I’m not sure where they even are. The one in Smyrna is overgrown, the one in Madison has been torn down, several in Nashville have closed and the one in Lebanon is in the process of closing.
I was ok with the food when they offered salads, but they took them off the menu and I haven’t been back.
I thought Ponderosa’s had closed years ago, I guess not.
No Sonics near here, for maybe a hours drive.
Food is Ok, my wife does love Tater tots.
Hardees, whatever they are.
Actually, I"d describe Dave & Busters as “Chuck E. Cheese” for grownups, without the animatronics, and with booze, more (and better) food than pizza and not entirely overrun with children. Same basic idea- you go eat, and then you go play video games, whack-a-mole, skeeball, etc… There are quite a few in the Dallas area (they started here).
For this area, I would have said Carl’s Jr. commercials are wasted, as the only ones I know about are co-located with truck-stops on the interstates, but apparently there is a handful of locations elsewhere. Same for Firehouse Subs and Red Robin- I hear the commercials all the time, but don’t actually know where one is, although the map shows a handful of locations out in the far suburbs where I rarely go.
All of our fast food/chain restaurants are a 25-minute drive. 
Many commercials are wasted on us, and worse, some make me wail “When will we get a <insert food place> here??!!!” Most notably
Olive Garden
Outback Steakhouse
Carraba’s
Cheesecake Factory
Sonic
.
.
.
Carl’s Jr. There are two in all of Australia - one in Newcastle (about eight hour’s drive away in a different state) and the other is at Brisbane airport, on the other side of the Security Theatre.
Olive garden is bad.
Outback can be quite good.
Cheesecake Factory: not bad food, over priced. But the company has a policy of deliberately making it’s customers wait so as to create a illusion of high demand.
All commercials, excepting McDonald’s, Arby’s, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Culver’s and Subway are wasted here. There are no other chains, fast or otherwise, within 50 miles in any direction. And a few local communities have made it clear that they don’t want even these. Of the 15 municipalities in this county, only one has all those restaurants; the rest have none, and they like it that way. They’d much rather have people pay much higher prices for slow food and the government makes sure they do.
Yet another Sonic, also Arby’s - neither of them are within twenty miles of me. I’d be perfectly happy trying Sonic ( I never have ), but hell if I’m going to drive 20+ miles for what is probably your standard mediocre fast food.
Years ago, I saw an episode of Mad Money where Jim Cramer recommended Sonic as a good investment, because they had so much expansion potential in the northern states. I thought that was nuts—did he think people in cold states are going to eat in their cars in the winter? Apparently Cramer was right, because Sonic is doing exactly that.
I’m in the States, and have never heard this term, but, yeah, “Theatre” pretty much sums it up, don’t it? 
I don’t doubt some of it is legitimately useful, but when people have to take their shoes and belts off it’s gotten beyond silly IMO.
Where I live, it’s the previously mentioned Dave & Buster’s and Chick-fil-A. The closest locations are in the Portland, OR area (Dave & Buster’s) and Bellevue (Chick-fil-A).
There’s a Sonic two blocks from my house and I’ve never been thanks to those ads.
I and everyone I know would kill for an Olive Garden. To each his own.
Olive Garden is like the Taco Bell of Mexican food. It’s not real, and if you want Italian you’re going to be mega-disappointed. But damn, when you’re in the mood for Olive Garden, it’s not bad stuff. Pretty much exactly what you can say about Taco Bell, except people sometimes “dress up” to go to Olive Garden for some reason.
cicis pizza we just about have anything else in either palmdale or Lancaster …I wish the new golden corral would move back …the steakhouse version closed 20 years ago
and the mcdonalds of pizza little caesars even made a reappearance
I’d say that the only thing that Olive Garden has going for them is the unlimited soup & salad deal. That’s a pretty good meal, and not so terrible for you.
But the rest of their food? Relentlessly mediocre. Not bad, just not anything special in the least bit.
Here in Hawaii, we’ve always seen commercials for:
Sonic
Long John Silvers
Panera Bread
Boston Market
Cici’s Pizza
Chick-Fil-A
Dunkin Donuts
Krispy Kreme
Culver’s
Olive Garden
Joes Crab Shack
Red Robin
Golden Corral
Cracker Barrel
We’ve had rumors of most of the above, but still not here. Sonic and Dunkin Donuts had articles just last year. A new mall was supposed to feature Olive Garden and Panera, but the mall has opened and nada.
There’s a Krispy Kreme on Maui.
I do understand there are some logistical issues in the middle of the Pacific. And buffets like Cici’s and Golden Corral would not work with Hawaiians, who are said to eat until they’re tired, not until they’re full 
And breadsticks! Don’t forget the breadsticks!