Food Theory: Why is Everyone Going BACK to Chili's?

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When is the last time you went to Chili's or Applebee's? Is it recent? Do you have a friend or family member who loves getting the Baby Back Ribs or Triple Dipper? Honestly, there's a big reason why EVERYONE is going back to restaurants like Chili's and Applebee's. And it's not what you'd expect.
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#Chilis #Applebees #Restaurant #Restaurants #FastFood #FastCasual #BabyBackRibs #Theory #FoodTheory

[@FoodTheory]

What is YOUR favorite casual dining chain?

[@personlookingatyoutubevideos]

Hi

[@Mui_goku-p7r]

Idk

[@Idiotictrafficconenewchannel]

hi

[@ink5304]

Idk

[@MichaelSuperbacker]

It’s the best,dah!

[@Labyrinth6000]

Simple, fast food is now more expensive than casual restaurants. Chilis has an outstanding deal like the 3 for me deal for $10.99. Unlimited chips and salsa, unlimited water, Fries and a big Burger.

[@zwparchman]

I wonder how many people forget about the tip in these kinds of situations. I'd still rather spend the tiny bit more for Chili's over fast food, but it is still an extra cost.

[@gabehasfurther4081]

​@zwparchman Even with tip, it's only like $14, which is still about the same as a full price McDonald's combo.

[@HydraInk]

​@@zwparchmanAs said in the video, at least for me personally, the quality is much more important. On top of that I never dine in, I'm always getting everything to go and I eat at home with my wife. IMO if I'm not being served and I'm coming inside to pick up my food and leave then I don't tip either

[@cobwebinthecorner]

Their chicken sandwich is SOOO good

[@HatedxAngel]

​@@zwparchman A lot of people don't actually tip tbf

[@rezfeber]

Can concur. I work at Chili's as a line cook and it's been CRAZY recently. No middle ground ever, it's either slow or so breck neck fast it'll make your head spin

[@qb8628]

You’re doin Gods work thank you

[@brandonortiz271]

As a Triple dipper Connoisseur thank you for your service

[@_Sleepyhollow_]

lol same I work front of the house and sometimes heart of the house and I can say I’ve seen the same.

[@Codexionyx101]

Fun fact: Supposedly, Chili's was formed in large part thanks to Caroll Shelby, the legendary racecar driver and automotive designer. His son-in-law remembered fondly the times Shelby took him to Chili cook-offs and later founded a restaurant meant to emulate the feeling of eating at one.

[@Ender072]

Sup

[@aysealtn1669]

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🍖🍖🍖🍗🍗🥩🥩🥩

[@Juice83]

No kidding? That's badass! Fun fact indeed

[@Castodas]

But… am i the only one that has been slightly miffed about Chili’s not really having much of a chili menu?

[@twistedlittlepuppy]

one major factor that wasn't mentioned is how many of these places allowed you to order ahead of time via apps and even offer to-go options. I can order something from Chilis or Cheesecake Factory and pick it up during lunch/on my way home from work just as easily as popping by a fast food joint and it's almost the same price when you factor in the leftovers.

[@steevieg]

Even before leftovers honestly.

[@adim00lah]

@@steeviegEspecially with places like olive garden that offer unlimited bread sticks, soup, and salad,for 11 bucks you can't get unlimited food at any fast food spot.

[@corawrona4125]

And, imo, I'd rather park my car real quick to run in for my entire bag of food than sit in a drive thru - or the drive thru overflow spots - for what feels like forever

[@crankypop]

Wait. Casual dining has higher quality food for the same price, but fast food would have to raise their price to meet the quality? And they can't lower their prices? Common sense dictates that if casual diners have higher quality food for the same price as fast food, fast food is overcharging. It makes their claim of "we can't lower prices" an insult to consumers' intelligence. Why does this video avoid stating this very obvious realization in favor of saying, "fast food can't afford to lower their prices?"

[@Crafty_boy70]

The casual diners are lowering prices using clever marketing tactics and deals, it's not a complete price cut. Plus, fast food is so much more extensive, and the bigger they are, the more risky it is to try to lower prices. (unless they are indeed overcharging)

[@k_c_holmes930]

I'd assume the biggest reason is that: fast food is paying employees like $13 an hour, while casual is paying like $3 an hour, expecting tips to make up the difference. And when we say "Mcdonalds has a $10 dollar meal," and "Chili's has a $10 meal," we weren't necessarily factoring in the expected tip cost on top of that. So really, that "$10 Chili's meal" is a $12 meal. Consumers just don't see it like that.

[@maromania7]

Casual diners can pay most of thier employees $2 an hour with no benefits or breaks, as most labor laws have exemptions for servers. Employees are almost always the biggest expense. He said it that way because it's true, you're making assumptions without all the information.

[@sauvagess]

Because that was from the previous episode, talking about how fast food is overpricing to the point that literally the restaurants mentioned in this one were stated as optimal alternatives.

[@kaimagnus5760]

I worked at a Casual Dining Restaurant. Everyone but the Waitresses and Bartender made a minimum of $12.50 an hour. And this was almost 10 years ago. The average starting pay at that same restaurant is $14 an hour now. So unless you're eligible for tips, which are untaxed income after the first $204.80 each week, you're making comparable, if not higher, pay to fast food. By contrast, just 4 years ago I was only making $9.50 at Burger King who just upped their pay in this area to $12 an hour earlier this year.

[@kevincronk7981]

I was sad at first when Mat left, but tbh I love the dynamics between all the hosts. That's something Mat could never do, simply because he is 1 guy

[@tanikokishimoto1604]

This is the only Theory channel I watch.

[@PossibleAnimations]

​@@tanikokishimoto1604Why? I watch all of them

[@Lynthechickennugget]

@kevincronk7981 100% agree they’re almost like siblings, they all are similar to Mat but different, all with their own flair

[@StevenParkinson-je6cy]

I wish it was still just Matt

[@NoBroNinja]

So truuueeee!!!!

[@BrendanGeormer]

Some years back (2018 or 2019), my boss took me to lunch at Chilis for my birthday. He loved Chilis and would get it often for his lunch. I had eaten at Chilis maybe once ever before that, but I was pleasantly surprised by the food quality, and that their lunch special was a darn good deal. I still didn't go back for a while because I didn't have a good opportunity, but a year or two ago my parents wanted to treat me to dinner at Chilis because they had gone recently and enjoyed it. They played trivia on the little tablet at the table and wanted my help with it, because I enjoy that sort of thing. I really liked their nashville hot sauce. I've gone back a number of times since then, each time being good; except for one time. That one time was bizarre with how crowded the location was, where nearby parking lots had cars full too with people walking to Chilis. I think this was late last year or early this year. After a short wait to get a table, my girlfriend and I were served and I asked why it was so crowded, and the server told us that it blew up on Tiktok all of a sudden. I don't use Tiktok, so I had no idea, I just enjoyed Chilis and had been recommending it on my own because of my good experiences.

[@kahunamoe22]

13.99 for a real burger n fries and an app or salad plus a drink it's insane if you compare it to 12.49 for a baccinator combo

[@Cameraman407]

​@@kahunamoe22 for a real burger

[@TheHuskyK9]

The poetic irony of this is fantastic. The whole point of fast-food was that it was cheaper and faster food, older generations didn't care about quality, just what was cost-efficient. But now (as a fellow older Gen-Z), fast food costs just as much (or MORE in some cases) as casual diners. Why would you pass up the opportunity to spend time with friends/family with better quality food and atmosphere? And also, the pandemic made everyone miss dining out. Being trapped at home for a full year makes people yearn for going outside and doing stuff

[@GreyJackJack]

11:51 Missed opportunity for "The King," (BK) "The Queen," (Dairy Queen) and "The Jack." (Jack in the Box,) like playing cards.

[@aidenlegobatman]

Yep

[@yahinkie9532]

McDonald’s is the joker card

[@mitchhudson3972]

The joker, mcdonalds

[@gamemasteranthony2756]

With Chik-Fil-A for the Ace. Now we just need a fast food place with “ten” or “10” in the name for a Fast Food Royal Flush. And no…two Five Guys does not count.

[@mrfinefeet5668]

@@gamemasteranthony2756what about Tenny’s? (Like Denny’s)

[@90spiderbros]

I really appreciate that Amy and Santi have found a way to still interact with each other in their videos despite Santi's move to florida. Also apparently Amy grew up in a town in florida so Santi's moving to the same state is hilarious.

[@torazely]

Can confirm. I work at an Applebee's and we've been getting a lot busier recently than we have been for a while.

[@WhatsCookingTime]

I concur I do doordash on the weekends the Chili's at Applebee's are within a half mile of each other Applebee's isn't quite as busy as Chili's but it's still busy😊

[@flyleelee5351]

Y'all's food got better frfr

[@joshin9326]

I’m getting that bacon burger almost every week 😅

[@torazely]

@@joshin9326 you talking bout the Lotta Bacon Burger?

[@torazely]

@flyleelee5351 agreed. The fiesta like chicken is my favorite.

[@OwlgorhythmAU]

I imagine the growth of takeout and meal delivery plays a role as well. If you can get the convenience of ordering on an app and just pulling up to chilis to get your food or have it delivered to you, that greatly undermines the strategic advantage of “fast” food

[@LisaHypes]

Yes and this take out the “obligation” of a tip to the waiter or waitress which can be a factor in avoiding sit down places to eat.

[@St0rmcrash]

Apps have certainly made it easier, but I remember Applebees and Chillis adding "To Go" pickup locations on side doors sometime in the 2000's, the difference at the time being you had to call to place your order, or maybe do it on a website. Apps really reduce that friction and add easy opportunity for upsell on current deals/promotions/extras that I'm sure make it much more effective sales wise too

[@davidpomerantz]

When I was a kid, maybe about 9, my sister and I, for some reason, tried to eat as much pasta as we could at Olive Garden. I think that was the most pasta I've eaten at once, and the biggest stomach pain too

[@TheRealDredd]

i did the same with the breadsticks,

[@MarcIverson]

I'm a salad guy, I loved the endless salad. Annoyed the waitress asking for it more than once.

[@milesbank1]

In my experience, a lot of the reason why these restaurants have been making this comeback was shown to me by a coworker. Meal time + Waiting on food, takes around the same time for fast food vs sit down places. AND costs around the same plus when you sit down at places, you often get better service, or for example garlic rolls at italian places

[@milesbank1]

We went to an italian place for lunch one day and the entire meal took around 30 minutes. versus me going to chipotle and waiting 15 minutes in line and get my food, and having only 15 minutes to eat it. by myself

[@TheGreatSalsaMan]

For me personally the food isn’t anything top tier BUT their 3 for me is a pretty decent deal, soup or chips, an entree with fries, and a drink for $10.99. Only complaint is the burger meat they use either isn’t fresh and/or isn’t 100% pure usda beef. My body is so used to healthy grade 90/10 meat it can tell when it consumes something not to standard or not prepared in a healthy manner 😅 🚽

[@coreywalker2763]

@@TheGreatSalsaMan

[@tmathis9882]

I always loved Chili's and with today prices they can be cheaper than fast food

[@simplyepic3258]

Yeah. A 3-for-me at Chili's costs the same as pretty much every fast food restaurant I go to. Plus, not only do they have higher quality food, but they also give you way more food. The only thing stopping me from getting Chili's more is that it takes me 20 minutes to get there with all the traffic around dinner time. Of course they had to locate the restaurant on the corner of the 2 busiest streets in my town.

[@mrobertson188]

You have to add in the price of leaving a tip at chilis also

[@simplyepic3258]

@@mrobertson188 if you dine in. To-go is the same price but you don't have to tip.

[@tmathis9882]

@@mrobertson188 even with a almost 50% tip you're only playing like $3 more

[@AnimeBronx]

the food is gross

[@harlow5985]

growing up, olive garden and chilli's were the go-to spots for "celebratory" dinners!! birthday? olive garden! choir concert? chilli's! so on and so forth. I've honestly never gotten sick of them and I doubt I ever will. one gripe I have, chilli's I'm on my hands and knees begging BEGGING y'all to bring back the batter-type crust on the chicken crispers I'm on my hands and knees

[@Jalex1210]

I think I’m the main reason Chili’s hasn’t gone bankrupt I would get some spicy tenders everyday

[@Jalex1210]

I would always get the I think was the 3 for me

[@HoverMelon2000]

Idk why these restaurants’ chicken stuff and sauces are so good but they they just ARE

[@hitmanekoyslnp8572]

freshness and tradition​@HoverMelon2000

[@julesrules7297]

Thank you for paying the light bill! 💡

[@DeannaNewton-d7x]

The thing is, growing up my family and I would go to either McDonald's or a Buffet restaurant. We only get to go to a sit down restaurant for a celebration like birthdays or graduation since it's more "upscale" that your typical eating establishment. Also since my family and I live in New Jersey we mostly eat out at dinners as oppose to the chain restaurants growing up and right now. I CAN tell you that of all the chain restaurants I've been to, The Cheesecake Factory is the fanciest out of all of them and it awakened my love of cheesecake growing up.

[@mauditebalvenie]

Heh, if you ever get a chance, go to Pompton Queen diner (it's in North Jersey by Wayne), they have a baklava cheesecake that is insane.

[@DeannaNewton-d7x]

@@mauditebalvenie I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the info.

[@Nixoth]

Within the city i live, Chilis is the only restaurant that can actually cook a steak properly. I have tried literally all other places in town that serves steaks and if i ask for med rare it either comes out bruned or raw, nothing in between. Ive even gotten a horrifying steak from Applebees in town was green in the middle oof. That said i have tried everything on the chilis menu in my town and it is all amazing, but in other towns, the chilis have been lackluster.

[@k9commander]

To me, that says one of two things. 1- Your Chiles has a real good manager. They do their job right and make sure the cooks are consistently good. 2- Your Chiles has one or more real good cooks. If it's just one good cook, you've been lucky enough to go there when they're working.

[@Countryball2400]

Good for you, but what city has all the steak restaurants are bad?

[@steevieg]

From my own personal experience, even Ruth's Chris is just an average steak. I'm just convinced restaurants can't ever beat home cooked steaks.

[@markdouglas1601]

​@@Countryball2400Yeah there must be only one other steak place in his town and it's a long john silvers or something

[@eisch-cube6443]

Santi really throws so much shade at Tom and it’s just so funny 😂

[@jakemongolo4604]

Tom got him back in game theory 😂

[@bluetreefiddy]

Well fast food companies messed up over the past couple of years mcdonalds and subway and other fast food restaurant got greedy and forgot that they are suppose to be a cheap alternative now that fast food is expensive I rathe go to chillies or red Robin's for better food at that price

[@preparedsalt2322]

To be honest, I avoided the new theory videos since Matpat wouldn’t be around anymore. But after watching some of the new ones I’ve realized I’ve been pretty biased, keep up the good work

[@CloudsAndDays]

I don't eat out often, but when I do, it's usually as something to do with family or friends. We want to sit down and eat a whole meal and chat during the wait time. Fast food is mainly for when we don't have time to cook, and have run out of both leftovers and our stash of microwavable or air fry food, which doesn't happen often cause we usually buy food in bulk. We'll keep up to two weeks of food at a time. Between me, my parents and my older brother, spanning the generations, none of us want to eat fast food because it's too pricey for such a sad meal.

[@Gremlack13]

I loves in a college town for several years, including through the pandemic. While the college kids did eat out at restaurants, they weren’t hitting the big chains. You would see them crowd into locally owned restaurants, while only seeing older people for the most part in chain restaurants.

[@Dylan-ds3dc]

Hi, welcome to Chili’s! (rip vine)

[@heyitzfi712]

RIP the guy who made that vine, too :(

[@15plus2isnot39]

Something that could also be driving the increased sales could be the return to work/entering the job market. I find myself eating at home most nights, but when I am in the office for lunch I don't really feel like eating there so I go out and want to eat somewhere I can stay instead of just driving through.

[@emilyfeeney7846]

*insert old vine video quote* hi welcome to chill.

[@heliveruscalion9124]

just the singular chili 🌶️

[@ItisJasmine27]

😅

[@Immudzen]

My favorite is the cheesecake factory. Whenever I travel for business there is a cheesecake factory near where I have go to. They have a HUGE menu and can accommodate any kind of dietary restriction with many good options. They are a great place to take a mixed group to because you know that there will be something for everyone. I also love that they are pretty quiet places which means you can have a conversation at a cheesecake factory.

[@Analog_Anarchist]

2:01 Bob Evans was my childhood diner!

[@mintymarinara]

The main ones that my family and i go to are BJs, cheesecake factory, and Benihana. My mom used to do secretary duties for city hall in my hometown and one of the tasks she would do was order catering for longer council meetings and she would take the leftovers home for us to enjoy. She would often get coupons and reward deals from ordering so often, and we would use those for things like birthdays, academic achievements, and extended family meetups and order the food we tried from before.

[@aimeepeltier2147]

Having grown up in Alaska, options were kinda limited. But the two I remember the most with my parents were Red Robin and I think it was actually local only, a burger placed called Roadrunner, that was mostly a burger place with really good shakes. And of course every Sunday with my grandma was Royal Fork, which was a pretty big sized buffet. it was tradition!

[@alyx4819]

On the “mcdonald’s can’t make the experience better” 12:14 ANY casual car wash enjoyer could tell you that pretty shapes n colors is enough of an experience. what i’m saying is, regular tunnel vs party tunnel.

[@angelojohnson9441]

A+ ending. Like playing the 8th note of a music scale.

[@DivineDart]

The enjoyment I get from watching these fast food chains get their just desserts is pure bliss.

[@r34lm4rck]

I remember the "Barbeque Sauce" at the end of the jingle.

[@nwtnthiga]

fr

[@JboJackson]

Managed a chilis through the pandemic. Not gonna lie that really broke me down, scary times didn’t know if I’d be jobless while I was the only one working in my household and being directly exposed to the public was terrifying in the beginning. The years after weren’t any easier with the majority of the senior staff leaving it was up to us to retrain a whole new generation and get things back to a normal that guests love and enjoy coming out. This last year my restaurant doubled in sales after a lot of hard work and teamwork. Went from almost closing 3 times to thriving in our area. Proud of what my team has accomplished and thankful to all the great team members and guests that kept this brand going.

[@Rynne_1]

Honestly, the biggest reason I favor casual dining chains over fast food is the value. While the prices for casual dining might be equivalent or slightly higher than fast food nowadays, the portion sizes are typically much larger. Ultimately, it comes down to: do I want to pay the same price for one subpar fast food meal or for a decent casual dining meal that I can take leftovers home and make a second meal out of?

[@_Sleepyhollow_]

This video is actually quite funny to me as I work at a chilis restaurant. I have noticed the growth at my restaurant over the two years I’ve been working there. Gotta say it’s kind of cool and jarring to see the place I work at be a topic in a video I’m watching.

[@joanrivera2765]

8:44 CHUCKY IS THAT YOU I LOVE YOUR THIN SMALLER AND BIGGER UNEVEN PIZZAS

[@bryanb6217]

For me casual dining at a place like Chilis, Applebees, etc. was such an amazing treat, not because my family couldn't afford it but because my town didn't and still doesn't have one, we ate there when we were out of town. Closest are around 150 miles away. Eating at a place like Chilis I saw advertise on TV was so cool.

[@spencertaylor-mrliltay]

The thing for me is that with inflation impacting prices everywhere the price hikes are at least harder to notice sometimes at fast-casual restaurants that it is at fast food restaurants. Not only that, but whereas as places like McDonalds or Taco Bell used to have huge value menus or "dollar menus." Now that inflation has pretty much killed dollar menus and fast food places, and some of the top burgers at McD's or Wendy's now are the same price as a burger at a place like Chili's that can offer at least a slightly to much better quality product. Chili's > Applebee's

[@hdk-gamer2829]

4:43 adding Tom to the sponsorships now are we santi

[@CrimsomGloryXD]

1:54 Me from another whole continent: Yeah totally

[@strikezrow]

Gonna help a brother out. LMNT is great! You’ll know when you need it. It tastes somehow more salty when I don’t need it, but after I work out and sweat, it tastes great and I feel WAY better after having it!

[@Hachiro]

8:08 I've just now heard of this, but yeahhh I've got the same reply as Amy x'D Grey curtains, bed sheets, pillows, PJs, jeans, and those cheap storage cubes you can buy. Very likely even more than I can think of right now.

[@cassandragarcia573]

Sometimes the wait for a table at Chili's can be awhile, but it's still better quality and you get an appetizer with the 3 for me deal. That's what's saving them. Was sad to see TGIF go..during college we went a lot because it was down the street, but their quality went down and menu kept changing.

[@shawnheatherly]

Most casual dining options where I live are terrible. Still waiting to see that rise in quality.

[@isaiahroberts2804]

Soccer?? what position you play? Also do you have a favorite team

[@wintershard588]

Admittedly I've never been to cheesecake factory. My bf is taking me next month for our anniversary though. Olive Garden was a place I've only had as an adult. As a kid it was usually Chilli's or Applebee's i think

[@jasonmay6368]

Hey my wife's boyfriend let me take him to the cheese cake factory the other day. Soooo goooooood!

[@bearingtheelements4063]

Another thing that is not mentioned in the video is that the Gen Zers who still wish to have faster service can order on a Chili’s/ TGI Friday/ Olive Garden app ahead of time and schedule a pick up. This is another way how they started to compete on a time basis with the major fast food chains. Mix in how restaurants have a higher quality ingredients, consumers are going to gravitate towards restaurants without having the need to sit down. This is a major factor in how they’re winning now.

[@JacoboKitchen]

Who else thinks Santi is actually doing a great job at replacing MatPat?

[@AhnafMardia]

Fr

[@Grayson-f2e]

I can't stop imagining Santi wearing the brightest boots shin guards the size of my palm and dropping an absolute master class destroying everyone's ankles after that sponser segment

[@keaganterry6916]

Or the fast food CEOs can take pay cuts to lower prices

[@thesnakepit4640]

here in Aus we have a pretty new casual restaurant burger chain called Grill'd, we've only been open for 21 years now and we're pretty popular. we do takeout, pickup and delivery while also having a large space to dine-in. while i've been working there, we've had groups of over 10 people all come out to eat several times a night of both families and groups of friends, and we also say we're "good fast food" because we, well, try to be healthy while still being good and able to accommodate for everyone by having chicken (fried and grilled), beef, lamb, vegan/impossible patties and a selection of salads

[@inhuman.polygon]

my parents wont let me eat chilis. smh.

[@brandtlucasbrandt]

Why?

[@inhuman.polygon]

@ idk

[@justahugenerd1278]

Good parents

[@BrakRulesAll]

The 3-for-me deal at Chilis also includes an appetizer - like a side salad or mac & cheese. So for $11 you get burger w/fries, a decent side salad, and drink. Absolutely unbeatable deal, and Chilis has always made a good burger. Probably a loss leader for them but it's working - the chain is thriving again.

[@King_Jakolas]

McDonald's saying they cant lower prices is pure $3 for a single hashbrown is ridiculous lol

[@mx.litzix9100]

It's laughable

[@AONTrappy]

Potatoes, one of the cheapest foods known to mankind. Charges 3$ for one.

[@CheesyNoodlez]

McDonald’s used to be a place families would go and eat at, and even have birthday parties at. Now, you have to order from a kiosk (I personally don’t mind), there are signs everywhere to only sit at a table for 30 minutes, and they’re taking away the lobby soda machines which eliminate refills.

[@St0rmcrash]

And their interiors are now all corporate and soulless, which is funny cause that's kind of where the chain casual restaurants were at 10-15 years ago, overly bland samey corporate consultant feeling restaurants and menus, but now they've all gone back to their roots a bit and reconnected with their unique vibes

[@SgtSupaman]

3:39 Zooming in (pun unintended) doesn't stop me from seeing that the table makes your statement questionable. The younger generation still had a higher percentage in cost-related categories over quality, meaning, no matter what the age, more people are looking for the better deal rather than some arbitrary idea of quality. But, yeah, this is exactly why fast food steadily hiking their prices is saving casual restaurants.

[@alexanderklimek9354]

Me, my wife, and my toddler went to Applebees the other weekend - we got a sampler for her, boneless wings for me & chips and queso, and an adult portion chicken tenders platter - with a 20% tip it was still like $55 - and we got another meal for my wife and son out of it as well (occasional but still rare toddler win😂) - if we got thats same quantity of food from Fast food the price would have been almost the same or higher (free refills on drinks and chips really comes in clutch)

[@PhillipGuyton]

I wonder about how tip culture affects this all ? I could see it cutting both ways, sitting down at fast casual your expected to tip ; however more and more other options are pushing for tips

[@JoshTigerheart]

Customer: I'd like a #4 combo please. Fast Food: I have the Slightly Different Burger and fries. Would you like to add a super-sized tip to your order?

[@kevinnorris6558]

Five Guys is a great example of that. You're easily paying at least $20 for a burger, fries and shake and they have the audacity to ask for a tip. At least they do on the app 😑

[@moonwalkerangel7008]

I don’t know if it is casual dining (though they have a great spot to eat outside and they do burgers and takeaway) is actually a local burger place called 5canaries. They actually started as a food truck in my home town in 2020 during the pandemic and they opened up a sit down casual spot (and takeaway store) in 2022. My mum and I had lunch there recently and their burgers were amazing quality. They were not cheap but they used fresh ingredients, their atmosphere was casual and a great outdoor spot and the staff were super friendly. I think the owner was coming back from an errand and he spoke to my mum and I and it was fantastic.

[@AgustinGonzalez-hx2ro]

nice to have you back, :P

[@xiphoid2011]

One big reason why fast food can't lower cost as much is labor. While you can pay waitresses $2 per hour and let them make money from tips, fast food have to pay ridiculous $20/hr for a teenager to flip burgers (c'mon, most of us had done that brain dead monkeys job during school. Let's be honest, it doesn't deserve $20/hr.) Labor is a huge part of business cost, so when the ingredients cost about the same, the winner goes to the business than can pay workers less.

[@Soup_unknowingly]

No one is mentioning 6:24 MAN FACE

[@ayanmiah8289]

😏

[@vsingamedy359]

Huh

[@ethiosislive2174]

I love your vids especially that one about cup sizes😊

[@PaTcHiZzEl]

Is that the lady who makes shorts for the Washington Post at 3:01

[@XTheAxolotl]

The tune is never gonna get stuck inside my head because I just forget everything from food related videos after an hour of just speed-running stuff.

[@zozulazlushcha]

YUPIE NEW EPISODEEE

[@lilyawoodburn]

IHOP being the top casual dining restaurant in Kansas is HILARIOUSLY on point. As teenagers in small towns, literally the only fun (legal) thing we'd have to do after midnight was drive over an hour to the nearest 24hr IHOP, then drive back home at 5am. It's honestly a miracle no one fell asleep at the wheel and crashed from doing this 😂

[@gryffindorrunner]

Why is KS the only ihop 😭😭 are we that invested in breakfast??? 1:05

[@Duck_yippee]

Utah just love Olive Garden. To the point of being the only one on the map… this is gonna make me pasta-way 😊

[@gryffindorrunner]

@ tbh I thought I’ve eaten enough Olive Garden to carry Kansas but I guess not :(

[@breaderikthegreat3224]

Also how does Texas not be represented by that Texas Roadhouse

[@Tarvanak]

One thing that I believe contributes to these casual chains getting more business is the options for dietary restrictions. Wife is gluten free, it’s way easier to find options at a casual chain than fast food, and local places are really hit or miss on options if we are not near a collage campus.

[@Orinslayer]

I don't know why you'd want to go to fast-casual when most regular restaurants are better and sometimes cheaper?

[@LadyLeomon]

A tasty treat before bed? Yes please! Thanks for the bedtime snack of a Theory, Santi and *please* go hug your furbabies all 🎄💙🐱💙🎄 (Love and miss you always my Twinkle, who went to Rainbow Bridge on 3rd November)

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Santi! Suggestion: What are the tastiest and most bountiful food to get You through the apocalypse?

[@atomicgator5207]

I like how you slid in the "First time?" meme in the last ten seconds. Nicely done. 😆

[@johnhmaloney]

I'm a Gen Xer who hung out with friends in a Denny's and then an Applebee's for the bulk of the '90s - early 00s. I also ate a lot of fast food (mostly BK) before going vegetarian in '97 and from my experience the quality of the food, at least back then, was pretty comparable. The real advantages that the casuals had was that they offered a better selection, were more comfortable and, in the case of Denny's, were open 24/7. That last one was the most important, given that we always hung out there for most of the night.

[@anormalusername]

to be fair, I've frequented Olive Garden, BWW, Texas Roadhouse, and IHOP over the past decade. Chilis, Applebees, TGI Fridays, and similar were noticeably hit the hardest but Olive Garden has been seemingly thriving all along and Texas Roadhouse is never dead when I go there but especially during dinner time.

[@FinaleWildernesss]

Gotta say my soon to be Job subway

[@CJOmega93]

I remember fondly going to a Village Inn near my great grandparents place and going there with them and eating a delicious burger every week as a kid, I miss them. I remember surviving off the 1$ menu from McDonald's and other fast food places, and surprised at how expensive fast food has gotten. I will always prefer going to a restaurant over fast food any day (if time allows) and happy that the price is finally worth going back to the mom and pop restaurants again. Though I might still just make my own food since sometimes it's just cheaper. Thank you for the great video and have a great day!

[@Tagglagged]

Great work

[@theemoturtle2019]

where im from, we have this small restaurant chain , only 12 locations spotted around the city, but MAN is the food good! my family went there all the time when i was younger, now that i moved away from there i MISS IT SO MUCH!!! their over loaded potatoes, their Mattarella sticks, and the 60s style burgers are so nostalgic for me. on one of our visits to the city, i took my boyfriend there and he got their burritos and he was so impressed! he got a good amount for the $10 he spent, and it may have been a little messy but it was really yummy! plus my dad was paying. so that was a plus 😋

[@Zahri8Alang]

9:17 Ash watching this video be like

[@jevilgamer13]

Pipe down boy

[@kilbert666]

The concept that any of these restaraunts are better than anything you can cook at home is genuinely hilarious. My dude, hamburger helper is higher quality.

[@Nels1957]

Hi Welcome to Chilis

[@Analog_Anarchist]

Was waiting for someone to make that reference

[@pneumonoultramicroscopic6237]

As a kid my parents would always take me to chili's as a treat, we didn't have a lot of money so it was a nice place to go for things like my birthday. As an adult I still love chili's and it brings me a lot of joy to see it get a resurgence.

[@Others457]

5:26 For skipping the sponsor. You're welcome.

[@legotimus8453]

Gotta put when it starts, doesn’t show up till the end

[@toomuchangstforlifeugh8244]

One of the only reasons fast food is still alive in my town is because people tend to work until 11pm, and the dine-in restaurants are closed by then. I feel like that’s something they could tap into to stay alive- staying open later for those night owls that can’t get a sit-down experience at that hour

[@Davina-s9u]

0:02 ok good big back song

[@griffinmccue6189]

Meanwhile, we’re seeing the invasion of regional fast food chains into other regions, e.g. Texas is facing an In-N-Out invasion. Georgia, the home of Zaxby’s, is facing a Raising Cane’s invasion. Also, the Fast Casual concept is doing pretty well as a middle ground between fast food and casual dining.

[@TwistedParanormal69]

went to chili's earlier this year, and if im being completely honest, the food wasn't that great

[@IceMetalPunk]

Did you try the Big Mouth Bites? I would highly recommend.

[@chillchinna4164]

It’s not great, but it’s better than McDonald’s.

[@85jongo]

I've been singing praise for Chilis for almost 2 decades now. They've had an underrated menu for some time and glad to see it is working for them again. The triple dipper is awesome.

[@FunnyBaaMan]

I LOOOOOOOVE CHILIIIIIII'S!

[@YuriMuntari]

I can promise y’all, most casual dining food is just as bad as fast food, maybe with more variation and fruit/veggies. I have worked at Denny’s, Boston pizza, montanas, and east side Mario’s, and most of the dishes we served were frozen and reheated.

[@masterofbaiting]

It isn’t even an argument. Cheesecake Factory has literally everything on their menu, i don’t even like cheesecake, but even picky eaters will find SOMETHING to eat there.

[@foxxtail06]

I remember about 10 years ago my friends and I walked in a TGI Fridays, got seated, the waiter gave us water, we looked at the prices on the menu, then walked out before the waiter came back to get our order. We were way too broke to pay $30 for a meal.

[@AntonGermanReal]

Hi welcome to Chili's

[@ElementalAngelKashi]

too be honest after working a causal chinese restaurant for 20 years i really don't go to the chains, i usually try to find smaller local options when eating out, as they usually will have better tasting food for about the same price as the chains and for some reason my city has food from all around the world despite being in the Midwest.

[@8sideways]

Dinners on me ahh episode