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[Scott5114]

Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.

I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).

Um....you're comparing three types of poo.

I live in Oklahoma, sir.

[Rothman]

Denny's is another one.  They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida.  I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.

Hm.  I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).

[formulanone]

Denny's is another one.  They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida.  I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.

Hm.  I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).

Pretty sure half the posts on this forum are anecdotal.

Is anyone using this information for franchise investment purposes?

[1995hoo]

Pizzeria Uno had some locations in Virginia about 20 years ago. It was there that I discovered my distaste for Chicago-style deep dish pizza.

They still do. There's one about a five- to ten-minute walk from my house (same shopping center as the Safeway mentioned earlier), although they call it "Uno Chicago Grill" now. I have to say that the pizza I've had at the franchised Uno locations was nowhere near the same as the pizza I had at their original location in Chicago—the latter was much better. I presume the franchised locations probably use some sort of shortcuts in the process that might make a difference. We have not been to Uno in a long time; I think the last time I had their pizza was on a trip to visit my late sister-in-law in Viera, Florida. There is, or at least was, an Uno on Wickham Road in Melbourne and another visiting relative went down there to pick up a carry-out order. We never do that at home because if we order pizza, we will almost always order delivery with one exception (that being if we place a pick-up order with a local Italian place and I get pizza while my wife gets something else).

The reference to Uno made me think of another Italian chain, Brio. There used to be a number of them in Northern Virginia, but we're down to one (at Fair Oaks Mall). The state with the most locations (7) is Florida and that's where we first ate at a Brio (and have eaten there the most times) at the Pembroke Pines location because it's our niece's favorite restaurant. The former location at Tysons Corner Center in Virginia was never as good as the one in Pembroke Pines, either.

....and speaking of Tysons Corner makes me think of Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurants. We used to have a good number of them around here, but they've all closed other than one in Annapolis. The one downtown near Verizon Center did an absolutely booming business on game and concert nights given that it was a block away from the arena (technically two blocks, but they're closer to "half-blocks" relative to surrounding blocks). I had suspected that maybe their lease was up for renewal and they couldn't agree to new terms, but when all the other locations closed as well it made me figure something else was going on. We used to meet our hockey season-ticket group at Gordon Biersch at Tysons every year for our ticket draft because the location was ideal. Now we go to World of Beer instead.

[SectorZ]

Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.

I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).

Personally I don't hate it, because of the stuffed crust pizza. I was pointing out that in Massachusetts a national pizza chain is going to struggle. The only one that appears to thrive is Domino's.

[roadman65]

When it comes to pizza, its all mom and pop places that rule.  Chain pizzas are all right, but some of the mom and pops have the best.  In Seaside Park, NJ its none other than Saw Mill on the Boardwalk ( that is the only business to survive the boardwalk fire there a few years back) for best pizza in Ocean County, NJ.  Further south in Wildwood it was Snow White Pizza and in my hometown of Clark it was Pompei's Pizzeria.  On US 22 between Somerville and Newark its the Pizza Town in the center aisle in Springfield, NJ.  In fact being in the median of US 22 makes both directions very accessible to it.

[Rothman]

When it comes to pizza, its all mom and pop places that rule.  Chain pizzas are all right, but some of the mom and pops have the best.  In Seaside Park, NJ its none other than Saw Mill on the Boardwalk ( that is the only business to survive the boardwalk fire there a few years back) for best pizza in Ocean County, NJ.  Further south in Wildwood it was Snow White Pizza and in my hometown of Clark it was Pompei's Pizzeria.  On US 22 between Somerville and Newark its the Pizza Town in the center aisle in Springfield, NJ.  In fact being in the median of US 22 makes both directions very accessible to it.

Of course, there are mom and pop places that do not rule.

I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be.  I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s.  Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.

[Takumi]

I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be.  I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s.  Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.

Mellow Mushroom and it’s not close.

[Rothman]

I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be.  I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s.  Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.

Mellow Mushroom and it’s not close.

Huh.  They're a lot larger chain than I thought.

[kphoger]

If you like food that I don't like, then you have objectively worse taste than I have.  This is not up for debate.

edited for clarity

[Avalanchez71]

Denny's is another one.  They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida.  I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.

Hm.  I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).

Denny's exited Middle Tennessee in the 90s.  They just made a one restaurant return to a gas station on the fringes of a county that happens to be cut off from the majority of the rest of the county and West of Nashville.  Certainly not in the realms of the market it was once in.  Nashville had like 3 or 4 Denny's back in the 90s and now they have none. 

[SectorZ]

I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be.  I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s.  Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.

Mellow Mushroom and it’s not close.

I second that. I hate that the closest is 300 miles from me, with the others over 400.

[Scott5114]

Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.

I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).

Personally I don't hate it, because of the stuffed crust pizza. I was pointing out that in Massachusetts a national pizza chain is going to struggle. The only one that appears to thrive is Domino's.

It fascinates me that there's a market where that's true.

Meanwhile, in Norman, it's the precise opposite—we absolutely cannot keep a local pizza place open here. Sauced on Main (how I found out about the still-extant Sauced on Paseo in OKC), Pryor's (relocated to Goldsby of all places), Notorious P.I.E., Pizza King...and those are just the ones I have managed to try before they went down the tubes. The only local place that sees constant success is Pizza Shuttle, and their business model is basically "here, we melted cheese to this piece of cardboard for you and will sell it to you for dirt cheap because you won't care about the taste when you're drunk". They have awesome sandwiches, though.

I'm not really sure if it being a college town works for or against the chains' favor.

[kphoger]

(relocated to Goldsby of all places)

Poised to be the next trendy area.

[skluth]

Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.

I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).

Personally I don't hate it, because of the stuffed crust pizza. I was pointing out that in Massachusetts a national pizza chain is going to struggle. The only one that appears to thrive is Domino's.

It fascinates me that there's a market where that's true.

Meanwhile, in Norman, it's the precise opposite—we absolutely cannot keep a local pizza place open here. Sauced on Main (how I found out about the still-extant Sauced on Paseo in OKC), Pryor's (relocated to Goldsby of all places), Notorious P.I.E., Pizza King...and those are just the ones I have managed to try before they went down the tubes. The only local place that sees constant success is Pizza Shuttle, and their business model is basically "here, we melted cheese to this piece of cardboard for you and will sell it to you for dirt cheap because you won't care about the taste when you're drunk". They have awesome sandwiches, though.

I'm not really sure if it being a college town works for or against the chains' favor.

No idea on why Norman can't get a decent pizza joint. As someone said above, the best are mom and pop shops but I miss Pi in St Louis, a local chain but owned by locals dissatisfied with the flavorless St Louis chains of Imo's, Elicia's, and Cecil Whittaker's. If you're the entrepreneurial type, maybe consider opening a local pizza place (or see if someone is trying to crowdsource one).

I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be.  I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s.  Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.

Mellow Mushroom and it’s not close.

I second that. I hate that the closest is 300 miles from me, with the others over 400.

A Mellow Mushroom opened in St Louis not long before I moved but never went there. Just looked at the Mellow Mushroom locations. Looks like they're inching closer to Oklahoma with outlets in the DFW and NWA areas. The closest to me is Phoenix.

[dvferyance]

Jewel Osco is defunct in the Milwaukee area but it is alive and well in Chicagoland and the Quad Cities.

[wriddle082]

Denny's is another one.  They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida.  I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.

Hm.  I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).

Denny's exited Middle Tennessee in the 90s.  They just made a one restaurant return to a gas station on the fringes of a county that happens to be cut off from the majority of the rest of the county and West of Nashville.  Certainly not in the realms of the market it was once in.  Nashville had like 3 or 4 Denny's back in the 90s and now they have none. 

That particular Denny’s is a different situation.  When Pilot bought Flying J back in the 00’s, they discontinued all of Flying J’s in-house restaurants and started a Denny’s franchise to use as replacements.  Today, most Flying J’s feature Denny’s.  All over the country.

[Avalanchez71]

Denny's is another one.  They exited Middle Tennessee but I see them popping up elsewhere and still around in other areas like in Florida.  I just noticed that there is now a Denny's in Middle Tennessee over at a gas station in Fairview, TN.

Hm.  I am wondering if we need more than our anecdotal experience to make comments like these, especially for a chain as ubiquitous as Denny's -- although I have noticed locations closing in upstate NY (Albany and Auburn).

Denny's exited Middle Tennessee in the 90s.  They just made a one restaurant return to a gas station on the fringes of a county that happens to be cut off from the majority of the rest of the county and West of Nashville.  Certainly not in the realms of the market it was once in.  Nashville had like 3 or 4 Denny's back in the 90s and now they have none. 

That particular Denny’s is a different situation.  When Pilot bought Flying J back in the 00’s, they discontinued all of Flying J’s in-house restaurants and started a Denny’s franchise to use as replacements.  Today, most Flying J’s feature Denny’s.  All over the country.

Thank you for the explanation.

[jp the roadgeek]

Pizza Hut, for reasons that should shock no one, is more or less defunct in New England after having a large presence. I used to have over a dozen within 20 miles of me, now down to two, and one of them is a take-out only location.

I don't get the hate for Pizza Hut. It's not the world's best pizza but it's no worse than Domino's or Papa John's (and it's better than Marco's or things like Little Caesar's).

Personally I don't hate it, because of the stuffed crust pizza. I was pointing out that in Massachusetts a national pizza chain is going to struggle. The only one that appears to thrive is Domino's.

It fascinates me that there's a market where that's true.

Meanwhile, in Norman, it's the precise opposite—we absolutely cannot keep a local pizza place open here. Sauced on Main (how I found out about the still-extant Sauced on Paseo in OKC), Pryor's (relocated to Goldsby of all places), Notorious P.I.E., Pizza King...and those are just the ones I have managed to try before they went down the tubes. The only local place that sees constant success is Pizza Shuttle, and their business model is basically "here, we melted cheese to this piece of cardboard for you and will sell it to you for dirt cheap because you won't care about the taste when you're drunk". They have awesome sandwiches, though.

I'm not really sure if it being a college town works for or against the chains' favor.

No idea on why Norman can't get a decent pizza joint. As someone said above, the best are mom and pop shops but I miss Pi in St Louis, a local chain but owned by locals dissatisfied with the flavorless St Louis chains of Imo's, Elicia's, and Cecil Whittaker's. If you're the entrepreneurial type, maybe consider opening a local pizza place (or see if someone is trying to crowdsource one).

I've been trying to think of what the best big chain pizza would be.  I remember when Little Caesar's was edible back in the 1980s/1990s.  Too bad they went kaput in terms of quality.

Mellow Mushroom and it’s not close.

I second that. I hate that the closest is 300 miles from me, with the others over 400.

A Mellow Mushroom opened in St Louis not long before I moved but never went there. Just looked at the Mellow Mushroom locations. Looks like they're inching closer to Oklahoma with outlets in the DFW and NWA areas. The closest to me is Phoenix.

There were rumors a few years ago that a Mellow Mushroom location was supposed to be built in my town in CT.  It never came to be, and we got a Popeyes instead.  The nearest one is in Tom’s River, NJ

[jgb191]

Does Boston Market still exist anymore?  I used to find several location in Texas, but not anymore.  Did they go out of business?

[jp the roadgeek]

Does Boston Market still exist anymore?  I used to find several location in Texas, but not anymore.  Did they go out of business?

I know of 3 within 20 minutes of me in CT, plus 4 more within 30-40.   They always look empty, but somehow are surviving.

[roadman65]

Does Quincy’s Steak House still exist?  I know in Florida they closed em all, but I remembered Florence, SC had one off I-95, but that was decades ago. 

[on_wisconsin]

Sonic used to have several stores in WI and MN for about 5-10 years then disappeared.

[ZLoth]

Currently, there are two (as far as I know) Carl's Jr locations in the DFW area (Rockwall and Anna), and about 32 locations in Texas. They tried opening up additional locations in 2010, but most were closed by 2018.

[Rothman]

Well, today I learned there's a Stuckey's in Connecticut.