# What's the point of regional chains? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2011, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921 "2011-09-02T03:49:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/101 "2011-09-11T21:47:07Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I was surprised when a friend of mine told that me that 7-11 was popular in Japan and she was happy to have one near her apartment. I checked and 7-11 is actually Japanese owned. Apparently the Japanese like small local markets more than big supermarkets. Yep, the parent is called 7 & i Holdings (don’t ask where they got that). It is a prominent, but by no means the only, chain of convenience stores (“konbini”) in Japan – there’s FamilyMart and God knows how many others. They are on every block in Tokyo and also in building concourses and the like. (There’s really no room for big supermarkets in densely built Japanese city centers anyhow). They are of very high quality for a convenience store, spotlessly clean, and a good bit more elaborate than most convenience stores you’d see in the States. They have a fair array of prepared foods, hot and cold, and I always got a kick out of the opportunity to buy, say, a cooked saury fish or Japanese curry over rice at 7-11. Friends in Tokyo have told me that ex-pats have figured out a way to game the already-pretty-affordable price points: for items like sushi (yes, and it’d be fine), 7-11 is apparently fairly fanatical about rotating for freshness so they start cutting the price on the sushi within a really short period (I dunno, like four hours) after putting it out. It’s still perfectly fine, but you can get it at a substantial discount. What else? Oh, you can buy a full range of not only beer, wine, and sake, but a good half aisle’s worth of hard liquor may well be on display. Oh, and it being Japan, of course there’s a huge rack of manga and porno (I think usually shrinkwrapped or the otaku would never leave). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/102 "2011-09-12T04:13:08Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > I was surprised when a friend of mine told that me that 7-11 was popular in Japan and she was happy to have one near her apartment. I checked and 7-11 is actually Japanese owned. Apparently the Japanese like small local markets more than big supermarkets. I just learned two or three years ago that 7-11 is now a Japanese company. Back when I was in Texas, it was a Texas company. The chain was owned by Southland Corporation in Dallas. Guess they sold it at some point, but that was a surprise to learn that. There are thousands and thousands of 7-11s in Thailand. I remember seeing the first one open, in Bangkok in 1989. (Lots of Family Marts and a few other chains too, but 7-11 predominates.) ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/103 "2011-09-12T04:36:06Z")
> [@PhiloVance](#): > > One prime example of a company going national too quickly was Krispy Kreme. They expanded wildly a few years ago and things did not go well. Stock tanked, many outlets were forced to close, etc. I think they’ve recovered now, but I think they were pretty close to bankruptcy for a bit. And perhaps Krispy Kreme is poised to do the same in Japan. About 5 years ago they had one shop opened in central Tokyo. Within 2 years, you can see them in most major train stations and regional shopping centers. Where they used to have 2-3 hours queues for donuts, they are now just trickles. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/104 "2011-09-12T04:50:41Z")
> [@JpnDude](#): > > And perhaps Krispy Kreme is poised to do the same in Japan. About 5 years ago they had one shop opened in central Tokyo. Within 2 years, you can see them in most major train stations and regional shopping centers. Where they used to have 2-3 hours queues for donuts, they are now just trickles. They’re doing that here. Opened a year ago with lines down the block. Not very long lines now but still a steady business all day. A second shop just opened. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/105 "2011-09-12T05:25:48Z")
Here is a partial list of American food places that I’ve seen during my time in Japan: **The Majors:** McDonald’s KFC Denny’s Starbucks Coffee AM/PM (Convenience Store) Circle K (Convenience Store) **More than a few locations:** Subway Sandwiches Seattle’s Best Coffee Tully’s Coffee Coco’s Krispy Kreme **Few Locations:** Outback Steakhouse TGI Fridays Burger King Red Lobster Shakey’s Pizza Hard Rock Cafe Sizzler’s **Gone:** Wendy’s Kenny Rogers Roasters **Only inside US military bases:** Taco Bell Anyone else, feel free to add. ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/106 "2011-09-12T05:31:58Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > Yep, the parent is called 7 & i Holdings (don’t ask where they got that). It is a prominent, but by no means the only, chain of convenience stores (“konbini”) in Japan – there’s FamilyMart and God knows how many others. They are on every block in Tokyo and also in building concourses and the like. (There’s really no room for big supermarkets in densely built Japanese city centers anyhow). “7 & i Holdings” comes from the two major retailers the corporation owns… **7-Eleven** convenience stores and **Ito-Yokado** grocery/clothing stores. According to Wikipedia, it is the 5th largest retailer in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/107 "2011-09-12T05:37:37Z")
> [@JpnDude](#): > > Here is a partial list of American food places that I’ve seen during my time in Japan: > > **The Majors:** > McDonald’s > KFC > Denny’s > Starbucks Coffee > AM/PM (Convenience Store) > Circle K (Convenience Store) > > **More than a few locations:** > Subway Sandwiches > Seattle’s Best Coffee > Tully’s Coffee > Coco’s > Krispy Kreme > > **Few Locations:** > Outback Steakhouse > TGI Fridays > Burger King > Red Lobster > Shakey’s Pizza > Hard Rock Cafe > Sizzler’s > > **Gone:** > Wendy’s > Kenny Rogers Roasters > > **Only inside US military bases:** > Taco Bell > > Anyone else, feel free to add. Okay – Tony Roma’s Ribs sparked a major controversy with my JP colleagues. As those of us in the U.S. know, Tony Roma’s is a crap chain with fatty greasy baby back ribs as its speciality. I can’t be bothered. One of my JP colleagues thinks it is the epitome of American food and wants to eat at the TYO location every time. Major internal debate. Hooters opened in Ark Hills or the like last year. Apart from the false advertising (JP girls can’t quite fit the bill) – it’s just Hooters. Why in a land of awesome tori karaage anyone would need that crap is beyond me. But it’s mobbed apparently, including by some of my JP friends. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/108 "2011-09-12T09:06:38Z")
O.K., I’m going to guess here. Does “JP” mean “Japan”? Does “TYO” mean “Tokyo”? ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/109 "2011-09-12T13:48:15Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > O.K., I’m going to guess here. Does “JP” mean “Japan”? Does “TYO” mean “Tokyo”? Hai and hai. (“Yes.”). ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921/110 "2011-09-12T13:52:49Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > awesome tori karaage Japanese-style fried chicken (quite good, would warm the heart of any American redneck). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-point-of-regional-chains/594921.md?page=5)