What do people have against chain restaurants and suburbs? (Winchester: allergies, vs)

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

This is all about subtle differences, I think. Seeing subtle differences, versus the absolute sameness of many chains.

I guess it all comes down to personal tastes. And I guess we all base our answers, to an extent, on the restaurants that are near us--so that influences it too. I live near Great Falls Plaza in cascades, which is about half and half with chain stores vs. independent stores. Among the restaurants, there is an independently owned coffee shop and a Dunkin' Donuts. There is a Greek sandwich shop and a Subway. So I've had a lot of chances to make direct comparisons between two similar operations.

I've eaten in all the restaurants, and I like some of the independent restaurants. I'm a big fan of the tavern and the Chinese place. There's an Italian restaurant that started out great but has been slipping recently, IMO. To be honest the last time I went there I wish I had stopped in Papa John's instead. That may have been a single bad exerpience, however, I haven't quite put it on the "don't go there" list.

When it comes to the sandwich shops and the coffee shops at Great Falls Plaza I prefer the chains. The indepedently owned coffee shop is horrid, IMO. The coffee is weak, the person who runs it would rather spend time on the phone than serve you, and the muffins are stale. Dunkin' Donuts is much better.

The same thing goes for the two sandwich shops. The sandwiches at the Greek place are ok but pricey and they use cheapo bread from the grocery store. I'm not a big fan of Subway but if I really need a sandwich I'll get a better one at Subway than at the Greek place.

BTW, all these restaurants are in a shopping plaza. The look of the stores is determined by the owner of the plaza. None of them have distinctive facades. If the Greek Place goes out of business and a Chick Fil A moves in, it will look the same. And vice versa, if Subway shuts down and Ed's Distinctive Weiner Dogs moves in it will still look the same.

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by TitaniumSquirrel

Many mom and pop establishments are plenty underwhelming and aside from a few local places that simply choose not to expand, most of them can't even if they wanted to because their food doesn't warrant it. I can think of only a handful of mom-and-pop places that I ever bother giving repeat business to.

Agreed. I've been to one local place twice in the past year because friends invited me. I enjoyed it well enough but given the choice I'd rather eat at Chic-Fil-A -- which would cost less, too!

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by Caladium

BTW, pardon me if I veer off topic for just a second but I noticed something else while waiting for the bus. I hung out in Starbucks from 8-9:30 on a Monday morning and watched New Yorkers get coffee before heading off to work. I also watched lots of them meet clients at that Starbucks.

Ironically, this was the Starbucks on the street labelled as "Fashion Avenue." So I decided to check out the fashions. You know that thread about how Nova woman dress "schlumpy" ? Well, reality is Nova women dress pretty much the same as typical New Yorkers.

The crowd I saw did not look like characters from Sex in the City. Of the 150 people I watched, I think I saw 4 or 5 people in suits, and the rest were dressed like people here. So if that's what they're wearing on Fashion Ave. I guess that must mean that the typical outfits Nova women wear are more fashionable than we know.

I read once that the reason women in the New York fashion industry almost always wear just basic black is that they're so terrified of making a fashion mistake and being judged critically by their peers that they don't even try. Have you ever seen Robin Givhan, who writes the snooty fashion pieces that no one reads (except to roll eyes at, and ridicule) in the WaPo? She's neither attractive nor fashionably dressed.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by TitaniumSquirrel

The more and more posts I read here, it cracks me up how people constantly point to an area's population of chain restaurants as such a negative. By definition, a chain of restaurants typically starts off as a local, neighborhood establishment but has become so successful (due to food quality, service, abiance, etc.) that they're able to keep expanding.

Chains are the bastions of the Blue Meanies of Corporate Fascism. Plus, the suburbs they service spew quintillions of tons of green house gases into the air, slowly turning Earth into Venus. /sarc

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan

Oh, you're into CONSTRUCTIVE critique now ? How's life going in Kentucky for you now that you're settled in? Hope the grass is indeed greener there after all. I dropped in on their forum once to see if you were posting there but that was shortly after you moved.

Still working on settling in. I definitely don't miss being in Northern VA though.

[pandorafan5687]

Originally Posted by Caladium

But be realistic, eliminating chain restaurants wouldn't change the look of a town. Sandwich shops, donut shops, coffee shop, delis, etc. look pretty much the same, no matter if it's a chain or an individually owned joint. The owner of an individual sandwich shop is going to choose a set up that maximizes the space and appeals to customers. And he still has to conform to the standards of the owner of the building. They might have a green awning instead of a red awning, but is that really such a big difference?

So instead of seeing signs that say Dunkin' Donuts-Starbucks-Winchells, you might see Jerry's Donuts-Joe's Donuts-Jack's Donuts. No matter what sign is on the building a donut store looks like a donut store.

I'm not trying to eliminate chain resturants. What I am saying is that, why have the same places every fifteen miles? Also, why not use a variety of building style. If you are going to develop in the country, why not build homes that reflect a country environment. You know ranch style homes w/ a large yard, or two story houses that don't have that ugly brick that you see so many homes with today. Okay I was off topic for a little bit, but I realize that yes the owner of an local deli will have to choose a set up w/ good space and customer appeal, that's normal, But usually a local shop, deli, etc should have a more quaint feeling.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by pandorafan5687

I'm not trying to eliminate chain resturants. What I am saying is that, why have the same places every fifteen miles?

I hear ya--I like variety too. I like having two different places to get coffee at my local shopping plaza (even though I hate one of the places). I like having a choice.

At the same time, I also hear people who get mad because their particular favorite restaurant isn't closer to them. You should see all the people who get up in arms because they have to drive a little ways to get to a Sonic. People who feel they are somehow being snubbed because they don't have a Chick Fil A in their neighborhood.

I guess you just can't win, no matter what you do.

[Yankeesfan]

If there are enough people nearby who like an independent place, it will stay in business. If not enough people like a chain, it won't. In reality, it's frequently the other way around. (I don't eat out enough to make a difference either way.)

[Tiger Beer]

Chain restaurants are just massive copy cat types of things...just dull and boring.

I mean, ever drive across the U.S.A.? 365 million people...and most exits off the highway have pretty much the exact same predictable chain restaurants in them.

They also just kill local type things. I mean, if Mrs. Smith down the street knows how to make a great chicken gumbo (or whatever it is)...we have a strict zoning culture, where she's going to have to rent or buy land space in restricted areas, and try to compete with large chains with much larger capitals. So, instead, the local types can't compete and can't get into the market.

For the most part, all across the country, we get off the highway in almost any state, and the same 10-15 chains are there, and the same Wal-Mart and such...almost all of their profits goes back to headquarters as well.

I think I've read that for every chain restaurant, 15% of the profits stays in the community, and 85% goes back to headquarter's city's wealth. Whereas a local non-chain restaurant, 100% stays in the community, and 0% goes to some other city's wealth.

[brooklynborndad]

"The look of the stores is determined by the owner of the plaza. None of them have distinctive facades. If the Greek Place goes out of business and a Chick Fil A moves in, it will look the same. And vice versa, if Subway shuts down and Ed's Distinctive Weiner Dogs moves in it will still look the same"

i think the architectural sameness (as opposed to say menu sameness) is more of an issue for freestanding restaurants, than for places in shopping centers. Think the ubiquitous, almost identical, McDonalds.