[ElFlaco]

(06-05-2017 01:42 PM)911 Wrote:  

The competition from ethnic restaurants is also a huge factor.

Are they competing for the same customers? My sense is that they aren't.

Quote:

The chain restaurants competing against losing businesses are therefore at a significant structural disadvantage.

Economic theory (shudder) would predict that chains are the ones with the structural advantage over independent business: economies of scale, rent seeking, and so on.

I'm all for making immigrant businesses comply with the same labor laws as everyone else, but ethnic restaurants is one of the few areas where I'd like to see an immigrant presence. Cheap chalupas!

[scotian]

Papayatapper, you should write a Bahamas data sheet, were you scuba diving there? Those photos of US chains in the Bahamas reminds me of the biggest KFC (Kentucky yucky!) I've ever seen in Montego Bay, its 3 floors and jammed packed with locals who would rather eat that overpriced greasy shit when they could have delicious jerk chicken or curry goat for a fraction of the price. I think it may even be a status thing, poor people can't afford to eat at these American chains.
[img][/img]

Q: what does eating KFC and fucking a chick have in common?

A: after you're done with the thighs and the breasts you still have a greasy box to throw your bone in!

[Rhyme or Reason]

Also the popularity of shows like Kitchen Nightmares, and hells kitchen, and all the other shows about chefs or competitions (chopped, and whatever that one with the faggy fat hipster dork with the bowtie is called) got people all into wanting actual good food and not frozen garbage.

[Uzisuicide]

(06-05-2017 01:45 AM)Nordwand Wrote:  

I wonder how much of this is down to the fact that younger people simply don't have the money to spend on account of sky high rents, which earn them the privilege of living in a house share?

I think that's the biggest part of the problem. Wages are low and people are broke. It's not just chain restaurants it's shopping malls and all brick and mortar stores. Online shopping is only part of the equation. Going out for drinks is expensive. A $5 shot of vodka is cheap compared to some places. I paid $16.50 for a shot of vodka at Trump International in D.C. People just don't have it...

Uzi

[Kona]

If they start taking EBT cards at the chains, problem solved.

Aloha!

[Teflon1]

(06-05-2017 02:45 PM)Uzisuicide Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 01:45 AM)Nordwand Wrote:  

I wonder how much of this is down to the fact that younger people simply don't have the money to spend on account of sky high rents, which earn them the privilege of living in a house share?

I think that's the biggest part of the problem. Wages are low and people are broke. It's not just chain restaurants it's shopping malls and all brick and mortar stores. Online shopping is only part of the equation. Going out for drinks is expensive. A $5 shot of vodka is cheap compared to some places. I paid $16.50 for a shot of vodka at Trump International in D.C. People just don't have it...

Uzi

#MakeVodkaGreatAgain

[spokepoker]

Maybe they just don't have enough flair deployed.

[Simeon_Strangelight]

(06-05-2017 01:33 PM)PapayaTapper Wrote:  

Edit: I did however thoroughly enjoy the dirty looks thrown my way as I walked around with my thin, smoking hot EE GF that's 22 years my junior

How dare you date those immature children! Go get him!

As for the real reasons why those places have a hard time from most to least important:

1) Simple economics - shrinking middle class, decreased disposable income.
2) Changing ethnic and cultural background - as the original white and black middle class population shrinks that used to frequent those places, the replacing populations of Latinos, Muslims and Asians simply won't be having the same kind of meals and restaurant experiences.
3) Competition by higher-end Fastfood joints, good food trucks (even some Hipster ones are not bad)
4) Sizable health conscious community that wasn't there in the 1980s or 90s (some demented like the Millennial soy sippers, but some rational preferring to eat fresh at home or selective when it comes to restaurants)

One thing that will be growth market in the future are healthy fast-food chains that also offer a fully organic line. I know that cheap, fast and still healthy seems to be a contradiction, but it is not. You can cook using healthy oils, natural ingredients - it will be far less addictive though, but I expect such chains to appear - will likely not be globalist funded, so enough opportunity for smart entrepreneurs.

[Robert High Hawk]

(06-05-2017 02:34 PM)scotian Wrote:  

Papayatapper, you should write a Bahamas data sheet, were you scuba diving there? Those photos of US chains in the Bahamas reminds me of the biggest KFC (Kentucky yucky!) I've ever seen in Montego Bay, its 3 floors and jammed packed with locals who would rather eat that overpriced greasy shit when they could have delicious jerk chicken or curry goat for a fraction of the price. I think it may even be a status thing, poor people can't afford to eat at these American chains.
[img][/img]
.....

This is happening Puerto Rico as well. It's tragic. Wendys', Sizzlers, AppleBees, etc... simply are killing it over there. Puerto Rican food is some of the most delicious in the world, yet they gladly throw away their culture to eat fattening sugar loaded slop.

Additionally, while K-Mart essentially went bankrupt in the US, in PR it's thriving. Also the most profitable Walmart in the world is in ... Puerto Rico.

[Vaun]

(06-05-2017 01:48 PM)BelyyTigr Wrote:  

Do the owners of these megachains actually eat in chains? Enjoy it? Ofcourse not. Its Michelin stars all the way for them. But they'll happily try and dupe the "plebs" all year long.

There was a time when the fast food store mangers and management took extreme pride in their food, and openly ate it in front of employees and customers every day. Pricing wars, bad margins and bad management killed this. McDonalds and Wendy's especially. There are still stores here and there, where management and employees take pride in the product, but you can really see it on display now at every In and Out.

[Simeon_Strangelight]

(06-05-2017 03:34 PM)Vaun Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 01:48 PM)BelyyTigr Wrote:  

Do the owners of these megachains actually eat in chains? Enjoy it? Ofcourse not. Its Michelin stars all the way for them. But they'll happily try and dupe the "plebs" all year long.

There was a time when the fast food store mangers and management took extreme pride in their food, and openly ate it in front of employees and customers every day. Pricing wars, bad margins and bad management killed this. McDonalds and Wendy's especially. There are still stores here and there, where management and employees take pride in the product, but you can really see it on display now at every In and Out.

Cannot find the link, but there was a McDonald's Europe manager in Germany, who was a real rising star at the company. He worked out daily and prided himself on the fact that he ate at least 1-2 meals per day at McDonald's. He was slim since he burned a lot of calories. He was destined to be even transferred to the US. Unfortunately for him he died of a heart attack at age 43.

His story was told all across the corporate world and everyone had a good chuckle about him. That is what eating 20+ years of daily McDonald's food will get you.

Monsanto cafeteria also has organic food, which is really funny considering their statements that GMOs are wonderful and safe just as the hormone-laden milk they offer.

[I DIDN'T KILL MY WIFE]

(06-05-2017 11:56 AM)Rhyme or Reason Wrote:  

No guys, the decline in this shitty chain restaurant bullshit is because of this enlightening documentary starring Ryan Reynolds and Anna Farris:

See, this is basically prime example number A of what I meant by the whole business model breeding an absolutely toxic attitude in the wait staff. This whole "oh that customer was such an asshole I'M GONNA FUCKING GET HIM YEAH SHIT IN HIS DISH AS VENGENCE!" attitude is just mind boggling to me. I was a waiter. I was a barkeeper. I had some annoying customers here and there. But I just never had the entitled attitude that I deserve some kind of veneration from the customer in the form of tips nor did I ever hear any coworker or me have these weird revenge fantasies. And oh boy, those revenge fantasies from the wait staff are oh so common in any form of American media: forums, blogs, youtube, movies, books, tv series, anywhere.

[911]

(06-05-2017 02:33 PM)ElFlaco Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 01:42 PM)911 Wrote:  

The competition from ethnic restaurants is also a huge factor.

Are they competing for the same customers? My sense is that they aren't.

Right, they lose out wherever they are competing for the same customers, and those areas are getting larger as the "ethnic" immigrant population gets bigger and more spread out.

Quote:

Quote:

The chain restaurants competing against losing businesses are therefore at a significant structural disadvantage.

Economic theory (shudder) would predict that chains are the ones with the structural advantage over independent business: economies of scale, rent seeking, and so on.

I'm all for making immigrant businesses comply with the same labor laws as everyone else, but ethnic restaurants is one of the few areas where I'd like to see an immigrant presence. Cheap chalupas!

Smaller mom and pop restaurants have an edge because they are able to dedicate more labor hours for their restaurants and are more able to adapt their menus according to the food supply, including shopping around for cheaper food. Chains don't have that flexibility, they don't negotiate and buy for individual locations. It balances out the bigger chain's economies to scale for their COGS on their staple items.

For example, it takes a year or two for McDonald's to add a salad to its menu because they have to secure tomatoes and lettuce from a large number of suppliers and get the logistics right, whereas a small restaurant can take that decision overnight and shop around all morning for the best/cheapest supplier in their area.

It's the same reason you usually find the freshest produce at a cheaper price at local supermarkets instead of at the supermarket chains.

Economies to scale in restaurants are best achieved for fast food places with a very standard and narrow menu that includes a lot of frozen/processed foods, but they taper off the more variety and fresh produce there is.

[Delta]

(06-05-2017 04:25 PM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  

Monsanto cafeteria also has organic food, which is really funny considering their statements that GMOs are wonderful and safe just as the hormone-laden milk they offer.

Come on man, do a little poking around on Google before you post a claim like this. It's an urban legend. https://www.metabunk.org/debunked-monsan...oods.t478/

[Goldin Boy]

(06-05-2017 11:20 AM)Suits Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 11:12 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 10:43 AM)Hell_Is_Like_Newark Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 10:31 AM)C-Note Wrote:  

I assume fast casual places like Shake Shack, Five Guys, Potbelly, etc are drawing away a lot of customers from Applebees and the like. You can get better food at those places for cheaper,

5 Guys IMHO has excellent burgers (very good meat quality) and fresh cut fries. Very fast service as well.

Five Guys is one of the most disgusting premium fast burger places out there.

Yes, I tried a Five Guys Burgers place in Chicago once because I'd heard so many people rave about it.

It was terrible. The fries lacked proper seasoning and the burger was bland and absolutely nothing special.

Give me Wendy's over 5G any day. Fresh meat, simple, but delicious burgers with an option to swap out the fries for a spicy bowl of chili or a baked potato and several other options.

And for half the price of Five Guys. They charge $3-$5 just for their under-seasoned fries.

Lame.

Can't believe I repped you Suits, damn.

You can't be talking about the Cajun fries. Food quality must be highly dependent on the particular restaurant because where I live 5 Guys is lightyears ahead of Wendy's.

All 3 Wendy's where I live cannot cook a well done burger. There always pink in the middle and they try to put seltzer waters in the soda machine in lieu of Sprite and act ignorant if you call them out on it.

If you're every in NYC look up "Bareburger". It's on w. 46th in Hell's Kitchen. Best shakes and great lineup of burgers(beef, bison, elk, etc).

[SamuelBRoberts]

(06-05-2017 08:23 PM)Goldin Boy Wrote:  

Can't believe I repped you Suits, damn.

You can't be talking about the Cajun fries. Food quality must be highly dependent on the particular restaurant because where I live 5 Guys is lightyears ahead of Wendy's.

Cajun fries aren't underseasoned, they're overseasoned. They taste like someone dipped the fry in battery acid.

Quote:

All 3 Wendy's where I live cannot cook a well done burger. There always pink in the middle and they try to put seltzer waters in the soda machine in lieu of Sprite and act ignorant if you call them out on it.

Wendy's quality is unfortunately variable. If you ever get the chance to try a Wendy's in Japan, go for it. They're mind-blowingly good, and rival the best US burger you'll ever have. (Delicious cod egg-flavored mayonaise as a dipping sauce for the fries, too.) But many Wendys in the states simply don't cook their food properly, and it's really easy to overcook those thin patties of beef. I find Wendys tends to be overcooked more often than McDonalds or Burger King (Who usually has really consistent quality on their burgers, just low quality everything else.)

Quote:

If you're every in NYC look up "Bareburger". It's on w. 46th in Hell's Kitchen. Best shakes and great lineup of burgers(beef, bison, elk, etc).

I would be leary about eating a "Bareburger" from "Hell's Kitchen" but that may just be me...

[Kurgan]

(06-05-2017 05:28 PM)I DIDNT KILL MY WIFE Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 11:56 AM)Rhyme or Reason Wrote:  

No guys, the decline in this shitty chain restaurant bullshit is because of this enlightening documentary starring Ryan Reynolds and Anna Farris:

See, this is basically prime example number A of what I meant by the whole business model breeding an absolutely toxic attitude in the wait staff. This whole "oh that customer was such an asshole I'M GONNA FUCKING GET HIM YEAH SHIT IN HIS DISH AS VENGENCE!" attitude is just mind boggling to me. I was a waiter. I was a barkeeper. I had some annoying customers here and there. But I just never had the entitled attitude that I deserve some kind of veneration from the customer in the form of tips nor did I ever hear any coworker or me have these weird revenge fantasies. And oh boy, those revenge fantasies from the wait staff are oh so common in any form of American media: forums, blogs, youtube, movies, books, tv series, anywhere.

I've worked in fast food and our crew was never like that. Sure, they hated moronic customers but we never jerked off on their food because there were cameras all around and we were close to the restaurant's corporate office (literally a block away). Some people are very rude, especially most of the customers we had were teen kids with money and stoners that ordered huge amounts of money and then drove away saying they weren't hungry.

[Kabal]

There is likely high variance across countries (especially the U.S. versus the world) for quality of fast food chains like McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, or whatnot.

In foreign countries, it appears to me with great frequency their target market is the middle to lower upper class, with employees of similar caliber to boot. The restaurants are clean, food seems fresh, and well-made.

Unlike the U.S., where these restaurants are frequently camp-out sites for homeless and potential staging areas for WorldStar HipHop videos. Food frequently comes out limp and sad, like their employees and clientele.

And in said foreign countries, especially in China, Taiwan, and SEA--the McBKFCs are much more expensive than competing local alternatives. And particularly in China and Taiwan, the competing local alternatives can be quite a bit more tastier. Taiwan is pretty well-off, too, so the food has much less attendant risks than China or SEA.

(06-04-2017 09:39 PM)beta_plus Wrote:  

I deliberately went to McDonald's because:
1. I was in the mood for an Egg McMuffin.
2. I wanted to use "Big Mac Economics" to try to gauge the difference in the cost of living.

I see that you too, are a man of taste. Egg McMuffins are one of my favorite fast food items. If I'm ever in a McDonalds in the States, it's for Egg McMuffins.

Three Egg McMuffins combine to provide 51g of protein, which is pretty decent for something that tastes quite good and that you don't have to personally make.

I cook for myself quite frequently, but can't quite replicate the Egg McMuffin taste. There's something about that egg and/or cheese...

[porscheguy]

Five guys is hit or miss because they're a franchise operation. Some franchisees run it by the books, others cut corners whenever possible. Some of the locations in the dc area have been around for over ten years and they're good. The one near me now is piss poor. The fries were so salty the last time, I threw them away.

Overall, I don't eat out much because most restaurants suck. If I do, it's fast food, or carry out stuff that has lower prices to match my lower expectations.

One chain that really disappoints is Ruth's Chris. That's an operation that has been grossly over expanded. The last time I ate there, the potatoes were instant potatoes from a box with some garlic powder. The steaks are usda prime, but no longer dry aged. Their standard ribeye is about $60. I can go to Costco and buy a whole 18-20lb cut in the cryovac, usda prime, dry age it myself, and 21 days later have steaks that beat Ruth's Chris hands down. The meat costs about $150-$200 depending on weight. That's enough for 15 dinners.

I wasn't overly impressed by peter Luger either.

[Suits]

(06-05-2017 08:23 PM)Goldin Boy Wrote:  

Can't believe I repped you Suits, damn.

A lot of people have regretted that decision.

[The Beast1]

(06-05-2017 10:43 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 08:23 PM)Goldin Boy Wrote:  

Can't believe I repped you Suits, damn.

A lot of people have regretted that decision.

It's never too late to make it a neutral rep

[Suits]

(06-05-2017 11:04 PM)The Beast1 Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 10:43 PM)Suits Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 08:23 PM)Goldin Boy Wrote:  

Can't believe I repped you Suits, damn.

A lot of people have regretted that decision.

It's never too late to make it a neutral rep

The last guy who did that got permabanned.

[Thersites]

(06-05-2017 09:53 PM)Kabal Wrote:  

There is likely high variance across countries (especially the U.S. versus the world) for quality of fast food chains like McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, or whatnot.

In foreign countries, it appears to me with great frequency their target market is the middle to lower upper class, with employees of similar caliber to boot. The restaurants are clean, food seems fresh, and well-made.

From personal experience, KFC is really popular in the Caribbean Islands for their spicy seasoned chicken which is not sold in the US. When you factor that KFC is treat to for locals as they want a change from jerk chicken and curry goat that are the staples of their diet. We forget, what is normal available item for us in the US is different for someone in other country.

Back to the topic of this thread: no one has money to spend on chain restaurant. Anyone that went to college and was stupid enough to get loans, has no cash in their limited budget to spend on eating food made from corps MBA to save some cash for quarter's earning. If I was going to spend my cash on restaurant food, be local chain or small restaurant that I get reasonable return of my hard earn cash.
Chain restaurants are failing from combination of cash strapped Middle Class, bad management from top to bottom, and crappy food.

[Simeon_Strangelight]

(06-05-2017 06:07 PM)Delta Wrote:  

(06-05-2017 04:25 PM)Zelcorpion Wrote:  

Monsanto cafeteria also has organic food, which is really funny considering their statements that GMOs are wonderful and safe just as the hormone-laden milk they offer.

Come on man, do a little poking around on Google before you post a claim like this. It's an urban legend. https://www.metabunk.org/debunked-monsan...oods.t478/

I read the press release of Monsanto that said clearly that they have an organic and non-organic side of their cafeteria. Stop using bullshit Snopes-like-debunkers for it, but check it out yourself.

They don't serve only organic there, but the people can choose and my guess is that all the scientists choose organic.

[Teflon1]

(06-05-2017 08:23 PM)Goldin Boy Wrote:  

All 3 Wendy's where I live cannot cook a well done burger. There always pink in the middle

Why are you eating well done burgers? That's like eating a steak well done with ketchup. Might as well have your mom cut it up for you, too.