Chain Restaurants Extremely Popular - Why?

[Captain Zissou]

http://www.thegrio.com/2009/08/kfc-has-found-itself-embroiled.php

The rumors are true.  The Double Down exists.

I also called KFC's customer service hotline to get more direct answers. The representative I spoke to told me that the "sandwich" is in fact real and that it is being sold as a promotion in certain parts of the country (Fox News reported that it is available in Rhode Island and Nebraska). The representative was unable to tell me exactly where it was being sold but suggested that I call the restaurants nearest to me to check. I called a couple of KFCs in my area as well as a few fast food junkie friends of mine around the country, and none of them had seen this monster "sandwich."

[copperfiend]

If you get it with Kentucky Grilled Chicken, is is healthy?

[Deuce]

^ My god. I'm frightened of that thing! It threatens to consume us all!

[Burn to Shine]

I think they are most popular for the predictability.  We know what we like and they provide it.  For this purpose, I'm a Red Lobster fanatic.

[reednavy]

Red Lobster has turned it around from what they were just 5 years ago.

Also, I'll admit it, I'm a Chili's fanatic.

[DavidWilliams]

Red Lobster has turned it around from what they were just 5 years ago.

Also, I'll admit it, I'm a Chili's fanatic.

Red Lobster has always been an enigma to me (I liked the cheddar biscuits...do they still have those). But, who in their right mind goes there for seafood (frozen and shipped from other areas of the country)? We obviously live in an area rich with fresh seafood sources and restaurants. 

I will not get started on Chili's next 

[Burn to Shine]

Red Lobster has turned it around from what they were just 5 years ago.

Also, I'll admit it, I'm a Chili's fanatic.

Me too! 

[ChriswUfGator]

Not directed at you but it has been brought up as a negative by some on this board in reference to the city's lack of nighlife.

It was just a harmless observation, though it's also a true one. Nothing negative was implied, I think it's just that most people who've lived elsewhere and then moved here tend to be perplexed by it...myself included.

Honestly, tell me you don't notice the hugely disproportionate number of teens and 20-somethings around here who already have kids (and not just one, it seems like it's usually a whole litter), compared to other cities of this size? Just look ANYWHERE around here, you can't miss it.

I'm not painting it as positive or a negative, just saying it's a part of Jacksonville culture, and one that I don't necessarily understand.

[RiversideLoki]

This post will probably offend like 900% of Jacksonville. But to put it bluntly, people are sheep. Not only are they sheep, they're fat, lazy sheep at that. They see the commercials on TV for the endless soup and salad, the chicken crispers, the burgers "bigger than your head", and they flock to chain restaurants because we're an overweight, ignorant city that wants to have everything the same, everything now.

Chain restaurants are just a fact of suburbia and sprawl. When there's a Chilis right down the street, why not just go there with all 10 kids instead of driving downtown or to riverside or the beach to visit a nice small restaurant where the food is better? Because it's convenient. Even when it's not convenient and you spend an HOUR waiting in line just to grab a table at Outback so you can have your greasy-ass bloomin' onion. (Of which I freely admit I am addicted to.)

People in this town are also afraid of new cuisine or their just plain afraid of it being bad that ONE TIME. And if (God forbid) they do try some place new more than once and it's bad the second time, they never go back and poo-poo it to all of their soccer mom/golf buddy friends. They want the fore mentioned greasy ass whatever to be the consistently and exactly same every time. It's their comfort food. It's what they like to spend their money on.

I'm a darn militant foodie. I like the holes-in-the-wall, the mom-and-pops, the taco stands, the billion different little sushi and seafood places this town has to offer because they're simply better and offer better selection than any chain. And I brashly think I can cook a million times better than any chain restaurant line chef in Jacksonville.

Too much coffee this morning.

Suck it.

[JaxByDefault]

I'll heap on the hard truths that will offend 90% of Jax:

I honestly think that most chains are profitable because the people who frequent them don't know (or don't care) that the food is bad. And it is bad.

I have heard people swear up and down that the Olive Garden/Carraba's/Maggiano's/etc are good Italian food. They're not. They are horrible any kind of food -- frozen, bland or overly salty, jar sauced, pre-prepared, and poorly executed.

People like chain restaurants because they eat out like they cook at home: semi-homemade, bland, ready-in-10 meals with poor quality ingredients. Processed and easy has insidiously taken over the American kitchen in the guise of economy. It is possible to cook fresh, good, flavorful food for a family quickly, easily, and economically. It just takes effort (and good humor). A population that has killed their tastebuds at home can't be expected to demand anything better when they eat out.

Trying a mom and pop is like trying a new recipe at home: sometimes it's a hit; sometimes it's not. The adventure is in trying and discovering foodie gems. Not every place will be hit, but most will be cheaper and better than going to Olive Garden . . .  again.

Lots of people love cheap for cheap's sake and prefer food that's bad and cheap to food that is great value for money. I'd rather spend $4 more on a family meal and have it be great (and eat out less), than $4 less and the food be terrible. However, here in JAX, it's possible to get better, cheaper food outside of the major chains. Almost every restaurant in this town is child friendly.

It's not about food snobbery, it's about demanding good tasting, well-sourced, and well-prepared food every time and at every price point. 

[reednavy]

Olive Garden sucks.

Cheesecake Factory FTW, no matter what you say.

Mimi's is stupid awful.

[ChriswUfGator]

most will be cheaper and better than going to Olive Garden...

Well, since you mentioned it, that's another mystifying JAX trait that leaves me clueless...

The Mom & Pops around here are twice as expensive as the chains, and it's a coin-toss as to whether the food will be any better. Go have your $9 sandwich and $3 soda at Judson's, your $15 glass of wine at Biscottis, your $14 hamburger at O'Brothers, or go to pretty much ANY of the 4000 Thai restaurants that sprung up like mushrooms around here, selling $20 plates padt thai and $30 cashew chicken. WTFFFFFFFF? I mean, don't get me wrong, I frequent those places and enjoy it, but it's sure not saving me any money over eating at Chilis or Carabbas.

The worst of the worst had to be the Bungle on Park, though. OMFG that place was something else. Worst meal of my life, literally. I mean EVER. And extortionary prices on top of it. In any other city, I'd agree with you, the smaller places are usually better and cheaper than the chains. But around here, they're usually a lot more money.

A couple notable exceptions (e.g., good AND not highway robbery) are Kickback's, Burrito Gallery, La Nop, and Harpoon Louie's.

[ChriswUfGator]

Oh and one more for the good & reasonable list; Cool Moose

[blizz01]

I like the holes-in-the-wall, the mom-and-pops, the taco stands, the billion different little sushi and seafood places this town has to offer because they're simply better and offer better selection than any chain.

'nuff said!  It seems to me that there are certainly a proportionate number of "QUALITY" independent restaurants around - the good ones do survive (most of the time).  I'd be willing to bet that I could go an entire month - breakfast, lunch, & dinner - and not hit the same spot twice.  Could you do that with the chains?

[DavidWilliams]

I like the holes-in-the-wall, the mom-and-pops, the taco stands, the billion different little sushi and seafood places this town has to offer because they're simply better and offer better selection than any chain.

'nuff said!  It seems to me that there are certainly a proportionate number of "QUALITY" independent restaurants around - the good ones do survive (most of the time).  I'd be willing to bet that I could go an entire month - breakfast, lunch, & dinner - and not hit the same spot twice.  Could you do that with the chains?

I could...chains aren't entirely evil.