Chain Restaurants Extremely Popular - Why?

[cityimrov]

Why are chain restaurants in this city so popular that they have people waiting outside the door?  One time, I received a plethora of gift cards to these places.  Let's just say my experience was pretty bad when compared to private restaurants.  For example, at an Olive Garden near Orange Park - I had some pretty bad service and the management kept quoting stuff from the corporate handbook saying she can't do anything about it.  I don't think I've ever had anyone quote stuff from a handbook at some of the locally owned restaurants.  Quite a lot of them did everything they could to fix the problem.  Yet those chain restaurants probably do 5x the business as the local ones.  They charge more for the food and the quality is pretty mediocre.  Why are they so popular? 

[JaxNole]

I think people are comfortable with places they are familiar so they may not be curious to try a restaurant without a national presence.  Some also may have not ventured too far from Jacksonville and have not been exposed to independent restaurants like 13 Gypsies.  Even pizza places like Moon River, despite the thread that received so much attention.

Awareness and marketing go far which these independent restaurants don't have much of a budget compared to chains.

[Dog Walker]

They are popular because it is where you can get the most fat and salt for the least money really fast.
People love salt and fat. 

[Dark Knight]

I think they are popular , because people accept mediocre food and service . Private restaurants strive harder , because the are riding on corporate popularity , If you want personal service and good food give your local restaurant a try and tell them if is not up to par . They have more to lose by not improving.

[Dark Knight]

Correction-not riding on corporate popularity

[rvrsdediva]

They're popular because they spend millions of dollars on advertising where the food looks really good so people are convinced they need to go to the restaurant.  They do tons of market research to find out what people want and what people like.  They are family friendly, not too expensive and most of the time customers get to take something home with them. Fish in a barrel...

[Dark Knight]

Yeah, I like the fat and salt myself,dammit man!!!!!!!!!!!

[sheclown]

People don't want to take the risk involved in going to an independent restaurant.  You never know what you'll get...for me, that is the fun of it. 

[blizz01]

I'm not completely buying it.  If you're good at what you do & you have a good product, then you will succeed.  I'm confident that Orsay, Bistro AIX, Mossfire Grill, The Fox, Metro Diner etc. did/are doing just fine this weekend - & I doubt that many patrons could just meander in & immediately be seated.  I'm also confident that Jacksonville's favorite dining establishments would NOT be chains.  I don't go to restaurants just because they are independent or because it's my civic duty; although I love the novelty of trying new places - I go because I enjoy the overall experience (value stressed).  All things being equal, I think that just about anyone in town would select something with a local flair in lieu of something that just as easily could be had in Macon or Ocala - or Boise, for that matter.   Many chains weren't contrived in a back office or boardroom - they started small & then expanded (franchises were spawned).  Chains aren't just some Jacksonville phenomenon - they're popular in every city - that's what gives them the ability to become "chains" - reputation & proven track record.  The chains don't typically show up on the Health Dept. rap sheets; & they have supplementary staff in addition to a "corporate" hierarchy to ensure that there are customer service levels to strive toward & enforce.  The chains employ a significant number of individuals in a down economy.  Chains are not immune - look at places that would have been considered bulletproof a decade ago:  Bennigan's, Steak & Ale, Chevy's, et. al. 

[blizz01]

BTW, I wonder if I'm the only one that feels more guilty sending food back (if/when) necessary at an independent.............

[blizz01]

plenty of great restaurants with great business plans fail because they lack the marketing and low cost bulk pricing of the corps.

Agreed - & that could be said for any type of business.

[thekillingwax]

I think it's a comfort thing for a lot of people. Outback is going to taste like Outback and Applebee's is going to taste like Applebee's. It may not be the best taste but it's a taste.

My fiance was asking why I like La Nopalera and that's one of the reasons why. It's not the best mexican food I've ever had but it's consistent. Back when they were around, the first couple of times I ate at Dona Marias, it was awesome- everything had a better flavor and the service was better and that little house was certainly cooler than an ex-Pizza Hut on Atlantic, the next time I ate there, it was beyond horrible and I found myself back where I knew exactly what I was going to get.

And you'd be amazed at how many people in Jacksonville and elsewhere DO list their favorite restaurant as a chain place. The little places always win in the folio but it caters to a different demographic than most of the town. If the Times Union did a big poll as to the best place to eat in town, I'd bet you'd see some chain place like Olive Garden as the winner. I'd go as far to say that there are probably people on this board who would list a chain as their favorite. I'm not going to pass judgment, eat what you like. Here's something that'll piss off the foodies: I ate at Ruby Tuesday the other day and the burger was pretty awesome and the fries were honestly the best fries I've ever eaten.

[KenFSU]

On the service side, I've had equally terrible experiences with service at both chains (Chili's) and local restaurants (Nicky G's Pizza) and equally great (Espeto, The Melting Pot). With that being said, I'm basically just a sucker for good, consistent food. If I can find it locally, I'd much prefer La Nopalara Carne Asada Tacos to something like Qdoba, but I don't see anything inherently wrong with chains.

Chains can be very comforting for the non-adventurous. Sometimes people just aren't in the mood to go on a proverbial blind date with an independent local eatery. When I'm exhausted, there's something rather reassuring about knowing that I can always walk into a Carrabbas and get the exact same goat cheese chicken executed consistently, and more often than not, rather well. Or, if I'm feeling like the pressures of work are weighing heavily, it's rather cool to be able to order the EXACT same pizza from Pizza Hut that I went with my Dad to pick up on Friday night as a kid. When life gets hectic, a complication as simple as deciphering an unfamiliar menu can be a real hassle when you have a favorite standby bagel at Panera, burrito at Moe's, or burger at Five Guys.

I definitely think though that, of all the cities I've spent considerable time in, Jacksonville is the most chain-obsessed. I think it kind of speaks to the unnecessary, self-fulfilling inferiority complex so prevalent around these parts. As if spending time at "name brand" restaurants lends more cache' than eating at local establishments. I've never seen so many people brag about spending a special evening at Outback (inevitably, and strangely, always pronounced as "Outbacks").

It is rather depressing as, to me, there's something rather generic about spending a special evening at a chain. I would be apalled, for example, if I was a visitor coming from out of town and was taken to a place like the Cheesecake Factory for a Saturday Night dinner. But what can you do.

For a city the size of Jacksonville, the dining scene isn't half of what it should be. I would love to see a plethora of edgy new independent restaurants open, but sadly, I think I've come to terms with the fact that 90% of the city would rather have a California Pizza Kitchen, Bahama Breeze, or Macaroni Grill like "the big cities do."

[sheclown]

best french fries from an independent...Carl's on Main Street. 

[Joe]

Let's just say my experience was pretty bad when compared to private restaurants.  For example, at an Olive Garden near Orange Park - I had some pretty bad service

I think you should consider yourself lucky if your experience with non-chain restaurants has been that positive. For the most part, I think non-chains are completely hit-and-miss. Some are fantastic, while others have no business running a restaurant at all.

Out of curiosity, which independent restaurants are you comparing to Olive Garden? I think one of the biggest fallacies in the "local versus chain" debate is that people like to compare casual dining chains against upscale dining independents. In other words, it makes no sense to trash Olive Garden because AIX or Orsay are better. It doesn't even really make sense to compare it to places like Santioni's because the atmosphere and price-points are so different. It's probably more appropriately compared to places like Pizza Palace or Vito's.

Now, frankly, I think Vito's is better than Olive Garden. But at least when you frame the debate that way, you have to admit that someone's preference could legitimately go either way.