# TV commercials for businesses which don't exist in your area. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266 "2010-07-19T20:13:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/21 "2010-07-20T01:47:04Z")
But conversely, I have a Red Robin not five minutes from my house and I have never, ever seen a commercial for it. Or them. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/22 "2010-07-20T02:07:43Z")
Sonic also advertises heavily in the Washington DC area, but the closest one is an hour or more out in the sticks. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/23 "2010-07-20T02:33:42Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > Seems like we in San Francisco aren’t the only ones who’ve never seen a Sonic. Though it appears there now are a couple in the Bay Area, but that’s a fairly recent development. There aren’t any north of MA either. We see ads for: Sonic Golden Corrals CiCi’s Pizza Buffet Comcast (doesn’t service our town) Time Warner Cable (doesn’t service our town) If we’re talking about merely inconvenient to get to, there isn’t a Long John Silvers within 30 miles of here, and they advertised for years before that one \*or \*the one 55 miles away existed. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/24 "2010-07-20T12:38:17Z")
I went to a Schlotsky’s in Texas. I can’t say I care if they ever come to Ohio. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/25 "2010-07-20T13:13:38Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > I have two words for you: Drunk. Skeeball. You’re missing a very important third word that fits in so nicely with those two: Overhand. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/26 "2010-07-20T13:20:12Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I see ads for Joe’s Crab Shack all the time on my local cable. The closest one is over 200 miles away in Pittsburgh. This one for me too; because I’m in the same general area. Cicis Sonic Jack in the Box ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/27 "2010-07-20T13:27:09Z")
Sonic, Red Robin, Checkers/Rally’s. I see the ads all the time. Never seen an actual location. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/28 "2010-07-20T17:01:23Z")
Red Lobster. There isn’t a single one in Massachusetts, but they run commercials on all the Boston stations. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/29 "2010-07-20T17:57:58Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Red Lobster. There isn’t a single one in Massachusetts, but they run commercials on all the Boston stations. ☹ You’re not missing anything. Besides, you already live in a part of the country that’s chock full of lobster shacks and pounds that all have better seafood and are often cheaper than Red Lobster. Wanting a Red Lobster to open in Massachusetts is like somebody from Little Italy hoping that Domino’s or Olive Garden would move into the neighborhood. Anyway, in what part of the country are Joe’s Crab Shacks located? I see their ads but, to the best of my knowledge, there are none in the entire Pacific Northwest. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/30 "2010-07-20T18:48:06Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > From Jacksonville, Florida, here. I routinely get ads from a quasi-fast food chain called “Red Robin.” Problem is their nearest location is in the Tampa Bay area (not that I am much tempted by their heart-attacks-on-a-plate, mind). I guess it is a national series of ads which originate at the network level and thus are broadcast nationally. Actually there is a RED Robin in Port Orange on 95 just south of Daytona Beach. I wouldn’t be surprised of some of the Jacksonville stations are available on cable quite close to it. We get Red Robin commercials in Orlando also, but Orlando and Daytona Beach are considered the same TV market. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/31 "2010-07-20T18:53:40Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > Seems like we in San Francisco aren’t the only ones who’ve never seen a Sonic. Though it appears there now are a couple in the Bay Area, but that’s a fairly recent development. Yeah, I was surprised to see one in Hayward recently. Finally all those TV ads make sense. Previously, the closest ones I knew about were in Phoenix. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/32 "2010-07-20T20:29:05Z")
Sonic again, for me. Particularly aggravating in that there USED to be more where I live—at _least_ a couple—when I was a kid, and I really _liked_ it. I’m surprised and delighted to find out, on their website, that the closest one is _only_ 40 miles away at the moment. They’re improving! ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/33 "2010-07-20T20:31:22Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > I hear their McHaggis Nuggets are particularly tasty. You should try their Egg McMutton sandwich. **NDP** : I think Joe’s Crab Shacks started in Texas and are moving their way out from there. I have been to one in Houston, and we have a couple in the Kansas City area. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/34 "2010-07-20T20:34:43Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > You’re not missing anything. Besides, you already live in a part of the country that’s chock full of lobster shacks and pounds that all have better seafood and are often cheaper than Red Lobster. Wanting a Red Lobster to open in Massachusetts is like somebody from Little Italy hoping that Domino’s or Olive Garden would move into the neighborhood. > > Anyway, in what part of the country are Joe’s Crab Shacks located? I see their ads but, to the best of my knowledge, there are none in the entire Pacific Northwest. We have them here in San Antonio. They’re rather pricey. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/35 "2010-07-20T20:35:43Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Buffalo has a low income level so that might be a reason for the lack of chains. > > [List of United States metropolitan areas by per capita income - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highest-income_metropolitan_statistical_areas_in_the_United_States) According to that very cite, Buffalo’s per capita income ranks 117th out of 280 MSAs. There are plenty of towns, many of which are well-stocked with chains, that are worse off. I mean, Rochester and Cleveland have plenty of chains (including the previously-mentioned Sonic, at least in Cleveland) which Buffalo doesn’t have. Honestly, I just don’t think national chains do well here, for whatever reason. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/36 "2010-07-20T20:37:32Z")
I was going to say the same as **Duke** - I’ve lived in Knoxville and San Antonio, both places with lower HHI than Buffalo and both places with plenty of the listed chains. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/37 "2010-07-20T20:51:22Z")
We’ve got Sonics on every corner here (it seems) and see their commercials all the time. When my brothers came down from MA for my wedding a few years back, they both were eager to go to a Sonic and a Shoney’s. I hope they liked it. We have Red Robin but I don’t see commercials for them. I can’t really think of a national chain that I see on TV that’s not available here. Oh wait – what’s that place? Zaxby’s? We don’t have those. ---
**Author:** ![Acantha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@Acantha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acantha)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/38 "2010-07-20T20:55:59Z")
Aggravating. I live on an island, what am I gonna do, swim for it? :dubious: I also hate when they advertise some great new internet service or cable network I can’t possibly get here. _shakes fist_ ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/39 "2010-07-20T21:24:50Z")
I have never seen a Sonic commercial and I live in Chicago. Could those have been cable TV inserts? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266/40 "2010-07-21T03:49:20Z")
They could buy their advertising from a national broker. In that case you could see their ads in markets where there is no presence. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tv-commercials-for-businesses-which-dont-exist-in-your-area/547266.md?page=3)