Businesses with a cult of personality-like following

[Max Rockatansky]

Several come to mind based off how people react when any negative feedback is given to the following brands:

-  Buc-ee's
-  Chick-fil-A
-  In-n-Out Burger
-  Tesla
-  Whataburger
-  Starbucks
-  Tim Hortons

What other businesses have a cult of personality-like devotion amongst their respective fan bases?

[hotdogPi]

Tesla
Both Mac and Linux

[SkyPesos]

- Apple
- Boeing
- Costco
- And probably some clothing brands, not sure which exactly

[abefroman329]

Apple
Amazon
The North Face/Columbia
Costco (possibly)

As they say over at FlyerTalk, IBTL

[andrepoiy]

Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here

[Max Rockatansky]

Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here

Don't disagree...  Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.

[NWI_Irish96]

The Chicago Cubs

[Big John]

The Chicago Cubs

Dallas Cowboys
Notre Dame Irish

[kphoger]

ALDI.  But 80% of its cult followers are 30% ashamed of it.

[LilianaUwU]

I think there's no business like Nintendo when it comes to cult-like following.

[vdeane]

Wegmans

[Big John]

Culvers

[Scott5114]

Disney. It sort of makes sense when you're a kid, you're in the target market, and you don't know any better. But there are some people that stay fanatically devoted to it in their adulthood. And even as a kid I never liked it enough to want to go to Disney Land/World/Galaxy/Experience/Military Industrial Complex. Some people love Disney enough they're willing to live in a Disney-run city. I can't imagine liking a for-profit company that much that I'd want them in control of my life 24/7.

My best friend considers my love of Braum's to be cult-like behavior.

-  Buc-ee's
-  Chick-fil-A
-  In-n-Out Burger
-  Tesla
-  Whataburger
-  Starbucks
-  Tim Hortons

Notice how many of these are big in Texas?

About the only one of these that comes close to the hype is In-N-Out, and I think even that would wear off fast if I had one close to me. The product at Whataburger is great but the service sucks so I rarely bother to buy it.

Both Mac and Linux

I don't get the hype for Mac, or Apple products in general. They're expensive, their software is hobbled, and fixing them when they break is complicated and/or expensive.

Obviously, from my posting history, though, I'm an ardent Linux partisan. But...most of the people I've convinced to give it a shot (and stick with it through the initial disorientation) like it, and wish they'd switched over sooner. Its "I'm a computer, not a cop" attitude is just more conducive to getting work done than whatever the hell Windows is trying to do.

I think there's no business like Nintendo when it comes to cult-like following.

A ton of that is nostalgia. My wife grew up helping Link save the princess in the original 1987 Zelda game, and now she can have Link save the princess in Breath of the Wild. The graphics and story are a lot better now, but it's so fundamentally familiar to people who grew up with it that it's easy to fall into that trap.

But hey, I didn't grow up with it (we just had PC games, with my dad having a particular fondness for Id Software), and I like Zelda games too. And the Splatoon series. Mario has never clicked with me, though.

[webny99]

I guess I'm confused regarding the thread title as to why/how personality is involved. Wouldn't a very loyal following just be called a cult-like following?

Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here

Don't disagree...  Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.

Michigan 🤝 Upstate NY
   Raving about Tim Hortons

It probably gets hated on in Canada because it's almost like McDonald's there. But here, it's still kind of a novelty, and it's kind of cool that we have something that the rest of the US doesn't because of our proximity to Canada. Also, Tim Hortons' donuts and bakery products really are way better than Dunkin' (coffee, not so much...)

[Max Rockatansky]

I guess I'm confused regarding the thread title as to why/how personality is involved. Wouldn't a very loyal following just be called a cult-like following?

Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here

Don't disagree...  Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.

Michigan 🤝 Upstate NY
   Raving about Tim Hortons

It probably gets hated on in Canada because it's almost like McDonald's there. But here, it's still kind of a novelty, and it's kind of cool that we have something that the rest of the US doesn't because of our proximity to Canada. Also, Tim Hortons' donuts and bakery products really are way better than Dunkin' (coffee, not so much...)

What used to get me was how obsessed some people were in Quebec with Target.  Once Target Canada became a thing and didn't live up to the hype it seemed to knock the brand down several pegs.

[jp the roadgeek]

The Chicago Cubs

Dallas Cowboys
Notre Dame Irish

New York Yankees

[Scott5114]

The Chicago Cubs

Dallas Cowboys
Notre Dame Irish

New York Yankees

Technically this would apply to every for-profit sports team, wouldn't it?

[7/8]

Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here

Don't disagree...  Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.

Michigan 🤝 Upstate NY
   Raving about Tim Hortons

It probably gets hated on in Canada because it's almost like McDonald's there. But here, it's still kind of a novelty, and it's kind of cool that we have something that the rest of the US doesn't because of our proximity to Canada. Also, Tim Hortons' donuts and bakery products really are way better than Dunkin' (coffee, not so much...)

Now I'm wondering if Timmies' quality is better in the US or if Dunkin' really sucks. (I've only been to Dunkin' once and it's been too long for me to remember). Timmies used to be great before they cheapened their product for increased profits, but now their donuts are just sad.

[webny99]

Tim Hortons??? Seriously??? We all love to trash it here

Don't disagree...  Tell that to my family and friends in Michigan, they all raved about it for years.

Michigan 🤝 Upstate NY
   Raving about Tim Hortons

It probably gets hated on in Canada because it's almost like McDonald's there. But here, it's still kind of a novelty, and it's kind of cool that we have something that the rest of the US doesn't because of our proximity to Canada. Also, Tim Hortons' donuts and bakery products really are way better than Dunkin' (coffee, not so much...)

Now I'm wondering if Timmies' quality is better in the US or if Dunkin' really sucks. (I've only been to Dunkin' once and it's been too long for me to remember). Timmies used to be great before they cheapened their product for increased profits, but now their donuts are just sad.

We actually used to think Tim Horton's in Canada was better than it was here! But more recently, they've been very comparable.
Dunkin's actual donuts are pretty bad, so that's not a high bar to clear. Tim Horton's glaze tastes better, and Timbits are less dry and more flavorful than Munchkins.

Unsurprisingly (although ironically, back before they dropped "Donuts" from their branding), Dunkin is much better known for their drinks than their donuts. Their iced coffee, iced tea, and refreshers are 👌 IMO. I haven't had drinks from Tim Hortons much as I don't care for hot coffee, but my experience with their iced drinks has been that they taste OK, but are not very cold, almost like they used hot coffee/tea and added ice.

[Takumi]

Publix
Wegmans
Tesla
New Holland Brewing Co. (makers of Dragon's Milk)
Pretty much any craft brewery that does small-batch weekly can releases (local examples to me include The Veil and The Answer, and elsewhere breweries like Trillium)
Sheetz to some extent
Road America

[abefroman329]

Both Tim's and Dunkin moved to reheating frozen baked goods in their stores, and Dunkin' has been worthless ever since they got rid of the Dunkin' Donut (a plain cake donut with a handle, made for, you know, dunkin').

Also, their coffee sucks, fight me.

I don't understand adults who go to Disney Parks without children.

Rooting for the Yankees is like going to a casino and rooting for the dealer.

[Ned Weasel]

Both Tim's and Dunkin moved to reheating frozen baked goods in their stores, and Dunkin' has been worthless ever since they got rid of the Dunkin' Donut (a plain cake donut with a handle, made for, you know, dunkin').

Everything Dunkin' makes is better than what you can get at Krispy Kreme, except for the regular glazed donut.  Truth be told, I was rather disappointed when Dunkin' got rid of the apple crumble donut, or whatever it was called.

Also, their coffee sucks, fight me.

Gladly!  Right after I have a cup Dunkin' coffee to give me my fightin' energy.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Kwik Trip
Taco Bell

[Dirt Roads]

Here's some based out of North Carolina:

Krispy Kreme
Biscuitville
Smithfield's Chicken 'n' Barbecue
Bojangles
Highway 55 (formerly Andy's Burgers and Shakes)
Cook Out

How about one that's not a food joint?  Autobell Car Wash

And one that's more of a product line than a business: Cheerwine

[kphoger]

My best friend considers my love of Braum's to be cult-like behavior.

The product at Whataburger is great but the service sucks so I rarely bother to buy it.

I'm not crazy about either one.  I think they both have decent burgers (not phenomenal, just decent), but I don't really care for crinkle-cut fries.