What is the most common business in your area?

[hotdogPi]

McDonald's seems to be common everywhere. However, where I live (northeastern Massachusetts), Dunkin Donuts is more common than any other business, including McDonald's.

What is the most common business in your area? I have no idea if a non-restaurant could come out on top in any area (grocery store, gas station, etc.)

[adventurernumber1]

In Dalton, Georgia, I think the gas station of BP would have to win. Lately there have been a few new ones popping up - a few years ago I counted them up and it was around 8, 9, or 10 (extending into the greater Whitfield County as well). Now with a few new ones, I have no doubt that totaled up there is at least 10 BP gas stations in my area. With restaurants, it used to be a tie between Wendy's and Waffle House. A few years ago, both of them had exactly 5 locations in the Dalton area. Recently, the Wendy's on GA SR 52 (W. Walnut Avenue) near I-75's Exit 333 closed down (and was turned into a Krispy Kreme doughnut and coffee shop). So now there is 5 Waffle Houses and 4 Wendy's, so currently with restaurants, Waffle House wins. There are actually only 3 McDonald's in Dalton itself, but 5 if you count all in Whitfield County (including a McDonald's/Subway/Pilot truck stop off of I-75's Exit 326).

[noelbotevera]

I have no idea why, but it's Sheetz. There's at least four in a ten mile radius.

[AlexandriaVA]

Generically-speaking, probably gas stations. Brand-specific, 7-11.

[Buck87]

Here in rural North Central Ohio I'd have to say Subway, followed closely by Dollar General.

[NE2]

Prostitutes.

[roadman]

If you're talking about businesses (as opposed to individual companies), in my area (northern suburbs of Boston), I'd say it's nearly a tie between drug stores and coffee/donut shops.  Within a five mile radius of my house in Wakefield (MA) alone, there are five coffee/donut shops (three Dunkins, two Honey Dew) and five drug stores (two Walgreens, two CVS, and one independent store).  By contrast, there are only two McDonalds in the same area.

[hotdogPi]

In my area (northern suburbs of Boston), I'd say it's nearly a tie between drug stores and coffee/donut shops.  Within a five mile radius of my house in Wakefield (MA) alone, there are five coffee/donut shops (three Dunkins, two Honey Dew) and five drug stores (two Walgreens, two CVS, and one independent store).  By contrast, there are only two McDonalds in the same area.

Each company counts separately. You can't combine Dunkin Donuts and Honey Dew Donuts, nor can you combine Walgreens and CVS.

[roadman]

In my area (northern suburbs of Boston), I'd say it's nearly a tie between drug stores and coffee/donut shops.  Within a five mile radius of my house in Wakefield (MA) alone, there are five coffee/donut shops (three Dunkins, two Honey Dew) and five drug stores (two Walgreens, two CVS, and one independent store).  By contrast, there are only two McDonalds in the same area.

Each company counts separately. You can't combine Dunkin Donuts and Honey Dew Donuts, nor can you combine Walgreens and CVS.

Thanks for the clarification.  Although I consider 'business' to encompass more than one company.  I've revised my original post to note this.

[jp the roadgeek]

Since we're considering everything separately and not by industry, here's my town

1. Dunkin Donuts- 8
2. Subway- 6
3. Exxon/Mobil (same company)- 5
T-4. TD Bank, Sunoco, YUM! Brands (1 Taco Bell, 1 Taco Bell/Pizza Hut, 1 KFC)- 3 each
T-7: McDonald's, Burger King, Home Depot, Webster Bank, Cumberland Farms, CVS, Rite-Aid, Starbucks, Dollar Tree, Shell- 2 each

[Takumi]

Subway with 4.

[gonealookin]

In a tourist area, Starbucks runs away with this.  Within about a 2000-foot stretch of US 50 in South Lake Tahoe, CA and Stateline, NV there are four:  one each inside the Harrah's and Harvey's hotels (which are across the street from each other), one in the Heavenly Village tourist trap and one in the Raley's shopping center.

[epzik8]

Harford County, Maryland has about 15 Royal Farms gas station/convenience stores, about 9 Wawa stores, 7 ShopRite grocery stores, and about 7 or 8 High's gas stations. And Dunkin' Donuts is also building lots of stores there lately, some of which are paired up with Baskin Robbins ice cream.

[jwolfer]

Walgreens seem to be like mushrooms a few years agoin suburban areas... They recently closed a bunch of underperforming stores


Around most Florida suburban areas... Publix grocery stores everywhere

LGMS428

[empirestate]

Hmm, this may be tough to answer. What exactly is a "business"? I know you said individual companies, but let's take Starbucks for example. It would seem a likely candidate in midtown Manhattan sine they're everywhere, but then again not all Starbuces are operated by the same company–some might be franchises or operated under contract by other concessionaires. What about taxis? In general, a NYC-licensed taxi medallion might be considered a ubiquitous "business", but again, the medallions are owned by a hodgepodge of different holding companies, and a few lucky individuals.

Perhaps the most prevalent companies doing business in discrete locations around NYC are real estate holding and management companies. I'd bet that two of the most commonly-encountered business names you'll find around the city are Newmark Knight Frank and Vornado Realty Trust.

As for my actual home area of western Putnam County (and neighboring northern Westchester), and sticking only to visible brand names, I can actually think of more Shell stations in my immediate area than anything else. Interestingly, the closest gas station to my home is the one I never go to because it's 40¢ more expensive than anywhere else around, and it's a Shell–but so is the cheapest station in the area, which I go to regularly. But of course–again–these stations are different businesses, different ownership, different companies. I'd be hard pressed to come up with the actual company doing business in the most separate locations in my area.

[hbelkins]

Dollar Generals and Family Dollars (moreso the former) are expanding like crazy in a lot of the rural areas. Estill County, Ky., has two incorporated cities that border one another, Irvine (pronounced "Ervin," the county seat) and Ravenna. For years a single Dollar General was located across the Kentucky River from Irvine in unincorporated West Irvine. In recent years three more Dollar Generals have been built in Estill County. One in Ravenna and two in rural sections of the county.

Subways are also popular, with many small communities having one.

Wendy's, Hardee's and McDonald's have expanded into many smaller towns, but Dairy Queen is the most prevalent fast-food chain, because they bought out the old Druther's chain (which itself was former Burger Queen) that was the first and only fast-food restaurant in many Kentucky towns.

[TravelingBethelite]

Pizza shops by far. There are what, 5? in my town of 18,000 alone.

[Scott5114]

Dollar Generals and Family Dollars (moreso the former) are expanding like crazy in a lot of the rural areas.

They're doing the same in Oklahoma. Dollar General is the only retail presence in many smaller Oklahoma towns. Even the town of 1200 I grew up in has one now.

Dollar General is a sore subject for my wife, as she feels that their management policies and health care coverage were contributing factors toward the death of her mother, who was an employee at the time.

[AlexandriaVA]

Dollar Generals and Family Dollars (moreso the former) are expanding like crazy in a lot of the rural areas.

They're doing the same in Oklahoma. Dollar General is the only retail presence in many smaller Oklahoma towns. Even the town of 1200 I grew up in has one now.

Dollar General is a sore subject for my wife, as she feels that their management policies and health care coverage were contributing factors toward the death of her mother, who was an employee at the time.

The two major ways to keep costs low are to make profit through volume (the Wal-Mart model) or to cut costs (I guess the Dollar General model but I"ll admit I've never been inside or seen one). Generally the cost-cutting model really puts the squeeze on its employees.

[roadman65]

In my area its hard to say as there are so many, but Wawa is taking a lead in convenience stores as every time I turn around one new one is being built.

[kkt]

Starbucks.  Can't throw a rock in this city without hitting a Starbucks.
There are other coffee places too.

[US71]

"Discount" stores (Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart and Target).

We're about to experience a glut in Asian-style restaurants

[DandyDan]

Having just moved to Mason City, Iowa, I am not sure how "my area" is defined.  If it's just Mason City, then the Yesway convenience stores are it, with 6.  (Yesway, FYI, came into existence essentially to buy up the Kum'n'Go's that didn't fit the current Kum'n'Go template.)  Casey's only has 5, but if you expand beyond Mason City, I believe every city over 1,000 population within a 30 mile radius, with the exception of Rockwell, has a Casey's and some, like Clear Lake and Forest City, get two.  OTOH, if you stick to just Mason City, it could be the #1 business is Mercy Med Center North Iowa, which seems to have something in every part of Mason City, unlike Casey's, which completely misses everything east of Federal Avenue (aka US 65 except through downtown).  But not every branch of the local medical system serves the same purpose at every location.

[Desert Man]

Air conditioning, land/lawnscaping and swimming pool contractors, great job opportunities in the desert resort cities in CA (Palm Springs area). There's money to be made in cooling, grass and water. Hotel resort, retail, agriculture and construction, but most of all tourism are the biggest local economic bases. In 1990, the Southern Pacific (now Union Pacific) railroad closed their depot in Indio after 115 years in business. Now they have a bus/transportation station where it used to be, bringing back downtown.   

[TravelingBethelite]

"Discount" stores (Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart and Target).

We're about to experience a glut in Asian-style restaurants

However, there is soon to be a shortfall, nationwide, in 'authentic Mexican' restaurants... You know to thank!