Why do restaurant chains leave Chicago area? (Addison, Niles: litigation, property taxes)

[inspect2]

I remember when Jack In The Box, Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips and Ponderosa were in the immediate Chicago area. Many restaurant chains avoid northern Illinois like the plague. Is it the property taxes? If there were a few Jack In The Box's in Chicago today it would be hard to get inside. Dont get it..

[chet everett]

I think it is often problems with a single "master franchisee" for the whole area. These guys try to expand too fast, hit a rough spot and file for bankruptcy. They won't let go of the "asset" that is is the master agreement for the region and tie it up in litigation until (like Arthur Treachers) the whole chain goes belly up.

Jack-in-the-Box were once upon a time right across Cass from each other at Ogden in Westmont...

These guys that buy the rights to a whole area end up tying up too much cash that they need to build the supply and advertise. Takes a lot of money to reach enough towns in the Chicago market -- remember how Target "swooped in" all at once? Big big outlays of cash...

[Drover]

In Ponderosa's case, they got chased out of town because their food was mesmerizingly awful.

[gardener34]

Yeah the dayton hudson corp used the money they were making of marshall field's to start up all those targets. And they even made the marshall fields ads look like target ads. Don't blame macy's - dayton hudson ruined marshall fields. I am surprised that macy's even wanted it after what dh did to it.

Also, you can go to rockford, we call that the "land of the forgotten chains" ... can't remember how many, but there are several there that have been long gone in chicagoland. One is "ground round"!

And there is a ponderosa in wisconsin dells. Personally I miss arthur treacher's. dad used to bring home take out from there on fridays during lent. Yum! I guess I can live with long john silvers.

[inspect2]

Originally Posted by Drover

In Ponderosa's case, they got chased out of town because their food was mesmerizingly awful.

I forgot about that part..

I think Chet has it. Poorly managed finances of the franchisee(s) and corporate's unwillingness to set up shop here. Look at Hardie's. Rural, southern Illinois towns have them next to corn fields but they're corporate stores. Downtown Chicago a number of years ago had just one franchisee location and he shut down within a few months. Right near Clark and Madison!

[inspect2]

Originally Posted by gardener34

Yeah the dayton hudson corp used the money they were making of marshall field's to start up all those targets. And they even made the marshall fields ads look like target ads. Don't blame macy's - dayton hudson ruined marshall fields. I am surprised that macy's even wanted it after what dh did to it.

Also, you can go to rockford, we call that the "land of the forgotten chains" ... can't remember how many, but there are several there that have been long gone in chicagoland. One is "ground round"!

And there is a ponderosa in wisconsin dells. Personally I miss arthur treacher's. dad used to bring home take out from there on fridays during lent. Yum! I guess I can live with long john silvers.

I knew of two Arthur Treacher's in Chicago. One at Addison and Kedzie and in Niles. Great fish n' chips (and those hush puppies). Forgot about Ground Round. A year ago I had a hamburger at one near Brookfield, WI and thought it was excellent.

[Anthera]

Originally Posted by Drover

In Ponderosa's case, they got chased out of town because their food was mesmerizingly awful.

Was it always awful? I thought so as an adult, but when I was a kid I thought it was great. Did the food quality go down or is my memory bad?

[inspect2]

Originally Posted by Anthera

Was it always awful? I thought so as an adult, but when I was a kid I thought it was great. Did the food quality go down or is my memory bad?

Yes when they first opened they were good. The chopped steak, baked potatoe, salad bar and texas toast for $2.99 was a great bargain.

[Avengerfire]

I dont remember Ponderosa being bad in the Chicago area at least.

[supernerdgirl]

Originally Posted by inspect2

Yes when they first opened they were good. The chopped steak, baked potatoe, salad bar and texas toast for $2.99 was a great bargain.

I'm agreeing with this.

When I was little in Michigan, it would be a big deal to go to Ponderosa and it was good food. We moved to Tennessee and it was TERRIBLE. I thought it was just the one in Tennessee, but recently, I wound up in one in Kentucky? I think? Maybe Indiana. Anyway, still terrible.