Mom & Pop Restaurants Are Making A Comeback

Afternoon all,

Just like Kim Kardashian, mom and pop restaurants are the latest comeback story.

From this Bloomberg News article I learned that consumers are moving from Olive Garden, to your local Italian restaurant.

From the article,

“This really seems to be the dawning of the era of the independent. The independents and small chains are now outperforming. The big chains are now lagging.”

Now I am not a hipster who only eats at local, organic, gluten free, soy, farm to table, grass fed, vegetarian restaurants, but I do actually prefer going to a locally owned restaurant rather than a chain. And rather than go to lets say a Cheesecake Factory, I'd prefer to go to a local restaurant that someone I know in that area recommends. (Unless I want avocado egg rolls)

The irony in all of this is that I prefer going to Starbucks or Petes Coffee, not a local coffee shop that all of the hipsters hang out at. I'm sure the coffee there is great, but I don't really want to listen to 8 people talk about their pursuit of an art career when all they do is run an Instagram page that contains nothing other than food they didn't even cook.

Does anyone prefer to go to a chain vs. a local place? In what situations would you rather go to a chain? What is the best/worst experience at a local restaurant?

For me, I prefer local depending on the type of food. Coffee and Bagels I will go anywhere, but chains are fine and more convenient. Anything else I would prefer a local place, especially Pizza surprisingly. I cant eat fast food chain pizza anymore as I have been blessed with incredible local pizza at home, on travel, and in my college town. My best experience at a local restaurant was when a friend recommended a New York style pizza place. Going to school in the south and having been to New York a handful of times I didn't except a whole lot. Until I was absolutely blown away by it. Best pizza I have had in my life. The owner actually moved down to the south with his wife from the Bronx, where he used to run a pizza place, and just did the same thing here. However my worst, in the same town, was waiting about 40 minutes for "The best burger in town" to ultimately realize that for the price and for the waiting time, I would have been just as happy going to 5 guys.

Would love to hear your responses.

 

I completely agree. I also notice the price points at big chains (mentioned Cheesecake Factory and Starbucks) are higher than better quality local restaurants/coffee shops. Not true all the time, especially at the high end obviously, but can usually find better value away from big chains. There's this great local restaurant called A Food Affair in Los Angeles, #1 ranked on Yelp over a 10 sq mile radius. A bit pricey but authentic French food.

I think what people are looking for, especially if they have some disposable income, is authenticity and new experiences when they go out to eat. Unless you just love Chipotle (as I used to...guilty) and won't try anything else. Both in fast casual and sit-down. I've also noticed the lines for non-chain brunch places on weekends are always out the door.

 

almost always prefer local or regional stuff for food. the only chains I go to regularly are yard house, b.good, and restaurants my clients suggest (e.g. ruth's chris). maybe it's because I like ethnic food, and that stuff is almost always one family with one or two locations and that's it.

rarely go to dunkin or sbux unless I'm in a rush, I prefer to make coffee at home. I think coffee shops are gigantic ripoffs.

 

Ian Connor, that you? (ps:- reference from username)

GoldenCinderblock: "I keep spending all my money on exotic fish so my armor sucks. Is it possible to romance multiple females? I got with the blue chick so far but I am also interested in the electronic chick and the face mask chick."
 

Dunno why MS'ed but true.

GoldenCinderblock: "I keep spending all my money on exotic fish so my armor sucks. Is it possible to romance multiple females? I got with the blue chick so far but I am also interested in the electronic chick and the face mask chick."
 
<span itemprop=name>StaphyBone</span>:

It depends where you are. in LA/SD/SF, the local food is 1000% better than a chain. But I'm guessing in Iowa chilis, yardhouse, Starbucks & panda express is really exciting

This is an insightful comment. It all depends where you are. If you're in NYC for instance, you would have to be clinically retarded to believe that a chain is ever your best option. But in bumblefuck nowhere, probabaly better to steer clear of the "local" joints in favor of chains that are known quantities and reliably adequate

 

This applies for travelling anywhere in the world. When I was in India for a week, I had to rely on McDonald's and KFC for a quick afternoon lunch, because the hotel was far, the port company's food sucked, and the locals were cooking stuff right on the highway. I honestly am one of the most tolerant persons when it comes to streetfood - I've tasted stuff like Baba Ghanoush in Beirut's streets, weird rubbery noodles in Cairo, Chinese food in Beijing and Latin American streetfood. But I can't stand poor hygienic norms.

GoldenCinderblock: "I keep spending all my money on exotic fish so my armor sucks. Is it possible to romance multiple females? I got with the blue chick so far but I am also interested in the electronic chick and the face mask chick."
 
Best Response

It varies. When I'm traveling, I try to go to mom and pop spots for food recommended by locals. In fact, when I'm going to a new city I tend to check out the food network or travel channel website (corny, I know) to see what spots they recommend and then I check out the menus. Most of these spots are Mom and Pop shops that Guy Fieri and his shitty haircut visited; say what you want about him but his taste for food is legit. I'd rather get great Mexican food from a lady who started out selling tacos in her backyard than going to some chain. The food is probably better, made with better ingredients, and I rather suppor the actual owners instead of some big corporation.

However, if I'm headed to a state that has fast food chains that I cant get in my city (i.e Zaxby's whenever I head to the South), then I make sure to stop at these chains while Im in town. When I'm home, I dont really have a rule about where I go, coffee is from Dunkin or Starbucks and everything else depends on what I'm feeling at the time.

 

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