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The only one I can think of off the top of my head is Red Lobster -went there for a farewell lunch for work a couple of years ago and they had none of the dishes I used to like - and what I did find to eat was really awful - overcooked and WAY over seasoned.
Oh - one more. Denny's. Used to love them, but that was 20 years ago - last time I went to one, I could have gone to a local breakfast place and had better food for less money. It was disappointing, to say the least.
For fine dining, I cannot think of one place that I used to frequent and would now avoid. I've never gotten a bad meal, or had a bad experience at Felidia, Balthazar, Per Se, The Bombay Club, Yamashiro, and a host of others, but for the prices paid, one would not expect any hiccups.
Sorry, I had to LOL when I saw that. Yamashiro is the name of a Japanese battleship from World War II, so my initial impression was of you standing in the chow line with hundreds of other sailors, waiting for the cooks to slop your rice and miso soup onto your tray.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tribecavsbrowns
I've seen a couple comments about Wendy's tasting different. I don't see it. They've always had good, beefy, juicy, and very salty burgers, which is what they have now.
I used to love Wendy's. A few years ago, they changed the way they did their french fries to something that I thought was just foul. They lost my business for several years after that. Recently, I found out that they changed their fries again, and now I kind of like them. So I'll go there now, if there's nothing better around.
I used to love Denny's and Pizza Hut when I was young. Now I don't really like either of them, though the pizza rollers (I think they're called that?) at the latter chain aren't half-bad. Service is almost always mediocre, though. The only reason I go at all is because my kids will win a free personal pizza for reading a certain number of books in school.
They had financial problems because the franchisor was trying to take all of the profit leaving the franchisees with nothing. If you Google "Quizno's granchisee complaints", you will find that a good number of the franchisees were complaining about the following:
1) Non-stop promotions where the franchisee was selling the specials below cost with no relief from the franchisor.
2) Inflated food and supply costs from the franchisor, often 10-20% higher than most independent, mainline suppliers.
3) I also believe that there was an issue with overlapping store territory. You open up a store and if it is successful, they let another franchisee open one nearby.
My friend was looking to buy a franchise on the secondary market a few years ago and asked me to take a look at it. I told him to pass on both Subway and Quiznos as both are nearly impossible to make a lot of money with.
I looked them up last night after someone on here thought they were a new company. I was wondering how old they were. It was shocking to see what the company owners pulled. The number of lawsuits for over a decade is astounding! I'm amazed there are any left quite honestly.
Snip The only reason I go at all is because my kids will win a free personal pizza for reading a certain number of books in school.
My son had that same program!!! He was so excited the first time he won one - he tried the pizza, and said he would see if he could give his certificate away to another kid in the future - he didn't even finish his tiny personal pizza.
Have been taken to some very high dollar Chinese restaurants in places like SanFrancisco and still was served pure crap after having identified to the waiter that I was knowledgeable about Chinese food ... and saw and smelled some good stuff being served at adjacent tables to other patrons.
Same here...I used to go to this restaurant in Maryland with my Taiwanese friend, and she did all of the ordering and we got amazing food! However if you ordered off the English menu you got the same garbage you can get anywhere else.
Everything we had was SO GOOD and I always told them that they really should put everything we had on the English menu because people would order it.
I looked them up last night after someone on here thought they were a new company. I was wondering how old they were. It was shocking to see what the company owners pulled. The number of lawsuits for over a decade is astounding! I'm amazed there are any left quite honestly.
I was in the restaurant/ food service business for 15 years or so. I have literally dozens of friends who at one time held franchises in a good number of the chains that have been mentioned. Fundamentally, a chain is only successful when BOTH the franchisor and the franchisee are profitable.
In Subway and Quiznos, it has become nearly impossible for the franchisee to make money. Corporate runs a lot of promotions, often without discussing with the franchisees, where the franchisee is selling the sandwich at or below cost. This is a killer in two ways. First, you are not making any money on today's sales as many customers come in for the special and don't buy all of the add-ons. Second, you create an expectation of a certain price point. If every time I walk into a Subway store and order a footlong for $5, how willing will I be to pay $6.50 when the promotional pricing ends? I am not.
If I am heading to one of the burger chains for their Super Value meal where most of the items are $1, I am NOT going to pay $5 for a Wendy's hamburger in ANY form.
I cannot speak for others BUT I am not going out to eat in a lot of restaurants very often, chain or independents. When I need a quick bite, I head to a grocery store or an upscale convenience store (like Wawa, Cumberland Farms or Quiktrip) where I can get the food quickly, eat it in the car, and take off.
As for Panera Bread, when I am in the Midwest, I will stop there 4-5x a week but I am NOT ordering more than a bagel (if any food) and a co\up of coffee. They are quickly falling into Starbucks status - I am more than happy to have several cups of coffee there and utilize their free internet.
Back in the late 70s we stopped at the Cracker Barrel in Lebanon (Store #1) and loved it. As they expanded, for a long time the food was great. Well for folks who love traditional Southern-style country vittles.
As they grew, they seemed to lose focus, and started adding all sorts of things to the menu, and letting the good stuff slide.
Now, I seldom eat at a CB, as the service is generally spotty, and the portions have dwindled, as they try to cover costs.
The "Maple Syrup" they offer with pancakes is 60% or more basic sugar syrup with some Maple in it for flavoring. They parcel out the biscuits and corn muffins like they are golden nuggets. And most of them can't cook Grits to save their skin.
Also, many have poor health practices. They don't follow proper procedures for re-heating their gravies and stew, and such.
My letters of complaint have often been ignored. I sold off all my stock and only eat at a CB when I can't find a Waffle House.
Don't you at least find it...curious...that he chooses to eat frozen fish and frozen shrimp that is microwaved at a very poorly-rated chain restaurant, when he is virtually surrounded by places that serve freshly-caught and freshly-prepared seafood?
I'm thinking people who eat seafood from Friendly's et al say they like seafood but don't really, so they eat where the seafood is as bland as can be.
I'm thinking people who eat seafood from Friendly's et al say they like seafood but don't really, so they eat where the seafood is as bland as can be.
I think that you are probably correct!
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