When you think of American culture, what comes to mind? Kardashians? Velveeta? Gas station sushi? Well, actually somehow those 3 seem to meld together in some sick form of Play-Do anyway. But no, what I am thinking here is the chain restaurant concept...and I am thinking that my generation may be seeing the end of that basic concept...and that might not be a bad thing.
All right, you know how I work....that's right, it is time to, well, go BACK in time and see exactly where the chains got started and developed.
To my knowledge, the first real American chain restaurant was Howard Johnson's. The man in question was first a drugstore operator, then ice cream innovator, then moved into the restaurant biz in Massachusetts in the 1920s. He first had 1, then 2, then expanded to 41 by 1936, and then 107 all along the east coast by 1939. In fact, when the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940, all of the service plazas along the road were operated by Howard Johnson's in terms of food service, as well as on the New Jersey, Ohio, and Connecticut Turnpikes.
How was all of this done? It wasn't the man himself running it, no way. It was all through franchising. For those who need a basic lesson (like me), franchising is where someone takes a look at a successful business and says, "Hey, I want in on that!" and proceeds to give money to the owner for the right to operate a business with that name and use some, most, or all of the business practices associated with that particular, well, business!
In fact, franchising was the key in the expansion of many American restaurant chains, fast food in particular. McD's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Arby's, KFC, and others made themselves known nation-and world-wide. It wasn't limited to fast food, though. Vast amounts of sit-down-and-be-served-for-a-tip-or-else eateries began popping up in the mid-to-late 20th century. Many of them became pretty trendy tote bags on their own, others flopped.
Thinking back to my youth in Pennsylvania, it was a major event in little ol Berks County when we got a major chain in our kingdom. All I knew for the longest time were the McDonald's and Burger King kitty corner from each other in Sinking Spring and the Arby's in the Berkshire Mall. Wendy's didn't come until 1985 in Wyomissing. I'm not sure, but KFC and Taco Bell might have been in Muhlenberg when I was little.
It was big when Big Boy arrived in 1985, but like many Big Boy re-emergences in America, it did not last very long. Red Lobster was a huge hit and was equated with upscale yet casual (pricey but you can wear a t shirt) seafood. Chi-Chi's came along and represented upscale yet casual Mexican dining with fried ice cream.
When I moved to California I got a glimpse of other chain concepts like Applebee's, Chili's, Olive Garden, Outback, Claim Jumper, Islands, Mimi's and a few others.
What is interesting, to me at least, is that while some restaurant franchises are nationwide, others take a while to reach certain states. For instance, it wasn't until about 4 years ago that Chik Fil-A came into Las Vegas. I am not sure why this happened, but it may have had to do with a closed-on-Sunday operation opening in a 24/7 town.
So we have a lot of successful businesses in America vying for Americans' hard-earned dollars. Great, perfect, competition is what a capitalist economic system thrives on...and for a long time, many of these places were thriving. And then they weren't.
What happened?
Well, that's not an easy answer. For one thing, many chains like McD's and Starbucks thrive because heart-endangering greasy food and caffeine remain an American obsession, for better or worse.
In other instances, tastes change. The trouble with being a trendy business is that trends always change and it is almost impossible to keep up constantly. And then there is a portion of the population that wants to eat healthier in this century and no longer want to guess what is being cooked on that grill.
In a city like Las Vegas, who wants to get fajitas at Chili's when there are dozens of authentic Mexican eateries that give you a more authentic version?
And then we had the Pandemic...and for many eateries, it was a game-changer! The first casualty that I remember was Sweet Tomatoes, a soup/salad bar place that was good for healthy eating as long as you avoided the delicious muffins and brownies.The businesses that thrived were the ones that offered curbside pickup and/or connection to a meal delivery service like Grubhub, Doordash, Grubdash, Doorhub, GarageWarp, Food Stalkers, and others.
To tell the truth, I think the big reason many chains have kicked the bucket is simple: food and service quality.
There's a reason Vickie and I don't frequent Applebee's, Chili's, Olive Garden, and Reb Lobster like we used to. The quality of dining in those places has gone down significantly. Why hit dark drab Olive Garden when for a few extra bucks we can do Buca di Beppo that is lit up like Christmas? Why do Red Lobster when a local place called Crab Corner does the seafood better and fresher? IHOP and Denny's don't agree with me anymore, but local single-unit Lou's Diner offers good food and great atmosphere.
That's just us, of course, but I have talked to people (other than myself!) and I hear similar vibes about the old haunts...they're haunted and nobody wants to eat at a haunted house.
All that said, what is the future of the restaurant chain? Who can tell? Some may bounce back, at least for a time. Others will lose out when the losses become too much. New businesses will pop up, of course, but I believe the era of nationwide chain eateries is closing due to people always being on the go. Not only that, but there is also a political stigma attached to places like Chik Fil-A, who apparently support things others don't in this divided watchful eye society we live in.
In closing, I look back in fondness at some of the restaurants I used to frequent, occasionally feeling a tinge of stomach acid burn and a touch of gout in my foot.. It wasn't always that way, though. In my youth I could (and would) eat just about anything. Now I look out for the low carb options that don't involve ground beef. To each his/her/its own, though.
Here's to the 20th Century restaurant chain gang, rest in peace!
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