Also, if you traveling on big commercial roads as opposed inside towns, you're more likely to see chain restaurants. We have a few chain restaurants here, they're not the most common restaurant for people to go, but there's enough customers to keep them busy.
Well, we're not just talking about "city proper" restaurants are we? Because if that's the case, then in most Southern cities, the chains are predominately in the suburbs as well.
Well, I am talking about the city proper because I very rarely ever went out of my way to go to the suburbs to eat. So again, in the city itself there are not a lot of chains. Being a midwesterner, the further out you go, the more chains there are especially getting closer to the rural areas. The south and the rural midwest have this in common.
The big difference between the major cities from my personal experience is that the ones in the south are proliferated with chain restaurants. The major cities in the rust belt midwest and north/northeast are not or not on the same level.
Well, I am talking about the city proper because I very rarely ever went out of my way to go to the suburbs to eat. So again, in the city itself there are not a lot of chains. Being a midwesterner, the further out you go, the more chains there are especially getting closer to the rural areas. The south and the rural midwest have this in common.
The big difference between the major cities from my personal experience is that the ones in the south are proliferated with chain restaurants. The major cities in the rust belt midwest and north/northeast are not or not on the same level.
OK, whatever you say. I've never noticed any sort of significant difference myself.
Well, I am talking about the city proper because I very rarely ever went out of my way to go to the suburbs to eat. So again, in the city itself there are not a lot of chains. Being a midwesterner, the further out you go, the more chains there are especially getting closer to the rural areas. The south and the rural midwest have this in common.
And New England, Northeast in general? For Boston, Applebee's does cluster by the outer parts. Mainly by highway exits.
OK, whatever you say. I've never noticed any sort of significant difference myself.
I can't speak on what you see or experience when you traveling. I can only speak as someone who has actually lived in both a major city in the midwest and two major cities in the south. The south, hands down, has more chains. I eat far more at chains than I did back home. You don't have to believe it, but they literally just aren't there or aren't there en masse.
One of my best friends recently moved from Atlanta to DC. She's traveled a lot and she told me that since living in DC she notices that DC has way less chain restaurants and much easier/walkable access to neighborhood ethnic and mom n' pop restaurants than Atlanta. A co-worker of mine from DC also said that Dallas has more chains and that DC doesn't have a lot of chain restaurants.
Back in Chicago, from my last apartment there, I could walk to a Lebanese, an Egyptian, and a locally-owned and popular mon n' pop restaurant; and also a local deep-dish pizzeria. But absolutely NO McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, etc. to be found. Where I live here in Texas, I can easily walk to a McDonald's, a Sonic, Church's Chicken and a strip mall full of chain restaurants. There's also Taco Bell and a plethora of other fast food chains near my home in Texas. I also never heard of or ate at a Sonic until I moved to the south. Sonic's food is gross too.
LOL there's something about Sonic cherry limeades that go really well with a road trip too!
Yes Sonic is one of those places you usually end up stopping at even if you didn't intend to. Especially if you were travelling the back way on those state roads.
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The really weird thing is that I don't even particularly like (or dislike - I'm neutral) Starbucks. In fact, the ONLY time I even go to our local Starbucks is, for some reason, when I'm out Christmas shopping in December. It's like a little Christmas shopping tradition I guess. But get me out somewhere on a road trip and I'll definitely be pulling over to grab a latte at Starbucks, as if I couldn't go another mile without one. Makes no sense.
I'm like you and don't fall for the hype. But of course coffee itself is addictive, so when you have a clever set up and add a cute little logo that everyone recognizes...there you have it. A national love affair.
Personally the only time I go into a Starbucks is to charge my phone
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