Why isnt there that many chain restaurants in seattle? (Vancouver: Home Depot, buy)

[JSeaman0]

It was the same way in san francisco. Why isn't there that much fast food or chain restaurants in Seattle? Do most people here not like those kind of places? Most cities in america have these places everywhere.

[Tiger Beer]

They definitely have them.

However, fastfood in general has almost no nutrional value whatsoever. I think its just the kind of people that Seattle and San Francisco attract...the kind have interest in general health issues.

But if you are looking for junkfood and fastfood, they are definitely throughout Seattle and Washington just the same. 'Burgerville' is my favorite NW chain, great halibut and chips

[HowGoesIt]

It's all an economic decision. There are too many yummy eats in SF that no one would want to eat at McDonalds or BK. Those places would not do well there.

Most smaller towns across the US don't have the restaurant selection that SF or Seattle have, therefore Chili's and Applebee's are the best places in town.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by HowGoesIt

It's all an economic decision. There are too many yummy eats in SF that no one would want to eat at McDonalds or BK. Those places would not do well there.

Most smaller towns across the US don't have the restaurant selection that SF or Seattle have, therefore Chili's and Applebee's are the best places in town.

That pretty much sums it up. When I lived in SF and NYC, I never went to fastfood restaurants. Mostly because you literally have 10000s of choices....of every different kind of food. So fastfood is just one of thousands of choices.

When I visit home back in Michigan, most of it is all fastfood and chains....there aren't any other choices.

That being said, all those chains are all over WA & CA...so if a person has limited food interests and prefers chains, you can find them. They just aren't popular or interesting, once a person starts expanding his eating options.

[JesseJB]

Most US chains are just too bland and fattening to do well in these cities. However we have plenty of "covert" chains like Rock Bottom, Mexico Cantina, Gordon Beirsch, etc.

[sean98125]

There are plenty of chains in Seattle. They just aren't clustered together at major intersections and freeway off-ramps like they are in the suburbs.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

But if you are looking for junkfood and fastfood, they are definitely throughout Seattle and Washington just the same. 'Burgerville' is my favorite NW chain, great halibut and chips

The only place where I ever seen Burgerville is in Vancouver, WA (3 hours south of Seattle) and one in Portland OR. Seattle doesn't have a Burgerville and there isn't one near Seattle. Burgerville is not even that great.

[415_s2k]

You can go to a McDonald's, Olive Garden, Burger King, Jack In The Box, Taco Bell, etc. in Seattle or SF, but as other people have noted, the general question is more "why would you want to?"

There are so many local options that are better than these chains... I'll admit it: once in a blue moon, I'd get a craving for Taco Bell that only Taco Bell could satisfy - not a craving for Mexican, but a craving for Taco Bell. I'd drive to the late-night Taco Bell on Aurora, order a Cheesy Bean and Rice "burrito," and smile big. I also have to say that in Seattle, I preferred Qdoba and Chipotle to most of the local offerings: Mama's was wicked good, and El Camion (a trailer in the parking lot of the Home Depot on Aurora next to the Washelli Cemetery) was one of the best Mexican places I've been to anywhere.

[vandygirl]

Originally Posted by JSeaman0

It was the same way in san francisco. Why isn't there that much fast food or chain restaurants in Seattle? Do most people here not like those kind of places? Most cities in america have these places everywhere.

#1 Because people in San Francisco and Seattle have lots of fabulous local restaurants that serve 5 star food (especially in San Francisco), so why buy a $2 heart burn from some joint with a plastic roof selling stale, flash frozen, low grade assembly line slop?

#2 Because these residents' taste buds are used to fresh, local ingredients like avocados, garlic, king crab and copper river salmon so when they taste that salted down, corn syrupy, hormone injected crap served in restaurant chains they can taste the difference.

#3 Because they understand the value of supporting local businesses over big, mom and pop-crushing multinational corporations that own fast food companies and don't care about your arteries clogging with trans fats.

[Swigchow]

Originally Posted by JSeaman0

It was the same way in san francisco. Why isn't there that much fast food or chain restaurants in Seattle? Do most people here not like those kind of places? Most cities in america have these places everywhere.

Uhhh, where have you been?
In the Seattle area there about 70 McDonald's, 57 Domino's, 4 Olive Garden's, 45 Taco Bell's, etc, etc, etc