What do people have against chain restaurants and suburbs? (Great Falls: to rent, homes)

[pandorafan5687]

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. 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.

At least with a chain, I know what kind of food I'm going to get and can be reasonably certain of the quality of food I'll be served no matter which location I visit. Most larger chains only add something to their menu because they've thoroughly tested it in test kitchens BEFORE it hits their menus whereas a lot of local joints just throw things on their menu and pray that people will like them.

Which brings me to my next point: I'm sorry we don't all live in Arlington. Some of us would much rather buy or rent places for half the price with twice the space to forgo your definition of great "nightlife" which basically consists of bar-hopping. I'm sorry you can't entertain yourself or meet people in "fake" areas like Reston or Ashburn.

-Squirrel

It's actually not a problem that I have with chain resturants, but it's just do you need to see them every 15 miles. In suburbs, that's what happens, doesnt matter how close the suburbs are to each other, they all have the same resturants, thus resulting in no distinction of one suburb from another(i.e. you can't tell where one ends and the next one begins). It seems that your view is some what one sided. I don't have a problem w/ suburbs either, but I DO have a problem w/ the "I want to be able to have my own yard" argument. B/c in most of these newer suburban neighborhoods you DON'T have a yard(or if you do it's a very small one) and the houses are so close together that you can look inside your neighboors window. W/ that being said, half of those ppl still don't know their neighboors. It's the lack of any character that I have a problem with. It's the lack of balance. It's the cookie-cutter, monotone, generic sameness that I have an issue with.

[Caladium]

FWIW, it isn't a suburban thing. I just went up to New York, and while I waited for the bus, I walked up and down the streets near Penn Station. Nobody would call the heart of NYC a suburban area, and yet the reality is most of the restaurants there are chains. And the chains were also the restaurants that were full of customers.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Caladium

FWIW, it isn't a suburban thing. I just went up to New York, and while I waited for the bus, I walked up and down the streets near Penn Station. Nobody would call the heart of NYC a suburban area, and yet the reality is most of the restaurants there are chains. And the chains were also the restaurants that were full of customers.

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.

OK, sorry for veering off topic. Back to discussing chain restaurants.

[algia]

The biggest negative to this is the fact that little by little we become CLONES and there is NO originality left.

If a restaurant did well, GREAT, keep doing well and allow others to be creative and bring in more new and attractive stores and restaurants/cafes etc! little by little, or better yet, in large steps as with box stores and restaurant chains, we've become a nation of clones, it is pathetic because we're not all born from the same parents or cultures and to get this uniformed it is pure SHAME.

If you like chains, that's fine, I, on the other hand, feel that I am limited in my choices. I was VERY disappointing on our recent trip to NY when we went to what was supposed to be a "cheese only" store, to find everything pre wrapped and basically the same stuff you'd find in a chain grocery store.

I think there should be a LOT more opportunity and encouragement towards UNIQUENESS and not where you just go and eat til you die. I am not for that concept, God knows when they changed the oil on those fryers...not to mention those fast food joints where the fries become weapons if not eaten immediately. HATE THAT.

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. 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.

At least with a chain, I know what kind of food I'm going to get and can be reasonably certain of the quality of food I'll be served no matter which location I visit. Most larger chains only add something to their menu because they've thoroughly tested it in test kitchens BEFORE it hits their menus whereas a lot of local joints just throw things on their menu and pray that people will like them.

Which brings me to my next point: I'm sorry we don't all live in Arlington. Some of us would much rather buy or rent places for half the price with twice the space to forgo your definition of great "nightlife" which basically consists of bar-hopping. I'm sorry you can't entertain yourself or meet people in "fake" areas like Reston or Ashburn.

-Squirrel

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by pandorafan5687

In suburbs, that's what happens, doesnt matter how close the suburbs are to each other, they all have the same resturants, thus resulting in no distinction of one suburb from another(i.e. you can't tell where one ends and the next one begins).

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.

[algia]

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.

Actually, if you've ever been to Gatlinburg, I think otherwise known as "Pancake City", you'll see a million pancake shops one next to the other all looking different....

A major part in this is related to architects and city planners. ALL to whom now have the largest lack of imagination "I" ever seen! Take a walk around the mall and analyze the architecture of those wonderful buildings and then look at Target! or the rest of the buildings around, then take a walk around the embassies and then go to a sub division.....just because it is a discount chain, or a subdivision in the middle of nowhere, that doesn't need to make it that BORING and uninspiring, ohh and let me not forget BEIGE!!!!!!!! (never knew there were this many shades of beige until I moved to FL) it is really a shame to spend all that money on student loans to became architects and then build buildings that are the same over and over and over!!!!!!!

A mom and pop type shop doesn't just differentiate itself by what they sell, and how thy sell it, HOW they appear is also important and excuse me, but since when do we all need to have the same facade? who decided that this was going to be the way to build?

It is funny, we are all completely different, even twins and triplets and yet for some mysterious reason we all want to be the same! I don't get it!

[Caladium]

LOL, I've never seen Gatlinburg used as an example of attractive urban planning before. Cheesey and tacky are the words you're more likely to hear. Which is great for a tourist attraction, but not really the right look for most towns. Don't get me wrong, I kind of like Gatlinburg, in sort of the same way I like the movie "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians". But I don't want my town to look like Gatlinburg.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Caladium

FWIW, it isn't a suburban thing. I just went up to New York, and while I waited for the bus, I walked up and down the streets near Penn Station. Nobody would call the heart of NYC a suburban area, and yet the reality is most of the restaurants there are chains. And the chains were also the restaurants that were full of customers.

Thats a relatively recent change, and is mainly in certain areas that have been redeveloped. You still have a much easier time finding non-chain places in the neighborhoods of NYC.

[brooklynborndad]

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?

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

[algia]

I hope you know I didn't mean it in a good day...very kitschy and tasteless per my taste, but that's why we have "educated architects" to guide future store owners into what's visually appealing! That looked like cartoon world, I for sure didn't expect THAT in the middle of the mountains! LOLOL

.....and still didn't get all the fascination with Pancakes!


I should have probably related it with NYC or Europe (where I'm from), than Gatlinburg, but coming from FLORIDA.... The State attacked MOST BY CLONING....Gatlinburg was a "breath of fresh air"...LOLOLOLOL

Originally Posted by Caladium

LOL, I've never seen Gatlinburg used as an example of attractive urban planning before. Cheesey and tacky are the words you're more likely to hear. Which is great for a tourist attraction, but not really the right look for most towns. Don't get me wrong, I kind of like Gatlinburg, in sort of the same way I like the movie "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians". But I don't want my town to look like Gatlinburg.