Moderator NOTE
I know it’s tough, but let’s try to keep the non-op related comments to a minimum, especially if they’re snarky in content.
It would seem that Johnny L.A. answered his own question here, finding the book that is current. Notice the book was co-authored by professional hit-men, one working for the Pubs and the other for the Dems. They’re for hire media people.
I’m guessing it’s because Applebee’s is the McDonald’s of the upper middle class. Same goes for Chili’s, Bennigan’s, etc.
Are you serious? Many people shop at wal-mart exclusively. In the mind of the average consumer, the local business has become a dive. You’re taking a risk going there. The name brand is what people can trust to find the exact same mundane experience no matter where in America they live. People LIKE placelessness. It’s easier.
Well, I heard that “Girlcott” was the opposite of boycott. That is, somebody would girlcott a corporation that they believe to be responsible, like Ben & Jerry’s before they were bought out. (More specifically, I recall that New Zealand was girlcotted in the 1980s for their ban on nondeclared nuclear-powered ships.)
Very successful marketing, and totally the opposite of reality. Nearly every restaurant owner I’ve worked for (chain restaurant or genuine local place) will remodel the dining room six times before they’ll shell out for a new spatula. I’ve worked in new-construction restaurants that have gorgeous dining room decor, and a kitchen full of broken-down, used equipment that the owner got a “great deal” on.
I’ve worked with two cooks who previously worked for Applebee’s. Both told me that, with a few exceptions, everything on the menu comes pre-portioned, pre-cooked, and pre-packaged, and requires little more than microwaving.
C’mon. There are plenty of “red state” people in the “blue states.” Certainly enough to support all sorts of inferior chain restaurants. In fact, the only time I’ve ever eaten at Crapper Barrel was in CT. (Even “blue state” types can make culinary errors.)
A friend of mine did some electrical work in a pretentious little restaurant Italian in Blaine. He said their freezer was stocked with pre-made bulk food from CostCo. A former employer commented that he liked the food there. It makes sense, since they don’t have to pay someone who actually knows how to cook; and a lot of frozen food is pretty good. But it seems a bit underhanded for such a restaurant to basically tart up a TV Dinner.
I know plenty of restaurant owners shop at CostCo. But they buy bulk ingredients. For some things, the stuff you can get at CostCo is just as good as what you get from the “foodservice distributor”. I seem to remember seeing fresh pasta at the local CostCo; could your electrician friend have simply seen packages of frozen pasta?