# Boston Market is circling the drain **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2024, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575 "2024-03-29T19:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2024, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/61 "2024-04-01T21:40:49Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Moe’s seems to be the next former icon to fall-if you peruse reviews for a random franchisee, you’ll typically see a lot of the new reviews bemoaning the decline in quality, the loss of certain menu choices, dirty restaurants and food preparation areas, and apathetic employees. This describes the Moe’s restaurant close to my home pre-COVID. My wife and I used to go there fairly regularly, but too often they were out of common ingredients like onions, the employees were apathetic, service was slow, and it was dirty. I don’t usually do this, but I actually contacted corporate, politely telling them I wouldn’t return to that location and why and they sent me $20 in vouchers. The location in Little Rock was fine, though the employees were often surly even though they did a good job, it was just the one in Bryant that was bad. They must have gotten a new manager though, because I went to the Bryant location in 2022 and they were great. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/62 "2024-04-02T03:03:16Z")
I drove by one of my local Boston Markets tonight, and it’s closed. The blinds were all drawn and the signs are gone. I don’t know how long ago it closed up shop, but nothing new has moved into the space, yet. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/63 "2024-04-02T06:27:52Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > A not-uncommon dinner for us involves my wife having me stop at the supermarket on the way home from work, to pick up a rotisserie chicken, refrigerated containers of Bob Evans mashed potatoes and macaroni & cheese, and a jar of Heinz chicken gravy. If one were to add in some cornbread, it’d basically be what we would get at Boston Market, 25 years ago. Funny that Bob Evans is also a chain circling the drain and I have no idea how they are still around ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/64 "2024-04-02T12:03:16Z")
I just went on the Boston Market website and looked under “locations”. There are at least 72 stores out there still operating, if the site’s ujp to date. [https://www.bostonmarket.com/store-location](https://www.bostonmarket.com/store-location) ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/65 "2024-04-02T14:51:41Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Bob Evans is also a chain circling the drain Aww! I had no idea. Our local one is always busy and it’s a favorite breakfast spot for us, also good for lunch. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/66 "2024-04-02T14:58:52Z")
I ran into a similar thing regarding Po’ Folks (a sit-down comfort food restaurant). The ones nearby where I live had been circling the drain and closing for awhile, due to raising prices (and perhaps getting rid of the cutesy “down home” accoutrements on their menus, because their visual equivalent at Cracker Barrel hasn’t hurt them.) But then I saw a Po’ Folks on a road trip and thought “hey, I haven’t had that type of food in awhile, and they’re always empty, so may as well eat there for a change”. Nope, there was a long line out the door. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/67 "2024-04-02T15:33:17Z")
I ate at one a couple times in the 90s before they all disappeared in the NW after their 98 bankruptcy (found an article that states 56 locations in WA, OR, and ID closed). I seem to remember that it was pretty good, but that is 30 year old memories. ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/68 "2024-04-02T20:45:15Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > But then I saw a Po’ Folks on a road trip and thought “hey, I haven’t had that type of food in awhile, and they’re always empty, so may as well eat there for a change”. Nope, there was a long line out the door. if your cost problem is a “variable cost problem”, a long line of clients does not really help you - as a matter of fact - it only makes things worse … ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/69 "2024-04-05T19:11:12Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Moe’s seems to be the next former icon to fall-if you peruse reviews for a random franchisee I’d never heard of Moe’s, so I googled, and they look like a downscale Chipotle’s. There’s a _ton_ of good, cheap Mexican food here in the L.A. area, so maybe they never expanded here? > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > refrigerated containers of Bob Evans mashed potatoes I just noticed Bob Evans mashed potatoes in our market yesterday. Never noticed them before, and I have no idea who Bob Evans even is. Are they any good? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/70 "2024-04-05T22:08:15Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I just noticed Bob Evans mashed potatoes in our market yesterday. Never noticed them before, and I have no idea who Bob Evans even is. Are they any good? They’re pretty good, IMO. Bob Evans is a restaurant chain, with a breakfast focus, akin to Cracker Barrel or IHOP. They also sell refrigerated pork breakfast sausage products in many grocery stores. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/71 "2024-04-05T22:16:59Z")
Speaking of which, how is IHOP doing? I just know that the location near me closed a few years ago. I think I ate there maybe twice. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575/72 "2024-04-05T22:28:02Z")
It is a bit on the Sunny Side Up for IHOP. (From 2023:) [https://www.nrn.com/finance/ihop-and-applebee-s-customers-are-maintaining-their-average-check-sizes](https://www.nrn.com/finance/ihop-and-applebee-s-customers-are-maintaining-their-average-check-sizes) > IHOP’s 10th consecutive quarter of same-store sales gains were driven by the company’s massive [menu refresh earlier this year](https://www.nrn.com/menu/ihop-s-largest-menu-evolution-ever-comes-after-years-guest-research). Both brands’ weekly sales surpassed pre-pandemic highs, with Applebee’s up over $52,000 and IHOP weekly sales at $37,800. This was one of the highlights for Dine CEO John Peyton, who attributed the increase in weekly sales to a significantly larger off-premises business and higher menu prices – which are about 4% higher year-over-year at Applebee’s and about 8% for IHOP. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boston-market-is-circling-the-drain/999575.md?page=3)