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Old 08-28-2014, 02:48 PM
 
Location: Charleston, SC metro
3,517 posts, read 5,293,153 times
Reputation: 1403

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Quote:
Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan View Post
Almost no one in this thread has said anything negative about fast food.
Quote:
Originally Posted by annie_himself View Post
Chain restaurants are garbage no matter where they are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan View Post
I'd just rather give my dollars to my neighbor than funnel a big chunk of them out of my town, especially if I'm getting better food along the way.
I agree, but there are some myths in general to be debunked. All revenue doesn't just get dumped into the pockets of corporate McDonald's. Local entrepreneurs take quite a bit of share, not to mention pay local employees for the work. Suppliers are also generally regional. The other thing to consider is the "benefit" of bureaucracy. Sure large concession companies may seem cold, but they usually have some pretty solid HR. I myself wonder if employees are more likely to get shafted on tips (shared pools are illegal), unpaid time, etc. in local restaurants than the ones with systematic training and management practices.

Not sure what you meant by "better food", but you can get unhealthy and poor tasting food at local restaurants, too. At least the chains have sales numbers to prove a like of taste!
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Old 08-28-2014, 03:09 PM
 
7,330 posts, read 15,323,433 times
Reputation: 3800
Quote:
Originally Posted by rorytmeadows View Post
I agree, but there are some myths in general to be debunked. All revenue doesn't just get dumped into the pockets of corporate McDonald's. Local entrepreneurs take quite a bit of share, not to mention pay local employees for the work. Suppliers are also generally regional. The other thing to consider is the "benefit" of bureaucracy. Sure large concession companies may seem cold, but they usually have some pretty solid HR. I myself wonder if employees are more likely to get shafted on tips (shared pools are illegal), unpaid time, etc. in local restaurants than the ones with systematic training and management practices.

Not sure what you meant by "better food", but you can get unhealthy and poor tasting food at local restaurants, too. At least the chains have sales numbers to prove a like of taste!
You're setting up straw men, friend. I never said all revenue was set out of town. I said "a big chunk," and I think we'd probably agree that in the vast majority of situations, a larger percentage of your dollar stays local at a local spot than at a big chain, no?

And of course there are plenty of crappy local places. I said "especially if I'm getting better food along the way." I give local spots the benefit of the doubt the first time or two, but beyond that, I'm supporting them based on the quality of my experience, not exclusively out of some sense of duty.

Not sure why you feel the need to be a shill for the big chains. They're doing just fine without your help. But do what you like. Seriously. No judgement. But me and mine will be down the street supporting local business.
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Old 08-28-2014, 04:33 PM
 
Location: St. Louis
2,689 posts, read 3,158,344 times
Reputation: 2748
Quote:
Originally Posted by rorytmeadows View Post
Hipsterism aside, most people eat at fast food restaurants. A lot of people just lie about it because this country's culture believes in shaming people into desired behavior.

Nonetheless, in the South, you have more it seems. Zaxby's, Chick Fil-A, Raising Cane's, Hardee's, Fatz, Dairy Queen, Firehouse Subs

In the North you have Tim Horton's and Boston Market.

In the west, you have In and Out Burger, Tastee Freez, Whattaburger.

I'm not saying that you can't have a few of each in other areas, just where the concentration lies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by baritone108 View Post
I'm in the North. We don't have Tim Horton's (I know there are a few along a couple of borders but it's not common and there's none where I live.) We do have Chick Fil-A, Hardee's and Dairy Queen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rorytmeadows View Post
Weird. May I ask where that geographical oddity is?
It's not really a geographic oddity. A lot of those fast food places haven't been exclusively Southern for decades at this point.

I grew up in St. Louis, and we had Chick-Fil-A, Hardee's, Dairy Queen, and Sonic. All of those places also have Chicago locations, with Chick-Fil-A and Sonic being the newest additions. The Hardee's are also under the Hardee's name, even though it and Carl's Jr are the same thing at this point.

Also, Tim Horton's isn't Northern. It's not even American. You're only going to get it if you're near Canada. There are none in the Chicago area. If you want it, you'd have to go to Michigan.
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Old 08-28-2014, 04:35 PM
 
Location: Seymour, CT
3,639 posts, read 3,315,285 times
Reputation: 3089
Quote:
Originally Posted by annie_himself View Post
Chain restaurants are garbage no matter where they are.
I second this
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Old 08-28-2014, 04:36 PM
 
Location: St. Louis
2,689 posts, read 3,158,344 times
Reputation: 2748
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chicago60614 View Post
I mean, yes, right? The only time I will ever eat in a chain restaurant or fast food is if I'm at the airport or if I'm back in Iowa and my grandma wants to go to Red Lobster or something.

There are a few decent places out there, mostly the Mortons and high end places, but your typical chain like TGI Friday's and Applebee's are the bottom rung of food. It's mostly just garbage.
When you get into sit down restaurant territory, it's true you can typically get it better at some place local, but, when it comes to fast food, it honestly makes little difference. It's not like the majority of the hole in the wall places are producing burgers and fries that taste better than what you'd get at McDonald's, and, to top it off, they charge more.
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Old 08-28-2014, 04:41 PM
 
Location: St. Louis
2,689 posts, read 3,158,344 times
Reputation: 2748
Also, I'm gonna throw out there that Steak n' Shake needs to be added for the "North." It's Midwestern, but they're everywhere out here. Same for Culver's. White Castle is also apparently a Midwestern and Northeastern thing only.
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Old 08-28-2014, 05:17 PM
 
Location: Seymour, CT
3,639 posts, read 3,315,285 times
Reputation: 3089
Quote:
Originally Posted by PerseusVeil View Post
Also, I'm gonna throw out there that Steak n' Shake needs to be added for the "North." It's Midwestern, but they're everywhere out here. Same for Culver's. White Castle is also apparently a Midwestern and Northeastern thing only.
Bleh, I have Steak & Shakes local here in Tampa. They are not that great. As a northerner, I prefer my region to stay with the mom & pop shops and local restaurants. We don't need anymore chains, thanks.
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Old 08-28-2014, 05:23 PM
 
4,059 posts, read 5,588,520 times
Reputation: 2892
Quote:
Originally Posted by rorytmeadows View Post

Nonetheless, in the South, you have more it seems. Zaxby's, Chick Fil-A, Raising Cane's, Hardee's, Fatz, Dairy Queen, Firehouse Subs

In the North you have Tim Horton's and Boston Market.

In the west, you have In and Out Burger, Tastee Freez, Whattaburger.
As others have said, I think your view that the south has 'more' is a function of spending most of your time in the south. FWIW, the first DQ was in Joliet, IL - not exactly southern.

D&D (huge market penetration east of the Mississippi - more than 20,000) is a far greater presence than Tim Horton's (800 U.S. shops). In terms of Canadian chains there are also roughly 300 Taco Time franchises in the U.S.
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Old 08-28-2014, 05:57 PM
 
Location: ADK via WV
5,997 posts, read 8,979,748 times
Reputation: 2494
Have to go with the south. I am from WV (the middle ground), but have lived both in Florida (Tampa) and now live in upstate New York. I would say that I have a pretty good understanding of chains as I am a college student with a small budget. The South has Chick-fil-a and Zaxby's, so its hard to argue with that. There are more non-chains in the north.
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Old 08-28-2014, 06:56 PM
 
Location: Charleston, SC metro
3,517 posts, read 5,293,153 times
Reputation: 1403
Quote:
Originally Posted by CarolinaBredChicagoan View Post
Not sure why you feel the need to be a shill for the big chains. They're doing just fine without your help. But do what you like. Seriously. No judgement. But me and mine will be down the street supporting local business.
Ahh, yes. "shill". Hipster term for someone that says one good thing about something that is hipster to hate. I think Walmart is convenient. UH OH! SHILL FOR WALMART.

I think we're done here.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PerseusVeil View Post
It's not really a geographic oddity. A lot of those fast food places haven't been exclusively Southern for decades at this point.

I grew up in St. Louis, and we had Chick-Fil-A, Hardee's, Dairy Queen, and Sonic. All of those places also have Chicago locations, with Chick-Fil-A and Sonic being the newest additions. The Hardee's are also under the Hardee's name, even though it and Carl's Jr are the same thing at this point.

Also, Tim Horton's isn't Northern. It's not even American. You're only going to get it if you're near Canada. There are none in the Chicago area. If you want it, you'd have to go to Michigan.
I didn't mean it as a bad thing, "oddity", I mean. Just curious is all.

Also, I know Horton's is Canadian (and a terrible place), but it does have more in the North. For obvious reasons, of course.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PerseusVeil View Post
Also, I'm gonna throw out there that Steak n' Shake needs to be added for the "North." It's Midwestern, but they're everywhere out here. Same for Culver's. White Castle is also apparently a Midwestern and Northeastern thing only.
Oh yum. Steak n' Shake is delicious. Have on in Charleston here and it's good. Although, I did always have to travel from NY to get to one.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bler144 View Post
As others have said, I think your view that the south has 'more' is a function of spending most of your time in the south. FWIW, the first DQ was in Joliet, IL - not exactly southern.
Grew up in Rochester 30 years, moved to Charleston last April. Nonetheless, my perspective is particular and not necessarily the truth.
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