What Chain Restaurants Would You Like to see Expand to Tri-Cities? (Kennewick: vs., eat)

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by Mopac1980

Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom

How does Chicago Pizza compare and contrast to a NY slice? What/who would be the suppliers for the Taps? Interesting choice

MSR

[pikabike]

Freddy's.

[M3 Mitch]

Originally Posted by Mtn. States Resident

Would CONAGRA employees stand in line for IHOP? That is the one I can't imagine.......

CONAGRA, PNNL and other swing and night shift workers could account for some increases at 24 hrs. restaurants. How many options do they have at 3:00 a.m.? BTW, roughly how many workers does CONAGRA employee at the facility, not their farms?

The odd thing to me, or maybe not, is I've never seen a product in a grocery store that can be microwaved from the largest fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, Wendy's or others. Seeing the curly fries from Arby's, I believe, is the only large chain food I've seen.

Marie Callendar's continues to expand and change their entrees of frozen food. Along with their pies, they must have a market enough to continue to grow. Additionally, they also package for one or entrees large enough for a family. If there isn't a Marie Callendar's, or similar restaurant within a 100 miles, is it better to have the frozen food option or not?

Thanks -

MSR

I was half joking that the CONAGRA people would show up to support a new chain opening, because they make the chow for it.

As I remember Marie Callendar's from over 20 years ago, the food in the restaurant was better than their frozen microwaveable offerings. Although, yeah, the MC frozen microwaveable foods are quite good for what they are - but at the same time, that's about it, they can't compete with a really good meal prepared from scratch. At least not to me. I used to eat a good bit of microwave packaged food, but anymore I tend to have food DW prepared at home (soups, stews, casseroles) that I can just put a serving into my lunch box and then microwave it at work.

[j_k_k]

Here's what the Tri could use: Five Guys, In-And-Out, Whataburger, or something like that. The Kennewick Burger Ranch (which has been known to fortify the food with extra iron, ahem) and Zip's do not quite cut it. Yeah, there's Sonic over on Gage, but burger eating in the TC hasn't been the same since Fuddrucker's blew town. And that seems to be what they do. I moved to Boise, was happy to live near a Fudd's, and it was closed within the year. I think I'm toxic to them.

[pnwguy2]

j_k_k, I know you live outside the area now, but Five Guys opened in Richland in 2013. They are in the fast growing Queensgate area, near Target.

Agree with you Zip's doesn't impress me, though they cook a pretty good basic burger.

[M3 Mitch]

It's not a chain that I know of, but Fat Olive's has a really good hamburger. They do charge for it, but it's really good.

I have not tried Five Guys. Have eaten there in DC, I guess the Richland one is the same. Good, but not that great, and I don't need to be going out of my way to eat hamburgers.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by pnwguy2

j_k_k, I know you live outside the area now, but Five Guys opened in Richland in 2013. They are in the fast growing Queensgate area, near Target.

Agree with you Zip's doesn't impress me, though they cook a pretty good basic burger.

Zips was my standby, closest thing I could get once Ruff's went down. Ruff's was spendy for what you got, but kind of cool, and I liked it. I hadn't known about Five Guys, thanks for letting me know. I heard they are going to bridge the river at Duportail to improve access to Queensgate--sounds to me like a very good idea.

[M3 Mitch]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

Zips was my standby, closest thing I could get once Ruff's went down. Ruff's was spendy for what you got, but kind of cool, and I liked it. I hadn't known about Five Guys, thanks for letting me know. I heard they are going to bridge the river at Duportail to improve access to Queensgate--sounds to me like a very good idea.

What happened with Ruff's anyway? Outside of my normal stomping grounds, so I don't think I ever ate there - but they seemed to be doing good business when I drove by headed for Winco or whatever. They went out suddenly and now it's a Mexican place which I have also not tried so far.

[pnwguy2]

I loved Ruff's in my former residence here in the 90's! Big burgers full of flavor...of course I was in my 30's then and probably would not be so appreciative today.

Yes, the Duportail bridge is a go. Though it really won't save much from central Richland to Queensgate...maybe a few minutes avoiding the 182. They are trying to increase the flow into downtown Richland, with a new connection just north of Fred Meyer, but traffic will still have to go through residential areas on Duportail. I hope they don't turn Duportail into a no parking arterial, the neighborhood will revolt!

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

What happened with Ruff's anyway? Outside of my normal stomping grounds, so I don't think I ever ate there - but they seemed to be doing good business when I drove by headed for Winco or whatever. They went out suddenly and now it's a Mexican place which I have also not tried so far.

When I was there, they were never that busy, but I was an afternoon diner. They had two locations, the other one I think on Lewis in Pasco, and both are now Mexican. The Kennewick place had an ant problem that I don't think they ever really solved. I remember reading that the owner retired and none of his kids wanted to carry the torch, so he closed down. The burgers were pretty wide, I'll definitely give them that, and the onion rings were always good. It almost felt modeled on Arnold's from Happy Days.