Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
a person who bad mouths chains irrationally will generally consider someone who likes some chains as ignorant. they are more cultured and sophisticated. chains are beneath them.
Sorry if the word "ignorant" offends you. I meant that most suburbanites don't know that better food exists elsewhere because they are only exposed to chains where they live. I didn't think it was insulting.
If you claim that the quality among chains is on par with the quality of independent restaurants, I contend that this is not only not true, but irrelevant. When I go to a restaurant, I go to one of my favorites, not some average joint. If I try a new place and I don't like it, I don't go back. Now, when I think about my favorite place, I can't say that any chains make the list.
On the topic of for profit, of course I agree that every restaurateur wants to be successful. However, wouldn't you contend that to be successful, most restaurant owners think that the way to do it is to offer good food/atmosphere/value? The obvious line of thinking for most corporations goes thusly:
Our restaurant has attained a loyal following of people and great word of mouth. What better way to capitalize on this craze and maximize profits than to build another 500 of them and cut corners on cost. It's a science.
Sorry if the word "ignorant" offends you. I meant that most suburbanites don't know that better food exists elsewhere because they are only exposed to chains where they live. I didn't think it was insulting.
If you claim that the quality among chains is on par with the quality of independent restaurants, I contend that this is not only not true, but irrelevant. When I go to a restaurant, I go to one of my favorites, not some average joint. If I try a new place and I don't like it, I don't go back. Now, when I think about my favorite place, I can't say that any chains make the list.
On the topic of for profit, of course I agree that every restaurateur wants to be successful. However, wouldn't you contend that to be successful, most restaurant owners think that the way to do it is to offer good food/atmosphere/value? The obvious line of thinking for most corporations goes thusly:
Our restaurant has attained a loyal following of people and great word of mouth. What better way to capitalize on this craze and maximize profits than to build another 500 of them and cut corners on cost. It's a science.
calling people ignorant can definitely be offensive. i think that rather than ignorant, many of them enjoy their chain meal and find it to be a great value. you make the assumption they are ignorant because they like something that you dont. you dont really know what other restaurants they try and may like or dislike.
i would contend its true. like independents, there is a great variety of chains and some have high quality and some have low quality. i would trust a chain not to cut corners before i trust an independent place to not cut corners. at least they have standards that they must meet with oversite. any bad publicity could ruin the whole corporation. you day "the obvious line of thinking for a corporation is to build more restaurants and cut corners." i think thats very silly. of course, they will want to cut costs like any business. however, they need to protect their brand and so i trust them to be more responsible when cutting corners than an independent place.
you are a good person to have this discussion with because you irrationally speak badly of all chains. you think just because a place is a chain, that is something to hold against it.
calling people ignorant can definitely be offensive. i think that rather than ignorant, many of them enjoy their chain meal and find it to be a great value. you make the assumption they are ignorant because they like something that you dont. you dont really know what other restaurants they try and may like or dislike.
i would contend its true. like independents, there is a great variety of chains and some have high quality and some have low quality. i would trust a chain not to cut corners before i trust an independent place to not cut corners. at least they have standards that they must meet with oversite. any bad publicity could ruin the whole corporation. you day "the obvious line of thinking for a corporation is to build more restaurants and cut corners." i think thats very silly. of course, they will want to cut costs like any business. however, they need to protect their brand and so i trust them to be more responsible when cutting corners than an independent place.
you are a good person to have this discussion with because you irrationally speak badly of all chains. you think just because a place is a chain, that is something to hold against it.
The word "irrational" can have the same effect. Which of my statements to you consider irrational? I thought I was offering common ground by stating that I like Baja Fresh. I also enjoy an occasional qdoba burrito and the corn tamales at cheesecake factory. I like the outback special and blue cheese salad at Outback. I also love the aforementioned Ruth's Chris and Del Frisco and like Fleming's.
The latter 3, however, are distinctly different from the majority of chains though in what business model they follow. High priced, high margin chains such as these keep their margins high by attracting a clientele which is willing to pay higher prices for consistently high quality food with quality ingredients. This is in stark contrast to most other chains (chevy's, don pablo, tgi friday's, applebees, olive garden, ruby tuesday, bob evans, friendlies, etc.). This group uses lower quality ingredients and can charge lower prices. In my opinion, the taste of the food is not worth the low prices. For my money, I choose neither.
And yes, there are hundreds of thousands in this country ignorant to the breadth/quality of food choices available in, for example, New Jersey. There are a couple contributing factors. One is the fact that we (and NYC) are more immigrant heavy and immigrants bring the cuisine of their homelands and open restaurants. Another factor is that NJ towns grew up in a different time when towns had a main street and weren't just little boxes made of ticky tacky stamped out on the hillside. Our main streets in many cases have old standbys which have been around for decades because they have good food. Also, you can't plop down a cheesecake factory in a lot the size of a brownstone. So we just got lucky I guess.
So, as I stated earlier, I do have a thing against chains. Even though there are a few good apples, I can still state with conviction that I hate chain restaurants without feeling bad about it. When I travel to Chicago and see McDonalds, Red Lobster, Melting Pot, Rainforest Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe all in the same block, I can't help but think that the Chicago of 50 years ago might have had more local character, instead of feeling like a strip mall with tall buildings. Is this irrational hatred of chain restaurants? Maybe so.
The word "irrational" can have the same effect. Which of my statements to you consider irrational? I thought I was offering common ground by stating that I like Baja Fresh. I also enjoy an occasional qdoba burrito and the corn tamales at cheesecake factory. I like the outback special and blue cheese salad at Outback. I also love the aforementioned Ruth's Chris and Del Frisco and like Fleming's.
The latter 3, however, are distinctly different from the majority of chains though in what business model they follow. High priced, high margin chains such as these keep their margins high by attracting a clientele which is willing to pay higher prices for consistently high quality food with quality ingredients. This is in stark contrast to most other chains (chevy's, don pablo, tgi friday's, applebees, olive garden, ruby tuesday, bob evans, friendlies, etc.). This group uses lower quality ingredients and can charge lower prices. In my opinion, the taste of the food is not worth the low prices. For my money, I choose neither.
And yes, there are hundreds of thousands in this country ignorant to the breadth/quality of food choices available in, for example, New Jersey. There are a couple contributing factors. One is the fact that we (and NYC) are more immigrant heavy and immigrants bring the cuisine of their homelands and open restaurants. Another factor is that NJ towns grew up in a different time when towns had a main street and weren't just little boxes made of ticky tacky stamped out on the hillside. Our main streets in many cases have old standbys which have been around for decades because they have good food. Also, you can't plop down a cheesecake factory in a lot the size of a brownstone. So we just got lucky I guess.
So, as I stated earlier, I do have a thing against chains. Even though there are a few good apples, I can still state with conviction that I hate chain restaurants without feeling bad about it. When I travel to Chicago and see McDonalds, Red Lobster, Melting Pot, Rainforest Cafe, Hard Rock Cafe all in the same block, I can't help but think that the Chicago of 50 years ago might have had more local character, instead of feeling like a strip mall with tall buildings. Is this irrational hatred of chain restaurants? Maybe so.
i consider it irrational to lump all chains together as being the devil. people are just anti-chain when they are too hip for their own good.
those chains you dislike are offering value. good food, good portion, lower price. sometimes they deliver and sometimes they dont. i like fridays a lot because they are always working on their menu. they dont just sit down and cut corners like you say. some of their menu items are really enjoyable. i would say you are getting better value than at an equally priced independent (most of the time).
it is irrational hatred of chains. ultimately, people go to them because they are getting a good value. thats why they grow while most independents disappear.
% of good chain restaurants > % of good independent restaurants
i consider it irrational to lump all chains together as being the devil. people are just anti-chain when they are too hip for their own good.
those chains you dislike are offering value. good food, good portion, lower price. sometimes they deliver and sometimes they dont. i like fridays a lot because they are always working on their menu. they dont just sit down and cut corners like you say. some of their menu items are really enjoyable. i would say you are getting better value than at an equally priced independent (most of the time).
it is irrational hatred of chains. ultimately, people go to them because they are getting a good value. thats why they grow while most independents disappear.
% of good chain restaurants > % of good independent restaurants
i consider it irrational to lump all chains together as being the devil. people are just anti-chain when they are too hip for their own good.
Never said they were the devil, just said the food usually sucks. Lower quality of meats and ingredients are the main issue there. Buying a steak from Applebee's is like buying lumber at Home Depot. It's not the best quality but you can still eat it or build with it. Some of us just choose not to.
Never said they were the devil, just said the food usually sucks. Lower quality of meats and ingredients are the main issue there. Buying a steak from Applebee's is like buying lumber at Home Depot. It's not the best quality but you can still eat it or build with it. Some of us just choose not to.
i find that steak quality in chains at that level are getting better than they used to. still, you arent paying for a prime quality steak so you arent going to get it. however, id rather pay 12.99 for a steak at friday's than pay 12.99 for a steak at an independent. the independent will more likely have the lower quality at the same price level.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
just said the food usually sucks. Lower quality of meats and ingredients are the main issue there. Buying a steak from Applebee's is like buying lumber at Home Depot. It's not the best quality but you can still eat it or build with it. Some of us just choose not to.
