The Fast Food takeover

[HABANERO7]

My hometown, Cleveland, TN, has seen many changes over the last 20 years. One of the biggest changes has been the boom in the number of franchised eating establishments now available to the hungry public.

I

[Bears]

I don't think Memphis is too affected by fast food. If they want fast food, they go to a fast food resturant. There are some BBQ resturants, bars and pubs, and other sit down resturants that are in their own districts. The only people who would go to McDonalds or another fast food resturant are mostly people with kids. Not a place to take someone out on a date I have noticed though Sonic seems to wanna saturate the Memphis market. There seems to be a church, gas station, Walgreens, and Sonics on every block!

[rocky top buzz]

Yeah, the boom in pharmicies on every corner is much more noticeable to me than the boom in fast food (note: for those of you who think big oil is bad for making record profits, wake-up! There are new pharmicies on every corner, but very rarely does a new gas station open up. We need pharmicutical reform now!).

I don't think fast food is booting out the local cuisine. In Smyrna/La Vergne, we have a lot of new fast food/chain restaurants, but that's because they came with the population boom. There weren't enough entrepeneurs here here opening local restaurants. The local places we do have are pretty good. And you still have a lot of meat and three's in older neighboorhods such as east nashville.

I think the boom in chains and fast food has more to do with the fact American's eat out more now than we used to. The most expensive houses have the largest kitchens, yet those people are more likely to go out and 'kick the bucket' at KFC! I've never quite understood that. The people taking advantage of this dining boom typically buy a franchise instead of starting from scratch. And I have to say, I like chains! You pretty much know what you're getting whether your in Bucksnort Tennessee or Chicago Illinois.

[scaffdog]

I have to agree rtb, Its nice to know what you are ordering wherever you go, variety is great and I make it a point to eat local cuisine whenever I travel but I also like the familiarity when im on the run going to a museum or something and want to get something quick and good.

[crossroad]

I agree with you guys that in a chain restaurant "Its nice to know what you are ordering wherever you go, variety is great". However, it is important to support the local restaurants/business in general. Local restaurants tend to buy from local suppliers and they also tend to re-invest in the local area. Whereas a chain will re-invest its profit $$ on a national scale, possibly anywhere it has or doesn't have operations, instead of your city/town. Chains' supply chains are also nation-wide, so your dollar really ends up supporting out of state business most of the time, or even the fishery in Thailand. Not saying that we shouldn't support the chains/out of state companies -- don't get me wrong -- the local mama-papa-restaurants are faced with the fierce competition with the chains who have big financial muscles, marketing dollars and national/international presence/recognition, such local restaurants are having a hard time in the fight and they are the people who choose to be in that business for the love/fun/tradition of it. Local restaurant owners tend to put more of their heart (or at least a little more ) in the food they serve and as for chains, it's all about money in your pocket!!

[HABANERO7]

One note on the fast food growth over the last few years. It was mentioned above that many times when a fast-food establishment comes to town it is brought in by an out of town owner. With that in mind after the wages are paid to employees and taxes are paid to the government the remaining bulk of cash is sent out to another city where it benefits others.

I have noticed that here in Cleveland there is a large number of our local fast-food establishments owned by local folks. Of all the fast-food establishments I have listed as being in town the ones I know of as being locally owned include. KFC (2), Captain D's (3), Hardee's (5), Quizno

[tennreb]

I just spent a month in Jackson and I couldn't believe the obession with chains there. I asked several locals where the good places to eat were, and people told me places like Chilis and Olive Garden. People in Jackson's idea of a nice dinner is to go to Memphis and eat at Red Lobster. All these places are horrible. Olive Garden makes their pasta sauce in a factory. I never did find any good local places to eat. Memphis has its share of chains, but its local offerings are second only to New Orleans when it comes to mid-sized cities.

[Justiceham]

Murfreesboro has it's share of chains as well. For a long time those were all you saw but now so many not so well known restaurants are coming to town. There's cuizines to fit all types from Indian to African to Greek style you'll fnd it here. I don't eat out much anyway, fast food is a no no being the health freak I am, but it's always nice to have options and not have to drive to Nashville for something good. I'm waiting for more green restaurants to come in. Even a Whole Foods, Wild Oats, or Earthfare would fit in fine with me.

[HABANERO7]

Are the sitdown chains mostly company owned?

I know the Cleveland Shoneys is local, but when it comes to the others like Outback, Logans, Texas Roadhouse, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Chilis, Applebees, O'Charleys and others whats the word on ownership.

[crossroad]

Are the sitdown chains mostly company owned?

I know the Cleveland Shoneys is local, but when it comes to the others like Outback, Logans, Texas Roadhouse, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Chilis, Applebees, O'Charleys and others whats the word on ownership.

[HABANERO7]

What are some fast food chains that are in some parts of Tennessee but not in all? For instance the typical McDonalds, Hardee

[Rardy]

What are some fast food chains that are in some parts of Tennessee but not in all? For instance the typical McDonalds, Hardee

[HABANERO7]

its very intersting that there are no hardees's. They are every where in ast Tennessee and Middle Tennessee.

Now what I said about the Jack in the Box is the only one I have seen in Tennessee is in Cookeville and there are none in the 75 area meaning chattanooga to knoxville to the KY line.

Back Yard Burgers are in a few places around East Tennessee but nothing like other chains.

Around this area there is a chain of small double drive through's called Central Park (HQ'd in Chattanooga). The concept of like a Rally's or Checker's.

[James Owen]

Around this area there is a chain of small double drive through's called Central Park (HQ'd in Chattanooga). The concept of like a Rally's or Checker's.

[HABANERO7]

Bojangles has made a move into this area too. Chattanooga has a couple of locations and Cleveland and Athens each recently recieved a unit as well.