FRC: Interesting take on what this economic funk could possibly do to mom and pop...

M

michael-in-phoenix

Well-known member
...restaurants.

I spoke by phone to one of my favorite restaurant critics/consultants/food writers, Elin Jeffords, and she mentioned how different the climate was for new mom & pop restaurants back in the 80's and 90's. Commercial rents were so much lower back then that a small, neighborhood restaurant could open, and if the food was good (and service, etc.) it could thrive.

Since then, the real estate boom and the accelerated economic growth has proliferated much higher rents, and the advent of many, many national chain restaurants. Small places have a hard time competing, and are forced out by the high rent that only big operations can pay.

She said maybe this correction will allow more small places to open again.

I sure hope so.

Michael

 
For me, the really sad apart about the national chain brainwashing is

that the average person cannot even consider a mom & pop after they've glued themselves to a television every night and undergone the bombardment of the chain advertising.

Case in point: There is a small diner across the street from my office. We're also surrounded by all the usual chains (8 or so). When the lunch parties organize, they all go off to the chains. I hear them say, "I'm so tired of .... (insert chain name here)". They're longing for a change of food, but cannot see, much less conceive of crossing the street (it's even closer than the chains) to the mom & pop place that is serving up daily specials of meatloaf, baked chicken, smothered pork chops, lasagne, pork roast and dressing, plus your two sides, one of which can be a tossed salad or a homemade soup. It is as if it is completely invisible. So they end up driving instead of walking to reach a set of different chains.

Whenever I need to go out for lunch (which is rare since I usually bring mine), I go there. People look at the food and are bewildered..."where did you get that?"

Across the street.

"Oh," they say bewilderedly and never visit the mom & pop place even though they've now displayed an interest in the food.

 
I am of the opinion that most of the general public doesn't even realize that there's precious...

...little "cooking" going on in the "kitchens" of most of these chains!

They warm most of their foods in the micro, or on a grill, as it has already been cooked in some big processing plant somewhere.

Is it really a Kitchen? Or is it a sad comment on the fact that Americans love 'warm & serve' foods covered in gloppy sauces and melted cheese?

Nothing against cheese, you understand...

Michael

 
Example: Applebee's BBQ riblets. Very popular entree and appetizer.

I once got the overstocks from their supplier.

Pre-cooked. Frozen in suction wrap. Complete with grill marks.

They warm them and sauce them.

Michael

 
That explains a lot...

We ate at Applebee's once while on vacation. That was all it took. I believe I ordered the ribs, as well. They were not good eats.

This summer I ate at Olive Garden for the first (and last) time. Blech! I kept thinking, "People LIKE this place?"

In general, we almost never eat out... and when we do, we prefer a local burger place where we all 4 sit down and order the bacon cheeseburger. smileys/smile.gif (I like guacamole on mine too.)

 
MMM Guacamole on a hamburger....Never tried it, but sounds good. This is the second new

idea that I have learned this week re: hamburgers. (First was Michael's post re: leftovers)

Agree with the commentary re: local restaurants. While it was a challenge to compete with the large franchises before, in today's economy, where people are eating out less frequently, it has really caused a strain for the Mom and Pop's.

Unfortunately, it is not only with M&P restaurants, it is hitting all industries. I just learned this am that our local book store, which I love, is now facing financial challenges.

Tough times!

 
My MIL's favorite restaurant is Olive Garden.

She's has a very limited range of food, and likes the predictability of the Olive Garden.

I absolutely hate it. Everytime we eat there, I feel like I've licked a salt trough. I spend three days afterwards drinking copious amounts of water to flush out my system. Everything tastes like it came out of a can (which I'm sure it did).

 
We make guacamole burgers and I serve them on toasted English muffins...yum!

We top them with pico de gallo, guac and top them with some cilantro leaves. I read about using the English muffins somewhere, but have no idea where anymore.

 
My DH likes to watch that Diners Drive-ins and Dives show and I think it may be helping get the word

out on some of these really fine local Mom and Pop places. I'm not a huge fan of Guy, but this show sure makes me want to go visit some of these places.

 
I gotta try the Guacamole burgers. I use English Muffins for most of our

sandwiches. Just had pulled pork for lunch. Right now Im in the process of oven frying 7 pounds of bacon for the freezer (bought on sale. So handy and one big mess for a while. I cook them till almost done, freeze them in layers and then pop them in the micro to crisp them up when needed. Great for bacon, eggs (done in Micro) and cheese on E.M. - my grandkids favourite late night snack. BLTs on E.M's, etc.

 
OMG--I love that show. . .

I want to go to just about every one of them that I see.

I wish that Guy Fieri would make a road trip to Alaska and tell me about all the good places to eat in Canada and Alaska. Then we could visit the relatives and dine well on the way!

Hmmm, maybe I should suggest that to them!

--Wait, I just did suggest it to them!

 
Do you remember the Olive Garden commercial a few years back...

where they made this big deal about Chef going to Italy to learn new recipes, as this actor in a chef's costume mugged for the camera? Of course I knew this didn't happen, nor did the Olive Garden "chefs" get trained in Italy.

But then, if Keebler can still maintain their mass processed cookies are made by elves in hollow trees...

Are there any rules anymore about telling the truth in advertisments?

 
The thing that gets to me about these "fine dining" chains like Applebee's, OG, etc...

is that for the amount of money one drops in these places, you could have had a really nice dining experience in an independent restaurant, with a real chef, serving great innovative and delicious food.

As others have stated, I've been trapped into going into some of these places by the machinations of others. I'm always appalled at what is being served and the prices (and the smell--is it me or do these places really smell as bad as I think they do?).

My usual response is to order a burger and not pretend it's "fine dining."

 
The smell! I went into a chain operation, Joe's Crabshack. . .

about 2 months ago and the place smelled fishy inside! This was not a sea (as in ocean) smell it was a nasty fishy smell.

We ate outside in 95ºF heat. It was much nicer outside. The food was just ok. We will never go there again, if we can avoid it.

 
Dawn, your killing me...I should be thinking about how to use my Turkey leftovers, not dreaming

about guacamole hamburgers with cilantro on english muffins....

MMMMM

Barb

 
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