# What fast food/restaurant commercials are wasted in your area? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 11, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561 "2017-02-11T17:37:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/21 "2017-02-12T03:42:57Z")
Chuck-E Cheese, closest one is 1 1/2 hours away Sonic, the one we had closed years ago, closest on is 50 minutes away Ponderosa steak house, I have no idea where one might be in the entire state Captain Nemo’s seafood buffet, yea its what? only like 3 hours away? Long John Silvers, closest is like 57 miles away ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/22 "2017-02-12T13:08:45Z")
I also see ads for Joe’s Crabshack which is apparently a chain. I have no idea where one is in relation to me, but given that I live in DC, I bet you there’s a better crab shack somewhere in Maryland that’s closer. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2017, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/23 "2017-02-12T13:11:01Z")
> [@Barking\_Dog](#): > > I’ve seen some ads for Dave and Busters. Food, booze, and arcade games? Sounds like fun. But here in south texas there isn’t a one. Maybe San Antonio or Houston have one, but that’s a heck of a long drive for overpriced beer and few games of Street Fighter. Yes, there is one in SA. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/24 "2017-02-12T17:37:22Z")
Jack in the Box. We had them for ~10 years here in middle Tennessee, but they’ve all gone bust. The skeletons are still there, where they haven’t been bulldozed to make room for something more profitable, and many times weeds and vandals have had their way with the properties. I’m not sure if it was a case of one franchisee owning them all and going tits up during the recession or they just didn’t catch on. The last one that I was at had extremely poor service and even worse food. And for you Sonic haters, there are a few good things there. Try their breakfast buritos, tots, coffee, onion rings, popcorn chicken and limeades. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/25 "2017-02-12T17:52:48Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > Sonic. I get ads for this and so do my parents. The nearest sonic to my parents is 30 miles away, for me where I live it is a 25 minute drive. to me, 30 miles away is still “local.” the last “wasted” ads I can remember was for Chik-fil-A, as they were running national ads long before there were any in my region. > [@missred](#): > > Jack in the Box. > > We had them for ~10 years here in middle Tennessee, but they’ve all gone bust. The skeletons are still there, where they haven’t been bulldozed to make room for something more profitable, and many times weeds and vandals have had their way with the properties. I’m not sure if it was a case of one franchisee owning them all and going tits up during the recession or they just didn’t catch on. The last one that I was at had extremely poor service and even worse food. could be over-franchising or over-saturation; Quizno’s seemed to be doing OK then it was like most of them evaporated overnight. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/26 "2017-02-12T18:03:18Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Sonic commercials are great. Sonic food is awful. I’ll tell you that my husband and I once got hot fudge sundaes from Sonic and after a couple of bites we threw them in the trash. Seriously. I can’t believe people eat there. Be glad there are no Sonics near you. > > Those guys in the ads are great, though. The food _is_ pretty bad. The _drink_ menu is great, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mixolydian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Mixolydian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mixolydian)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/27 "2017-02-12T18:10:16Z")
> [@Mr.Greenjeans](#): > > In Philly, we see ads for Hardees and Carl’s Jr. often, despite that I’ve never seen one anywhere near here. We had a Hardees near my high school (and it was horrible), but it closed 35 years ago. None in South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) either…not sure if that’s worse than having a Sonic in the general vicinity or not. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2017, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/28 "2017-02-12T22:51:42Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > We started getting Sonic ads a few years ago, before I had even heard of Sonic. Since then one popped up out of nowhere. > > Maybe they are expanding rapidly and rolling out commercials ahead of time? See my comment in post 12. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/29 "2017-02-12T23:07:39Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Sonic commercials are great. Sonic food is awful. I’ll tell you that my husband and I once got hot fudge sundaes from Sonic and after a couple of bites we threw them in the trash. Seriously. I can’t believe people eat there. Be glad there are no Sonics near you. > > Those guys in the ads are great, though. I hate the guys in the ads but I rather like Sonic food, especially the drinks, the tots, and the onion rings. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/30 "2017-02-13T00:06:00Z")
> [@Barking\_Dog](#): > > I’ve seen some ads for Dave and Busters. Food, booze, and arcade games? Sounds like fun. But here in south texas there isn’t a one. Maybe San Antonio or Houston have one, but that’s a heck of a long drive for overpriced beer and few games of Street Fighter. Same here, I see them but the nearest one is 120 miles away and i doubt thier food and ambience is that good. ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2017, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/31 "2017-02-13T02:11:22Z")
The ambiance isn’t that bad but the food isn’t worth it unless they are running one of their buy-a-$15-entree-and-get-$10-free-video-games deals. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOldKJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@GoodOldKJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOldKJ)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2017, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/32 "2017-02-13T04:52:17Z")
Sonic Ci-Ci’s Pizza Golden Corral Old Country Hardee’s and Carls Jr Boston Market Our TV comes out if Scranton almost 2hours away. I will drive nearly a hour to State College for IHOP or Chick-fil-A but that’s pushing it. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/33 "2017-02-18T22:16:17Z")
Used to be Sonic, but after YEARS of seeing the commercials on cable, we finally got several locations here. These days it’s Checkers/Rally’s, where there’s like one location, and it’s been closing then reopening periodically for like 20 years. Not sure if it’s open or shut down currently. And Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. They used to have a ton of locations around back when they still served mainly roast beef sandwiches, but a grand total of one left in the current incarnation. Long John Silver’s abandoned the area for some reason. There was a fairly remote KFC/LJS combo for a while, but it’s since gone too. These days the only Pizza Huts left are too far to get delivery or for carry out. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/34 "2017-02-19T02:40:54Z")
The biggest restaurant chain with no nearby locations is Blimpie sandwiches. But there are always Blimpie coupons in the Sunday paper. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/35 "2017-02-19T22:41:51Z")
Firehouse Subs Dairy Queen, there is one near here but they don’t sell any sandwiches, just ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/36 "2017-02-19T23:02:33Z")
Chalk up another for Red Robin and Dave and Buster’s. I’ve never seen them, and never even heard of them until the ads started running. If there are any of either one anywhere near me, I’m sure unaware of it. But as someone said upthread, a national ad is a national ad. Everybody sees it. > [@jtur88](#): > > I think Sonics are mostly in small towns The only one I know of personally is in Jacksonville, Florida — the largest (by area) city in the country. But I realize that could be an outlier. Come to think of it, Sonic would be on my list, too, if it weren’t for that one, which is two blocks from my in-laws — I don’t think we have any here in CT. I like their burgers, when I’m in the right mood. And my wife and daughter are addicted to the tots. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/37 "2017-02-19T23:21:17Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > Same here, I see them but the nearest one is 120 miles away and i doubt thier food and ambience is that good. There is an upscale Dave and Buster’s north of Dallas that is fairly posh. I have taken my kids there but it is clearly geared more towards adults. It certainly isn’t a Chuck E Cheese. It is more like a Las Vegas casino where you have no hope of winning any money (OK, mostly just like a Las Vegas casino). In any case, the food and bar are decent and the games are fun. It isn’t a bad way to spend an evening every now and then. My nomination is Red Lobster. I live in New England. We already have plenty of lobster and other seafood so they stay far away and wisely so. Oddly enough, the same doesn’t apply to Olive Garden. There are more real Italian restaurants than you can ever eat at in a lifetime yet Olive Garden exists and it is usually busy. I guess it is like the Taco Bell model. Sometimes you don’t want anything authentic, you just want a lot of something completely predictable. ---
**Author:** ![actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/actualliberalnotoneofthose)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/38 "2017-02-20T02:41:04Z")
> [@GoodOldKJ](#): > > Sonic > Ci-Ci’s Pizza > Golden Corral > Old Country > Hardee’s and Carls Jr > Boston Market > Our TV comes out if Scranton almost 2hours away. I will drive nearly a hour to State College for IHOP or Chick-fil-A but that’s pushing it. At least 1/2 of these applied to my area at one point. Then we got some (Sonic, Ci-Ci’s, Old Country) that failed after a year or 2. I just noticed the long abandoned Sonic building is being torn down. Somehow the Boston Market that’s in between a Taco Bell and McDonald’s by an abandoned strip mall stays in business, but I’ve never seen anyone there. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/39 "2017-02-20T03:57:04Z")
> [@missred](#): > > Jack in the Box. > > We had them for ~10 years here in middle Tennessee, but they’ve all gone bust. The skeletons are still there, where they haven’t been bulldozed to make room for something more profitable, and many times weeds and vandals have had their way with the properties. I’m not sure if it was a case of one franchisee owning them all and going tits up during the recession or they just didn’t catch on. The last one that I was at had extremely poor service and even worse food. > > And for you Sonic haters, there are a few good things there. Try their breakfast buritos, tots, coffee, onion rings, popcorn chicken and limeades. It’s been quite a while since I checked because I never liked the food but aren’t the two locations in Murfreesboro still open?? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Richard\_John\_Marcej](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_John_Marcej)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2017, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561/40 "2017-02-20T04:38:39Z")
> [@Mr.Greenjeans](#): > > In Philly, we see ads for Hardees and Carl’s Jr. often, despite that I’ve never seen one anywhere near here. We had a Hardees near my high school (and it was horrible), but it closed 35 years ago. The nearest to Philly area Hardees in Willingboro, NJ and in Bear, DE [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fast-food-restaurant-commercials-are-wasted-in-your-area/779561.md?page=3)