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Started By
Message
re: Olive Garden
Posted on 8/28/23 at 5:33 pm to Mariner
Posted on 8/28/23 at 5:33 pm to Mariner
I always enjoy the extreme polarization that chain restaurants seem to cause 
The purpose of chain restaurants is to present food that will be at least somewhat palatable to the widest swath of the population possible for the lowest price possible. In 2023, that means primarily serving frozen food for not exactly cheap prices. With that said, they are great at serving two purposes: first, if every dollar truly matters to you, then it gives you the least expensive option for dining out. Second, in some smaller towns, it’s the only option, as the economies of scale are the only thing that makes it work.
But for those of us who live in cities with more options, there’s just not much reason to go to places like OG. I just googled a few different menus online for the price on the random staple of chicken parm, and the price of OG compared to a couple of other “local” places in BR were within a couple of dollars of one another. So for me, it’s worth a couple of bucks to have fresher food and support a local business. But I complete get why plenty of people fall on the other side of that equation.
The purpose of chain restaurants is to present food that will be at least somewhat palatable to the widest swath of the population possible for the lowest price possible. In 2023, that means primarily serving frozen food for not exactly cheap prices. With that said, they are great at serving two purposes: first, if every dollar truly matters to you, then it gives you the least expensive option for dining out. Second, in some smaller towns, it’s the only option, as the economies of scale are the only thing that makes it work.
But for those of us who live in cities with more options, there’s just not much reason to go to places like OG. I just googled a few different menus online for the price on the random staple of chicken parm, and the price of OG compared to a couple of other “local” places in BR were within a couple of dollars of one another. So for me, it’s worth a couple of bucks to have fresher food and support a local business. But I complete get why plenty of people fall on the other side of that equation.
4
Posted on 8/29/23 at 7:52 am to Joshjrn
quote:
I always enjoy the extreme polarization that chain restaurants seem to cause
The purpose of chain restaurants is to present food that will be at least somewhat palatable to the widest swath of the population possible for the lowest price possible. In 2023, that means primarily serving frozen food for not exactly cheap prices. With that said, they are great at serving two purposes: first, if every dollar truly matters to you, then it gives you the least expensive option for dining out. Second, in some smaller towns, it’s the only option, as the economies of scale are the only thing that makes it work.
But for those of us who live in cities with more options, there’s just not much reason to go to places like OG. I just googled a few different menus online for the price on the random staple of chicken parm, and the price of OG compared to a couple of other “local” places in BR were within a couple of dollars of one another. So for me, it’s worth a couple of bucks to have fresher food and support a local business. But I complete get why plenty of people fall on the other side of that equation.
True. Once we were traveling and were spending the night in this small town, I recognized it as the city where my niece went to college, so I called her to ask for a recommendation. I told her all I had seen so far was the Applebees, she said that's the best place in town. Ugh.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 10:49 am to Joshjrn
quote:
fresher food
Yet even a ton of "local" restaurants have the same Sysco truck delivering food to them as McDonalds and Olive Garden do.
Posted on 8/29/23 at 2:26 pm to Joshjrn
quote:
But for those of us who live in cities with more options, there’s just not much reason to go to places like OG. I just googled a few different menus online for the price on the random staple of chicken parm, and the price of OG compared to a couple of other “local” places in BR were within a couple of dollars of one another. So for me, it’s worth a couple of bucks to have fresher food and support a local business. But I complete get why plenty of people fall on the other side of that equation.
I just looked at 2 Italian places near me, one was $.50 more for a chicken parm and the other was $4 more. And these places are way “nicer” than Olive Garden
Posted on 8/30/23 at 7:07 pm to Joshjrn
When me and coworkers used to travel for work we spent much time at such places.
When you want something that is:
1: right by the hotel
2: a good understanding of what you're going to get
3: knowing they take AMEX
4: Knowing they have a bar with TV's
5: Knowing the waitress/bartender is a whore with at least a 4% chance she'll come back to your room with you
It's Applebee's, Chili's, TGIF, Olive Garden, et al.
I also remember my home town bars were all roughneck type bars with chain smokers, pool tables, fights, diareah from dirty beer lines, illegible tattoes, zero females, etc. When an applebee's finally opened up, that applebee's bar was packed 7 nights a week, there'd be standing room only, because it was the one bar that wasn't something out of a pee wee herman movie.
Someone earlier mentioned Carabba's. I haven't been to one in probably 20 years, but 20 years ago, I was a bus boy there and the food was legit good. The Sirloin Marsala, and the mussels app, with the bread, chef's kiss.
When you want something that is:
1: right by the hotel
2: a good understanding of what you're going to get
3: knowing they take AMEX
4: Knowing they have a bar with TV's
5: Knowing the waitress/bartender is a whore with at least a 4% chance she'll come back to your room with you
It's Applebee's, Chili's, TGIF, Olive Garden, et al.
I also remember my home town bars were all roughneck type bars with chain smokers, pool tables, fights, diareah from dirty beer lines, illegible tattoes, zero females, etc. When an applebee's finally opened up, that applebee's bar was packed 7 nights a week, there'd be standing room only, because it was the one bar that wasn't something out of a pee wee herman movie.
Someone earlier mentioned Carabba's. I haven't been to one in probably 20 years, but 20 years ago, I was a bus boy there and the food was legit good. The Sirloin Marsala, and the mussels app, with the bread, chef's kiss.
This post was edited on 8/30/23 at 7:09 pm
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