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We saw a recent poll/thread about high end businesses that indicate a city has "arrived". In a similar vein, when you are traveling off the beaten path, what businesses make you think "Maybe I could live here."?
I'm a big fan of small town entrepreneurship, but to keep this thread simple let's restrict answers to national and regional chains.
Walmart indicates the opposite. There are a few stacked Walmarts, but nearly all of the rest are in horrible neighborhoods. It may be hard to find a town without one, but it'll generally be a better town for it.
In a neighborhood, my first requirement would be a coffee shop and a corner store, neither with any off-street parking.
In a town, it would need a good walkable core where a person could buy everything they need (minus a few mail order items per year) and with at least five or six of the best cuisines decently represented.
We saw a recent poll/thread about high end businesses that indicate a city has "arrived". In a similar vein, when you are traveling off the beaten path, what businesses make you think "Maybe I could live here."?
I'm a big fan of small town entrepreneurship, but to keep this thread simple let's restrict answers to national and regional chains.
Waffle House,KFC,Krispy Kreme,McDonalds,Dunkin Donuts,IHOP,Denny's,Academy Sports and Outdoors,Walmart,Target,Baskin Robbins,Dairy Queen,7-11,Stripes,Circle K.
Walmarts tend to be a mixed bag, but they're like Chevy or Ford in terms of stores, with a focus servicing the broad low-to middle market, whether they're urban, suburban, or rural. DC has a Walmart in a trendy, gentrifying area on the edge of downtown, as well as two more just over a mile from each other in lower middle class neighborhoods (one a classic early 20th century streetcar suburb) in the northeastern portion of the city. In the suburbs, they're pretty much found anywhere that's large enough to support one, even if some communities with a lot of wealth, simply to support the rank-and-file, part-time, and entry-level workers, and typically are nicer in design. They're certainly a step up from pawn shops/thrift outlets, dollar stores, small grocery stores with limited selection, and cheap Chinese carryouts. Also, if a community is big enough to have one, they'll almost certainly have a selection of other regional/national chains. Definitely not luxury living, but certainly convenient living.
In a rural submicropolitan community, they're are a symbol that they've "arrived" since it means a store with a selection big enough to support a reasonably livable community, especially if there isn't a supermarket. Otherwise in a "bare necessity" type of community, expect some or all of the businesses I described in the last sentence of the paragraph above as well as a small restaurant or two, a single bank, a couple small churches, a tiny furniture store, and most importantly, the lack of a McDonald's. IMO any town that doesn't have the Golden Arches, just like Walmart, shows that it's not ready for even daytime.
Target or maybe Dunkin Donuts or Krispy Kreme. Youre not feeding the family off DD or KK but your not doin much else. Target indicates some viability but not much else.
These businesses means there is just some measure of disposable income in the area.
Target for retail. Chick-fil-A for fast food. Noodles & Company for fast-casual. Olive Garden or On the Border or Outback Steakhouse for a sit-down restaurant. Any place that has these places has the minimum necessary for a basic "livable" middle class life.
Dollar General and a convenience store in an old gas station that keeps it's bathroom unlocked.
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