The Death Of Chain Restaurants

[@dragonmares59110]

Eating out no matter if it is a chain or not simply is too expensive. Not worth the money anymore when 90% of the non chains also are only microwaving stuff...

[@dakineprotoss]

yep, the quality has gone through the floor while the prices have gone through the roof. id rather cook something delicious at home

[@ElectricianTS]

@@dragonmares59110 some chain restaurants are doing the same here in Europe. Frozen bbq ribs microwaved in 10 minutes, sliding off the bones... Disgusting...

[@AlexP-dz7ew]

I worked in the marketing department for a family owned company that had like 4 pretty successful locations. They use a food supplier to provide the ingredients, and sometimes pretty prepackaged food that just required heating 95% of restaurants use one of three food suppliers. That’s why it’s all the same no matter where it comes from. This is also why the prices are going up, because the costs for restaurants has gone up because of the market control the food suppliers have. It’s a slippery slope

[@DetChesmond]

@@dragonmares59110 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I’ve cooked in all levels of restaurants (except Michelin star) and the only place I worked that didn’t microwave at least part of your meal was a high end restaurant on a golf course that was so stuffy I quit after a week. All the patrons were old rich white people. Anything lower than that quality is going to include the use of a microwave

[@DetChesmond]

@@ElectricianTS Dude, meat being tender enough to slide off the bone is a goal, not a problem

[@sammysoppy3361]

private equity buying them up and ruining them

[@pensivepenguin3000]

When it comes to private equity ruining things, see also: shopping malls, retail establishments and just about anything else they can get their grubby hands on

[@ginnyweatherbee7941]

Exactly, that’s the biggest reason, especially for places that were already on the brink of extinction like Red Lobster

[@carolstephens-fortner6887]

@@pensivepenguin3000 veterinarian clinics, too.

[@powell4661]

They ruin everyone they buy

[@jordanhamann9123]

Yeah, it's kind of surprising that this video didn't mention private equity firms at all. They destroy everything they touch.

[@freyasslain2203]

Problem with Corporate Chain Restaurants, is too expensive and low quality food . The problem is Corporate Greed .

[@neoturfmasterMVS]

Greed? You wait and see, its not greed, many are going broke. Many have closed, many more will. If they lower prices they go broke. If they keep prices high they go broke. The heart of the matter is inflation, the poison so ever present its not always seen, its become life.

[@MikeBNumba6]

So tbh problem with pretty much every industry in a capitalist society

[@freyasslain2203]

@@MikeBNumba6 very true , but with the chain restaurants it can be downright dangerous to one's health .

[@Redditor6079]

What a cute buzzword, "corporate greed". I don't suppose you work for free do you?

[@freyasslain2203]

@@Redditor6079 Actually I did .

[@mightybk]

The other problem with sit-down chain restaurants is that too many of them offer the same menu -- burgers, chicken sandwiches, maybe one or two types of steak, salmon, etc. with the same appetizers like mozzarella sticks. The same menu for the same overpriced food warmed up in a microwave.

[@silvy3047]

I'm sure your cooking isn't any better

[@mightybk]

@@silvy3047 you would be wrong. I can make burgers, fries, chili, pasta, salmon, steak, steak sandwiches and many other things that are much better than what is offered by chain restaurants, which far too often just microwave premade food. My dad knew how to cook, and he taught me. Cooking at home is cheaper and usually better. I can buy a 10 lb bag of potatoes at Aldi for $4, and make handcut fries in our deep fryer that are just as good or better than fries made at chains. And I say that as someone who isn't the BEST cook but who is pretty good. If I'm going to pay for restaurant food, I want food that is better than what I can make. And there are plenty of places that are better than me, but none of them are chain restaurants. So you can be "sure" all you want, but you're wrong.

[@Search4theYeti79]

MAYBE ITS THE SHRINKING OF THE MIDDLE CLASS😢

[@shylurker5883]

i'm middle class, but unfortunately i'm not shrinking

[@RabbitsInBlack]

If middle class is Shrinking then why is my town growing? Housing is the only issue. They can't keep up with demand.

[@user-pn3im5sm7k]

✡️ Oy vey....shhh.. 🤫

[@Florida_Joe75]

AKA Bidenomics!!

[@BluMacron]

​@RabbitsInBlack is your town is a more affordable state/region? Are the people moving to your town out of staters who left a more expensive area? If so, that's just more proof the middle class is as thin as a razorblade.

[@starrtraveler3496]

Chain Restaurants are prepackaged processed foods that are then assembled in the restaurant . I rather go to a family owned place and have a real dinner that the person in the kitchen takes pride in what he is serving …

[@TheOfficialTarynTots]

Once Private Equity firms gets ahold of your favorite restaurants, you know they only have a couple years left. I'm going to go to Red Lobster as often as I can while we still have one. Big Boy is only 1 miles away but they are doing just fine believe it or not. Mostly from out of town people who want to take selfies with Big Boy. I still like A&W but Culvers (which is only a half mile away) makes pretty hood root beer floats too. It's bard to decide where to eat because there is still so many places to go.

[@vaughnreedjr6592]

Red lobster never being that good.

[@trumpet12345]

😂 just wait for the flava flave menu 😂

[@adamb89]

Pretty sure it's gonna come down to this basic sequence of events. 1: You want to undercut your competitors, so you find ways to sell food for less. 2: Eventually you reach a point where profit margins are so thin you're hemmorhaging employees and locations, so you have to raise prices. 3: Eventually people realize that their "dollar cheeseburgers" now cost $3.50 and it's actually not that much work to cook from home. 4: People cook at home, restaurants have no customers.

[@angelinacamacho8575]

you are forgetting though that restaurants will always appeal to the working parents with 3 kids who barely have time to spend at home because of having a hectic schedule demographic. this demographic usually doesnt care about how much they are spending because its chalked up to a ¨convince fee¨ because dinner is now one less thing that they have to worry about.

[@MarioMadness1]

all the burger king's, wendy's, pizza hutt's and such left here...and now McDonalds like 17$ a meal

[@Brad-ic4bp]

With a 20 minute drive-thru wait in the evening

[@Watch-0w1]

Just have a high demand?

[@williamhamilton1154]

Yeah. And still so bad.

[@hellhound1389]

In my town the cheapest fast food restaurant is Wendy's with the most expensive meals only $9. McDonald's wants $12 for their most expensive meals. My favorite bar only charges $7 for a burger meal

[@macmac436]

Its too expensive and the service sucks.

[@getoffmydarnlawn]

The service has gotten egregiously bad, sometimes I wonder if it's just in urban areas like where I live or if they're bad in smaller towns, too. Here the employees usually act like they're doing you a favor by serving you --- you know, doing their job.

[@themagnumtodd]

@@getoffmydarnlawnit’s just as bad in small town Florida, I don’t think it’ll ever be the same again

[@Ella-g2m]

@@getoffmydarnlawn And then they thrust their paw out for a tip and scoff at you if it isn't enough. I don't eat out, I can't stand the entitled attitude. And these waitresses can make REALLY good hourly money doing it. I grew up hearing my cousins bragging about making hundreds of dollars a night in waitressing. That's exactly why I refuse to tip. They're scam artists. Going to a restaurant is like visiting a pickpocket.

[@Xamry]

I hear you on the service being bad part I hate it when I go somewhere and the first thing I’m told is “pick up or for here?” Like bitch, can you say hi first!? And you also want a tip!?

[@Woozlewuzzleable]

Because they're expensive and don't taste good, support your local mom and pop restaurant.

[@caelinbaird6493]

That's why I like Poor Phil's in Oak Park, IL.

[@Max88188]

A franchise model is mom and pops style chains. Go watch the mcdonalds video and discover how many small franchise owners came up with big ideas

[@Woozlewuzzleable]

@@Max88188 And then they became terrible because there is no quality control.

[@TehPwnographer]

They are also expensive and don’t taste good lol

[@Woozlewuzzleable]

@@Max88188 In-N-Out has stayed good because it's still owned by the family and there's no shareholders that they have to answer too. That's why they can keep their prices low and still pay their employees good, Panda is the same way.

[@jimcurt99]

I worked at Marie Callanders for years back in the 80's- they where all over the west coast- the food was EXCELLENT, prices where decent and it was (for the most part) a great place to work. It's pretty much gone now, a few locations in California I think. Still crave that potato cheese soup now and then- it was SOOO GOOD

[@guyk768]

I'm really sad the chain restaurants are going away. I hardly ever go to a fast food place, because it really isn't cheap and isn't that great. Better off to go to an actual restaurant for that price. Most local owned places are better. 1:41 I'd like to point out The Harvey Houses we're known for high quality food, big portions, and good prices. Fred Harvey always wanted the ham to be cut thick for the customers. The Harvey Houses were also known to throw out the coffee after an hour, so it would be fresh. Fun fact: Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, the birthplace of the hamburger sandwich, which opened in 1895. When McDonald's moved in they tried to buy them out and immediately said no

[@acow9966]

The Roman's ate hamburgers, Connecticut is't the birthplace

[@Epic_C]

Everything has been ruined since the late 90s to early 2000s.

[@JackGeezy]

I noticed the change early 2008

[@missp6983]

2010s

[@Betterthanyoustudios]

Ya I miss when you could get away with molestation.

[@BluMacron]

​@@missp6983 way before that

[@emonerd9795]

Chipotle became fast-casual Taco Bell in 2018 and it's sucked ever since

[@pensivepenguin3000]

That’s a stretch. Still much better than Taco Bell. The only thing I don’t love about them is their frequent food poisoning outbreaks lol. That’s kind of a dealbreaker for me

[@spazman2644]

As a former Qdoba employee, I really don't taste much of a difference between Chipotle and Qdoba (assuming you can even find a Qdoba anymore)

[@Learning_or_dead]

Im honestly amazed fast food places are still thriving. Whenever i go to one (which is rare) i see my bill and realize i could have gone to a diner, where i could get a real beef burger and fries, for maybe just a few bucks more, including tip. And it usually would support local if it isnt a chain diner. And if i want something healthier or to take home, i go to grocery store delis. Sandwhiches, sushi, soups, wraps, a range of salads, chicken, etc etc.

[@JackGeezy]

Everything freaking sucks, you haven't noticed? People suck, the dining out experience sucks, employees suck, prices suck, quality of food sucks, nobody cares about anything but themselves. I remember looking forward to the year 2020 at one point lol.

[@jimcurt99]

Positive attitude- I like that :)

[@JackGeezy]

@@jimcurt99 Am I wrong lol

[@lesslycarthan956]

Greed kills

[@omitnl]

@@JackGeezy No your onto something, everything has to go fast and has to make a lot of money at the cost of service and quality. Beside people in general are more rude and harser / egocentric .

[@kinglumpy6145]

You sound fun to be around

[@ChrisGore-ey1yt]

Boston Market (formerly Boston Chicken) - Despite their higher price tags, I'm sorely going to miss them.

[@GhostLyricist]

You know what's expensive right now? Living. It doesn't seem to matter if you buy fast food or in the grocery today when it comes to cost. It's all fked.

[@panatypical]

You got that right!

[@GrumpyMustard]

Chain restaurants are in a weird place right now because I feel that most people would rather choose a new place to eat for the variety, or a familiar fast food place with an app for saving money. Chains are in between in both of those and aren't really the best at anything.

[@coleneil2239]

True. I love trying new restaurants to surprise myself with new dishes. I'm not excited to try burgers or dried out wings sold as bland as ever at chain restaurants.

[@DetChesmond]

Thank you for actually saying the word “pandemic.” It’s getting sad how many people treat it like “Voldemort” and use coded language like “that thing that happened” or “the scary times.”

[@Joe_Dirt82]

That's because youtube doesn't like some channels n if they say anything about it they'll immediately lose their as revenue.... while youtube fills the video with ads and collects the money for thrmself.

[@MarsJenkar]

There was a time when mentioning the COVID-19 pandemic in a video would result in it being demonetized. (That may in fact still be true to some extent.) As a result a lot of creators had to find... creative ways to mention it without actually triggering the algorithm. On a side note, one term I've seen to replace it was "Covoldemort", which was to some extent a way to point out how ridiculous the situation was.

[@DetChesmond]

@@MarsJenkar I’m not just talking about KZbin, though I do understand that’s part of the equation. I actually spend most of my day out in the real world, and plenty of people use coded language to talk about it in face-to-face conversation as well, as if they’re afraid they’ll offend someone by acknowledging Covid was even a thing.

[@heathmcrigsby]

Some channels who aren't on the same side of the propaganda chain are literally not allowed to say pandemic.

[@RavenFilms]

It’s getting like that with waaay too many things. Sui⼮ide, Murঌer, seẍual assaults, etc.. I can’t even type the real words, but these things are all part of reality. Obviously context matters, but just saying the words? What are we becoming?

[@NASCARFAN93100]

I miss Big Boy Restaurants

[@XianHu]

When they were good, I liked many of them, Big Boy, Hot Shoppes, even some that still exist today... sort of, like iHop (They were different when they were still called The International House of Pancakes, or at least into the 1990's)

[@TheFeltmeister]

I have two friches in my town! But I miss shoneys

[@Brad-ic4bp]

That was the only restaurant I’d order spaghetti at - something about the sauce; I couldn’t stop eating it. I’m guessing it had a lot of sugar in it.

[@vaughnreedjr6592]

Love big boy😢

[@kellys.6047]

Frisch’s BigBoy in Ohio. Alive and well.

[@mxss115]

While I may eat fast food (or with prices nowadays, more likely gas station food) on the way to a vacation destination, I cannot imagine eating at a chain restaurant once I’m there. Eating at new places is half the reason I go visit anywhere.

[@kenbrown2808]

think of all the people who fly to exotic foreign locations and eat at McDonalds. though to be fair, McDonalds in foreign countries often have better food.

[@Flynt_McColt]

For future video ideas, I wouldn't mind a deep dive on the history of Hormel (tho since you've already done spam it might not be different enough), or maybe canned foods in general. Or maybe a video on the foods of the wild west (which I swear I remember there being something like that, but I might be misremembering)

[@Lawrence_Talbot]

I was born in the 90s and I feel like so many of the chains that existed when I was kid are gone now except fast food. I miss a lot of places we had back then. The ones that are left have really gone downhill over the years

[@pensivepenguin3000]

I really loved Chili’s in the early 2000s

[@BornAgainVegan-gp4iw]

lol 90s dam your old as fuck you are as old as my mom

[@steakcrust558]

You mean the death of bad food and worse service!

[@mikenixon2401]

Good comment

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Beats locals restaurants at least

[@st.haborym]

And yet my small town has a McDonalds, a Wendys, a Burger King, a Dairy Queen, 3 Subways, 2 Tim Hortons, a Popeyes, and a KFC.

[@nanabutner]

I AM SO SORRY!

[@zachhoward9099]

Canadian?

[@st.haborym]

@@zachhoward9099 Yep

[@themagnumtodd]

Honestly I’m rather fond of Popeyes 😅

[@Xamry]

I never understand Subway locations being close to one another in my area. Subway is NEVER packed like the Chick-fil-A drive-thru is

[@SkyBlue-qn8me]

Never liked fast casual. It's like they were trying to be everything to everybody. I'll either grab my fast food or take time to sit down in a chain restaurant, not have half a seat in fast casual

[@zachcain2639]

“The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated”

[@kenmore01]

I dunno...

[@AltimaNEO]

Well, he didnt die, but he certainly disappeared and got replaced by another guy that made himself look like him.

[@benemery1644]

I've known people who worked at both Olive Garden and Red Lobster and according to both of them it was one single demographic abusing the policies and then screaming "muh racism" when confronted about it that ruined it all for everyone. Bringing in like a dozen people, and at Red Lobster ordering 2 endless shrimps and sharing it all. The same at Olive Garden except they would literally order nothing, gorge on breadsticks then get up and leave, without tipping either of course. We're not allowed to acknowledge or discuss these realities though

[@XianHu]

Somewhat related, I miss the individual restaurants that were inside larger stores like Woolworths and K-Mart. Now the ones that do have a restaurant inside, it's a fast food or fast casual chain restaurant, not some unique little place.

[@lm1169x]

Cracker Barrel has country stores you have to walk through to get to the restaurant. The store is crammed with a million things, mostly targeted to tourists, I guess? It's a chore to avoid knocking something over on the way. And there's nothing FAST about it.

[@XianHu]

@@lm1169x I'm familiar with them, but that's not the same thing. These were department stores that had a little restaurant inside. More like the McDonalds in a Walmart today, but instead of McDonalds, they were unique little places. Sometimes just a snack bar, and sometimes more like a real restaurant with waiters, etc.

[@zachhoward9099]

@@XianHufor almost 20 years in the Midwest the only way you could get Little Caesar’s Pizza was to go into a KMart

[@dimitriberozny3729]

@@zachhoward9099In New England too!!

[@apexone5502]

They got expensive and their quality dropped. When those chains were first started, the founders believed in quality even with their aim to be successful. Those chain sit down restaurants used to have food that was actually cooked by actual cooks. I can remember seeing want ads for cooks for those places and you had to have experience back then. Nowadays you find out those places will have prepackaged prepared food they ship from their own food service centers and you're practically paying for a glorified frozen dinner. Once those chains were bought out by private equity firms, went public, etc; they started cutting corners in order to squeeze out even more profits. As a result, food quality went down, service went down, etc. It's why you can barely find napkin dispensers at restaurants these days, save a few here and there. After years of downgrading, coupled with money being tight for a lot of people these days, it's no shocker the casual chains are struggling.

[@dillonklasse4980]

You should do a video about corporate restaurants and how greed is destroying them. They hit their peak and are incapable of growing any bigger, investors get mad that their stocks stopped growing, the company starts cutting corners and giving less and smaller raises, people start going less and less because the food quality an restaurant atmosphere are lesser, company doubles down on cost cutting measures and the stock goes into free fall because they are no longer the company people loved.

[@iwrk]

People are also more aware of the poor quality these chain restaurants serve, you might as well buy lean cuisine and put some extra toppings on it and save a lot of money

[@mindfulnessbytheocean]

That is.. remarkably true. A couple years ago I was catching a flight and as I walked in the airport I saw a PF Changs. I’d eaten at one about 10 years ago, so I thought “great! A decent option at the airport!” What I got was no better than a microwaved meal. I’m not even exaggerating. And I believe it was $14.95.

[@silvy3047]

You are so delusional

[@EAZYMONEYSNIPER7]

I feel like there's a difference between fast food chains & restaurant chains. Fast food chains like McDonald's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, taco bell, burger king Etc. restaurant chains like olive garden, red lobster, Chiles, Texas Roadhouse, cracker barrel Etc.

[@10ftSamsquanchy]

Most chains (fast food or "chain restaurants" use similar prepackaged ingredients. There's no difference except marketing and presentation.

[@ChrisGore-ey1yt]

The narrator covered this if you had watched the video through

[@matmclelland4701]

Nope, theyre the exact same.

[@kicapanmanis1060]

Yes they know that. The video empaheizes it and describe the different ones.

[@malloryfaulkner3557]

My great great grandma was the last Harvey house girl. Passed away at 105 years old & I was lucky enough to know her a little bit

[@zachhoward9099]

The Ponderosa by my parents house was only done in by COVID restrictions. A year later on vacation in Michigan which had more COVID restrictions than my state (Indiana) my family and I went to the nicest Ponderosa we’d ever seen where staff served you almost cafeteria style from behind a more modern and covered version of the classic buffet sneeze guard. Food was excellent including some local fares in the buffet and the place was packed but never had to wait. IMO the reason Ponderosa crashed is because their franchisees didn’t want to put in the effort to maintain customers

[@vhsmemories504]

I think another reason these are not as popular is because they are no longer "family" oriented. Remember when mcdonalds had a playplace? Remember going to Pizza Hut with the whole family to use your bookit coupon? Remember Chuckie Cheese and the games they had? Im not saying a restraunt has to have things for kids to do. But just look at restraunts now. They all look like hospitals. Dull bland colors, uninspired architecture, not to mention they're taking every possible action to make it so you have to order through an app or screen. It all just feels so detached

[@Xyerian]

I, too, feel that sense of detachment. It's evident in the architecture of chain locations as well; they all look and feel identical. Every recent place is the brown and beige cube, distressingly dull with hard angles and cold demeanor. I do not want to be able feel the sterility of a location; should be able to tell at a glance if a business is serving food or if its a medical office for rent. When every option is the same, what is the incentive for the consumer? I suspect this stems from bizarre nationalized zoning laws, a loss of regional identity, and rising costs... but really I have no clue. Mostly I'm just tired of seeing the cubes and 5-over-1s on every corner, like a modern equivalent of the Soviet brutalist concrete monoliths.

[@RyviusRan]

In order to squeeze every last cent for profit, these corporations have decided to downsize their lots. This means buildings are made smaller. They keep the buildings looking very bland so the resale is easier. It's a lot harder to sell an old style fast food building because buyers would have to spend a lot on remodeling the building for their use. The smaller buildings means there is less dine in space, they would rather have you buy your food and take it with you, another cost saving feature.

[@MrKevmomoney]

Private Equity bought many of these chains.. then proceeded to sell the property out from under it leasing it back to the chain. Loaded up the company with cheap debt at low interest so they can cash out all potential future earnings. Many of the ingredients which made these restaurants great were subbed out to cheaper more processed food sources. Pretty much a repeat on how many manufacturing companies were gutted in the 80’s.

[@pensivepenguin3000]

I’ve found that you always want whatever you didn’t grow up with. For example, I grew up in a West Coast city and my wife grew up in an Arizona suburb. Chain restaurants like Chili’s and Applebee’s were a novelty to me when I was growing up, so by the time I was an adult and could eat wherever I wanted, I loved those places. By contrast, my wife was sick of that stuff because that’s all she grew up with, and she wanted to eat the unique local food that I wasn’t interested in at the time. I’ve since come around and learned to fully appreciate what makes my city unique, but to this day she still will rarely entertain the idea of going to a chain restaurant lol

[@skippychurch2965]

Keep using this narrator.... please!

[@collector_1978]

The other narrator from KROQ Radio is annoying, 😂😂😂 Please don’t use her!

[@kjw79]

In Canada in 1997, chicken fingers and fries were 6.99 at Applebees. It was a real experience and everyone was there hanging out together. Now that meal is around $20! I swapped fries to loaded garlic mashed potatoes instead, and that was an additional $5! They took down all the movie posters and theme wall that made it interesting. Going ‘out’ for a meal is very quiet now. You’re lucky to have someone else in the restaurant, but often just us alone.

[@6thwilbury2331]

For me, personally, I've all but stopped going to the sit-down chains (e.g. Chili's, Cheesecake Factory) but continue to hit the fast food/fast casual places for one simple reason: probably 80 percent of the time I go to a restaurant, I'm getting it to go. A Chipotle or a Panda Express will do that job much better than, say, a Fuddruckers. On the rarer times when I'm dining in, I generally want to stay there for a while and not have a server coming around every five minutes, either because I'm hanging out with friends or I'm doing some work - i.e. I use places like In-N-Out or Five Guys the way people stay for long stretches at a Starbucks.

[@kleptrep94]

What's wild is that here in England, we're overran with fast food restaurants.

[@Brad-ic4bp]

Probably better quality food though. I lived in Poland for a while, and their McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC and T.G.I.Fridays had much better food than their US counterparts (Burger King sucks worldwide).

[@pensivepenguin3000]

Given the quality of typical English food, that’s probably for the best

[@kleptrep94]

@@pensivepenguin3000 hey, we make nice Cornish Pasties and... ... ... Carveries (?)

[@pensivepenguin3000]

@@kleptrep94 absolutely lol. I was just taking the piss, as y’all might say

[@kleptrep94]

@@pensivepenguin3000 Aye but all our best foods are not English (like Chicken Waffles)

[@Nighthawk5015]

Ha, I was too poor to really miss any of the dead restaurants. Can't say I really enjoy the fast casual or current chain restaurants either. I definitely rather spend my money in a local eatery

[@GlaDos321]

Fast food chains in the US are nothing more than parasites now. Crappy cheap food that cost twice the amount of something you can get at a boudega or a small mom and pop sandwhich shop. However, places like Wendys, KFC, Mcdees are doing great overseas, especially in Asia. Because of that, all these chains CEO's are putting all the money into quality over there too.

[@jer103]

Some of the major Chain Restaurants are closing because of overstaturation, there's just too many of them. The lower preforming ones are the ones closing. Either the entire chain of them, or the slower ones in a certain chain.

[@lycanthropys8634]

I have loved Steak n Shake for decades, but it has really gone downhill in recent years, especially because of the pandemic. I've come to terms that one day my local Steak n Shake will close its doors forever and i feel like that day ill happen sooner rather than later. Oh and shout out to Maid-rite you the unsung mvp.

[@sandybruce9092]

My,local Steak n’ Shake was closed for a few yesrs including the “situation” (wink, wink!) - heard it was a franchisee problem! It’s back,open again but never seems to have many people going there according to what I see in the parking lot! I,always liked their skinny fries, shakes, etc. Haven’t been back since they reopened! Maybe I’ll give it a try o e of these days!

[@Bonserak23]

Working for a chain restaurant and being forced to do door dash on top of everything else is an utter nightmare, we are so busy already we the employees don't benefit nothing off it other than a lot of extra work on top of everything else. The door dash drivers act like we work for them and the customers that do door dash will try to scam their way into free food because one sauce packet was missing out of their absurd order they made complicated on purpose. So basically we get screwed by our restaurant, treated like crap by door dash and screwed by the customers. I literally can barely walk to the bathroom some mornings but a door dash driver that sits around in their car all day watching Tik Tok thinks we are in the same industry, 😂😂😂 I'm sorry where not.

[@ProtoMario]

Rip Jerry's and Clancies, real ones remember.

[@6thwilbury2331]

This was cool. Funny how many of these made me go, "Wow, no idea they were that old" while others had me equally surprised to learn they were so recent. My sense of age for chains is clearly based on how long I've had one near me.

[@ianmackenzie686]

Very honest presentation. Local mom & pop as well as bougie places do not offer better quality. Just a marketing perception. They use the safe ingredients from the big suppliers which includes very unhealthy seed oils, etc. Profit margins are razor thin in the restaurant business so every place is watching costs.

[@LMGuelph]

yea my work supplies for Wendy's and I don't get how we are consistently making the same amount every day, especially when it isn't worth going to fast food anymore.

[@btetschner]

6:22 That reminds me of the song "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac is one of my favorite bands!

[@brj_han]

Fast food chains are counter service. (You order at a counter and get your own food.) Restaurants chains are table service. (They come and take your order at your table and bring the food to you.) Edit: The pandemic brought rise to the ghost kitchens. Inflation in the past few years will put a lot of restaurants out of business. (Not necessarily chains, but individual restaurants/franchises.)

[@jonmorrison4567]

America doesn't need junk food places anyway

[@thewildstone1518]

I was already having a bad day today but these videos always make it better

[@antongirdeux07]

Many of the places we lost are thriving in the Philippines. Big American chain restaurants have moved there and people love it.

[@Cal-cf2vo]

I can't believe Chilis is still around - they seem so sad and outdated

[@ElectricianTS]

Some restaurants were dragged into closures by their locations. When a venue collapses, like for example Dickens' World in the UK, it forces the adjacent restaurants to close down because of lack of customers. Shopping Centres also have their share of blame for restaurant closures, for bad management or lack of ideas to keep the food courts up to date with what people want to eat nowadays.

[@markfigueroa1681]

I wonder what has happened since 2020 that's had such a sharp impact on the US economy 🤔

[@MrJoshcc600]

Bidenomics

[@wandamontgomery6030]

Hmmmmm

[@southsiren]

I went to Hooters in florida as a child. I remembwr the other kids bragging that if you ask a Hooter's girl for a photo, they have to sit in your lap to pose! The kids said that because they heard the trashy adults saying that. Then they don't get tipped.

[@bladezx4880]

Kenny Rogers is still up and running here in the Philippines. Seems like it's thriving.

[@DazedandInsane]

The big chains need to fail so small businesses can have a place again

[@mightybk]

When chains went even further into the mode of just reheating frozen food, they deserved to start failing. Too many of them. I just got back from a family trip, which included nights in 4 different cities. We had great food the entire trip. The only meal at a chain restaurant was the last one on the drive home -- at an Applebee's. I made the mistake of ordering a steak there, and it was not good -- too much fat and gristle. I'll take a mom and pop restaurant over a chain any day of the week.

[@panatypical]

I can say it's all too expensive or that I just can't find a way of making a lot more money. The dilemma is one thing I'm fed up with, instead of being able to get enough to eat.

[@hybridPeople358]

I knew Red Lobster was going down when my Mozzarella sticks was tiny and salty.

[@Noob_Crew_Sledders]

I disagree that applebees will fall. There is an applebees near where I live and you can walk in there at 10pm on a tuesday and the building is full. I didnt understand at first but it hit me that if you want to have a sit down meal anytime past 9pm. Applebees is one of your only options if you dont want to go to a bar.

[@MrNommerz]

I think the last 4 to 5 decades of stiff competition from larger chains and corporations has made single restaurant owners more savvy and the ones that are left standing tend to run very efficiently. The only local spots in my area that might not have the best service are some pizza spots, but I wouldn't be surprised if those weaker locations close over time because the competition is so fierce in my area. In my local area of about 75,000 people there's around 50 pizza spots, it's definitely what we do best.

[@mindfulnessbytheocean]

When I was a kid until my early 20s, I loved chain restaurants. Olive Garden, Chilis, Bennigans, Don Pablo’s. Then I started to realize how important locally owned restaurants were. I thought all these chains were fun because my small town didn’t have any of them. That changed of course. Support local businesses when you can. You’ll get better food, I promise.

[@walkingonagoldenvine]

Great info! I love this guy, familiar voice, and all the videos. I miss the ignorant bliss of going to chain restaurants. Now my wife only wants to order DoorDash and space out to murder documentaries. I hate murder documentaries. But the world’s always changing so maybe they’ll make a comeback or something new and exciting will take its place. I’m along for the ride, but not these murder documentaries and podcasts those aren’t for me

[@btetschner]

2:36 The movie Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle was released on July 30, 2004, the date I graduated from the Master's Program at the University of Missouri.

[@sprthrwwychnnl73]

I feel like the glory days of Yelp have passed, but I still swear by that app to find unique and great restaurants to eat at. I’d like to think that Yelp, and other online services like it, help to put the chain restaurants down

[@LapNgo-h9u]

No matter what, Bennigan's will always be remember by me from these lyrics: Eatin' good, had to shoot my way up outta Bennigan's - Raekwon The Chef (Ice Water)

[@grugg5353]

I’ve spoken about this with some of my friends chains like Olive Garden, TGI Fridays, applebees, o Charley’s, Logan’s, are kind of like relics of the early 2000s. I don’t really know anyone who eats at these places

[@Lighthouseman34]

Hey weird history food you should do a video about Kenny Rogers roaster chicken I love that place many years ago and it would be nice to see it’s history as well to

[@timbert4672]

Basically the same as here in the UK then, motorway systems connecting every city built in the 50's and 60's with many more constructed since, each one with chain fast food restaurants at every services site. I've been wondering if the decline in their use could be down to more people working from home these days, I've worked at many places where I spent lots of time on the road and this is when I ate at these places the most. Look around in them during the day, most of the patrons will be workers.

[@about47t-rexes12]

Chains are a guarantee to have mediocre food that is super expensive. I always go to local places

[@justSTUMBLEDupon]

Because we are in a recession? 🤔

[@btetschner]

Eating ANOTHER Weird History snack! Eating LUNCHABLES TURKEY & CHEDDAR CRACKER STACKERS*†...while watching this Weird History video! * From the Weird History video "How Lunchables Were Made By And For The 90s" † I bought this on sale 3/$5 at the local grocery store.

[@bes03c]

I ate at a Shoney's while visiting Orlando. It was a blast from the past i had no idea they still existed.

[@deserteagle7032]

Chains need to pay franchise fees and then also make a profit. So, they're more focused on making a profit rather than giving a good meal.

[@loriloristuff]

Ugh! Olive Garden and Applebee's went downhill, to at best "C" level food. Add that the prices keep rising for ho-hum food at best. Try local restaurants and skip the average. And eho knows? Maybe you'll be dining at the next big franchise.

[@pensivepenguin3000]

OG is still good. Applebee’s was always bad

[@warp9p659]

I visited an Applebees a few months ago for the first time in years. It was pitiful with a high price tag attached to it. I'm surprised they are able to keep the doors open.

[@darkhighwayman1757]

They were always mid.

[@mchenrynick]

Dine-in, sit-down full service restaurants end up being so expensive because of the expected tips :/

[@LionsTime247]

The pandemic made customers become cutthroat with the restrictions placed on restaurants during that time.

[@marylist1236]

I like regional chains in my home State of Michigan, such as Cottage Inn Pizza, Jet's Pizza, Hungry Howie's, & Olga's Kitchen

[@MarianneKat]

I love jets pizza

[@marylist1236]

@@MarianneKat Where do you live ? I'm in Kalamazoo

[@zlinedavid]

@@marylist1236Jets is now in several states. I’m in Cincinnati and love it.

[@marylist1236]

@@zlinedavid We even have a pizza chain that's hyper-local, called BC's, BC stands for Boyne City Michigan where they were started

[@zachhoward9099]

@@zlinedavidI remember eating Jets to the point where I was sick of it when it came to Indy back in 2012. Damn tasty pizza I just still a decade later can’t bring myself to get it again because I burned myself out on it lol

[@matopezuta2050]

When traveling we always seek out a local mom and pop restaurant. When not traveling we hardly ever eat out due to the cost.

[@clane1700]

I sooo miss Furr’s Cafeterias.

[@Mitjitsu]

Over saturation is the main issue. Just let the market work it's magic and let the stale and expensive ones go out of business.

[@jons.6216]

One chain not mentioned was my old alma mater Lyons Restaurants! They started up in the early 60s and ended for good in 2017.

[@giraffesinc.2193]

Best narrator!

[@btetschner]

4:22 I ate at der Wienerschnitzel a lot when I lived in Tempe, Arizona. That is the only place I have seen that restaurant. Their Polish Sandwich is amazing!

[@andrewpavlat2322]

Darden constantly buying these just to never innovate, offer things like delivery, are going to be the death of them

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

"Chain chain chain... chain of foods."

[@EmilyJelassi]

We hardly ever eat out anymore.. due to dietary restrictions, my family mainly cooks at home. It's also MUCH healthier and, in the long run, a LOT cheaper!!

[@dilloncady35]

The Rise of Korean BBQ next

[@angelasieg5099]

I loved Chi chi's. I know it wasn't authentic, but it was fun. A frosty Margherita with a chili chonga was perfect on a Saturday night. In our area the biggest chain restaurant is Texas Road House. We used to have an Outback but closed in the 2000s.

[@LIKEFRITOS]

Finally the narrator is back

[@PicardoFamily11]

I'm sad to see places like Red Lobster fade into history. But it was obvious that it was just their time. The last two times I ate at a Red Lobster the food was simply sub-par. Dry, unflavorfull, or worse, bad tasting food. And small portions at that.

[@concernedliberal4453]

Are they being abducted by aliens? Aliens: heck no, we don't want 'em!