What Chain Restaurants Would You Like to see Expand to Tri-Cities? (Kennewick: live in, legal)

[Mtn. States Resident]

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[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

The name most likely to get traction, I'd guess, would be Three Rivers. It preserves the concept of a triad of something, is geographically accurate, and slights absolutely no part of the region.

Would the third river be the Yakima or a different one? Yes, there are positives with that name.

Help me understand what names with the "Southern Columbia" or "Columbia" type name somehow used would do? Is that too close to Oregon names?

This interests me as national literature references the Tri-Cities as being in the Southern Columbia area of WA state, thus the area of much agricultural growth and success. Perhaps those sources and names are terribly outdated, IDK.

Thanks,

MSR

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

I don't think there are CSA stats on the Tri. The metro is MSA.

"Richkenneco"...no. Really, no. Wow.... Please read j.k.k.'s post. I was nice about the names you suggested.

As for newcomers, Richland attracts newcomers who may be needed in Hanford employement, but also retirees. Kennewick attracts some of those as well, and also has been attractive in some areas for Hispanics who are employed in the food processing industry, which is huge in the Tri. But Hispanics are being employed in many other industries, and that is a good thing.

I agree, just like Hispanics add to the culture and workforce in multiple types of professions and jobs in many cities in the PNW and west.

Pasco is certainly a historic Hispanic area, but the west side has been growing by great strides, and is attracting not only hispanics, but others who are looking for an affordable suburban area.

And thank goodness there are areas a bit cheaper as not everyone can afford everything they wish they could in a metro that is growing.

The entire area is on a growth curve, and fortunately, the freeway/highway system is already in place to accomodate this growth. Things are definitely looking up here...

As they are in other western states, or at least some other western cities.

Hanford had a lot of benefits to the area, including the highways.

MSR

[pnwguy2]

MSR, no intent to insult. I was just responding with a smile, perhaps minus the emoticom. Yes, other western cities are also growing, no doubt, but this is a forum about one area.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

Would the third river be the Yakima or a different one? Yes, there are positives with that name.

Help me understand what names with the "Southern Columbia" or "Columbia" type name somehow used would do? Is that too close to Oregon names?

This interests me as national literature references the Tri-Cities as being in the Southern Columbia area of WA state, thus the area of much agricultural growth and success. Perhaps those sources and names are terribly outdated, IDK.

Yes, the Yakima is #3. That's all we got, until one gets to tributaries of those three: the Touchet, the Palouse, Selah Creek, Tieton Creek, the John Day, and so on. All those dump in well outside the TC.

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with those names, except that I doubt they would occur to locals. I think Three Rivers is the name that has been floated in the past (so to speak), and the Tri are not known for their bursts of creativity and artistry. This is a place that has two main bridges between Kennewick and Pasco: the Cable Bridge (a sign says it's the Ed Hendler Bridge, and I never heard a Tri-Citian call it that aloud) and the Blue Bridge. The cable bridge is suspended by cables. The blue bridge is painted blue. The cable bridge replaced the Green Bridge, that was painted green. So I wouldn't look for something really deep. Their hockey team is named the Americans. Their first new high school became the Suns. Their second new HS became the Riverhawks, which actually was a step up in pizzazz. It sounds like a name you'd expect of a school that had been forced at funding-loss-point to cough up a name like 'Braves' or 'Redskins,' but it's unique and cool, like Bombers.

I suppose "Columbia City" would work, except that Seattle has a neighborhood by that name. Sure, the TC are part of the Columbia Basin; thus the local community college's name. However, Columbia Basin City is a little long. Basin City, we already have one (it's very small and has Old German Baptists). But honestly, based on the time I lived there, I can imagine them just formally uniting as Tri-Cities, or perhaps as Three Rivers if they were having a 100-year burst of excitement. I liked it there for the most part, but from a creativity standpoint, it is sclerotic.

[pnwguy2]

Bottom line, there are no active movements to combine the Tri-Cities here in 2016. However, this has been talked about before, and it will likely come up again. I agree "Tri-Cities" would probably be the favorite name, but it is indeed fun to speculate on a new name.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Bottom line, there are no active movements to combine the Tri-Cities here in 2016. However, this has been talked about before, and it will likely come up again. I agree "Tri-Cities" would probably be the favorite name, but it is indeed fun to speculate on a new name.

Indeed it has been talked about. From what I understand, the idea always foundered on the idea of each city wanting to preserve its uniqueness, which I always found hilarious; they are so much more similar than different. I would describe Pasco as the one that stands out most, being generally the most blue-collar and having more heterogeneous demographics. I always found it funny that they called it 'diversity.' Half Anglo and half Hispanic, with a very small black population, seems hardly diverse to me. Diversity, after all, is not a synonym for "has Hispanics." It means having a wide variety of peoples. Comes to that, in any case, east Kennewick is rapidly becoming more diverse, with a mosque, lots of east African immigrants, and the bulk of the city's Hispanic population.

Then, speaking of black Tri-Citians, there's the sundown town days. Older blacks in Pasco often have a positive loathing for Kennewick, and given the past, I can't fault them a bit. There are even still a lot of restrictive racial covenants in Kennewick, although in fairness, no one is trying to enforce them, which in any case would not work. The title companies are just magic-markering those parts out of the covenants as properties come up for sale, but I had a connection and got an unexpurgated copy of one.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Have you see this? I think the phrase "smaller chains" describes what I've been trying to find.

Big chain restaurants are losing their grip on Americans' wallets


MSR

[pnwguy2]

Yes I think smaller chains are doing well. Related: that u.c. fast food on Edison is going to a be a Bruchi's a mostly Northwest chain that started in Spokane. They specialize in sub sandwiches. This will be their fourth Tri-Cities location.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

Yes I think smaller chains are doing well. Related: that u.c. fast food on Edison is going to a be a Bruchi's a mostly Northwest chain that started in Spokane. They specialize in sub sandwiches. This will be their fourth Tri-Cities location.

The loyalty factor of smaller chains is something I believe many businesses overlook. If the food is what the customers want they will visit more frequently, IMO. Additionally, I also think those who limit how many states or the # of restaurants they are franchhise and/or building, want very loyal customers who don't need one restaurant be all things to all people.

I'm disappointed that some like McCormick and Schmick, and others, now have three "brands" depending on where in the U.S. they are located.

I'm not surprised the huge ones aren't doing as well, are you?

MSR

BONUS: Did anyone see the article how Maine is targeting PNW products to grow or build in Maine or some of neighboring states? Their thinking was if it grows in the PNW it will grow in Maine. Any thoughts about this..........