Checkers/Rally's avdertising in Dallas Market despite having no locations here

[Brian556]

Checcker's/Rally's (which I've never heard of, but apparently it's Checkers with a different name) is advertising on TV in the Dallas TX Market. They have no locations here. They are all over in Florida, but I've never seen one anywhere near Texas. Are they planning an expansion into the Dallas market or something?

[6a]

Yes, Rally's is the same as Checkers. While I love their fries I can't get past this.

[Road Hog]

Why not? Every other chain in America seems to be expanding to Dallas.

The main draw with Rally's is they're cheap. Occasionally they'll run a special promo menu option that is good.

[dfwmapper]

Checcker's/Rally's (which I've never heard of, but apparently it's Checkers with a different name) is advertising on TV in the Dallas TX Market. They have no locations here. They are all over in Florida, but I've never seen one anywhere near Texas. Are they planning an expansion into the Dallas market or something?

There's one in Beaumont and several in western Louisiana. They were supposed to be expanding into Houston, but I don't think it ever happened. I doubt the ads are local, it's rare for companies with locations nationwide to bother with local ads. Sonic used to have the same problem before they got as big as they are now. I had family in California and whenever they came to visit they always complained about seeing the ads but not being able to get a cherry limeade or whatever because there were no locations in California at the time.

I'm not sure DFW could handle another fast food burger chain. Krystal tried and failed. Carl's Jr. tried and most of them have closed too. In-N-Out seems to be doing OK, but that's about it. Whataburger just has way too much love for anyone else to get a foothold.

[hbelkins]

Whataburger just has way too much love for anyone else to get a foothold.

And judging from my one experience with Whataburger, I just don't understand why. Average burger at best.

[bandit957]

As long as they don't use that annoying "You gotta eat!" ad campaign of a decade ago.

[briantroutman]

As long as they don't use that annoying "You gotta eat!" ad campaign of a decade ago.

I have to steal a line from TESG's great Guide to Big Chain Road Food Consumption review of Checkers/Rally's:

Slogan on bag:  "You gotta eat!"   That's true, but I don't gotta eat HERE.

[NJRoadfan]

Checkers has been around NJ for about 15 years now, those fries are evil. For those that don't know, they are crunchy curly fries with seasoning.

[Roadrunner75]

We were getting Sonic ads for years before they finally came to NJ.  One finally opened up a few miles south of me, more or less in the middle of nowhere.  The first week there were cars lined up out onto the highway to get in.  It closed a few months ago.

[dfwmapper]

Whataburger just has way too much love for anyone else to get a foothold.

And judging from my one experience with Whataburger, I just don't understand why. Average burger at best.

You're now wanted on felony charges in Texas. Fair warning, if you denigrate Blue Bell, it becomes a capital offense.

[jeffandnicole]

We were getting Sonic ads for years before they finally came to NJ.  One finally opened up a few miles south of me, more or less in the middle of nowhere.  The first week there were cars lined up out onto the highway to get in.  It closed a few months ago.

Was that the one in Somers Point?  That one closed several years ago!  (Unless they reopened and closed again!)

I was one of those people absolutely excited to finally see Sonic open.  I might've been there 3 times since! Haha.  But they do have really good Strawberry Slushies.  I'll get just that when I do drive by one.

[golden eagle]

Wow, no Checker's/Rally's in the DFW? I'd thought every national burger chain would be there.

I remember a number of years ago, a local radio station ran ads for Boston Market, though we never had one to this day. Another station played ads for Lowe's, which we didn't have at the time, but do now.

[jakeroot]

I'm also seeing Checkers/Rally's commercials in the Seattle area, despite the last remaining restaurant closing about a year ago. Now there's none and I've been left completely addled.

[formulanone]

We put up with Sonic ads for about a decade until they finally expanded into South Florida, but I suppose it was national, not local programming. South Florida is a bit of a logistical cul-de-sac for some brands, and a fickle and varied customer base.

Could the Checker's ads be in preparation for eventual expansion? Their tiny size and prefabricated construction meant a new site might go up in a month or so...I liked them back when I was broke; their burgers seemed to have a bit more flavor, but their fries can be a little inconsistent.

[bandit957]

I always refer to Rally's as "the bee place." Their seating is all outdoors (at least at the few locations in my area), and there's always bees flying around. One day, I stopped at Rally's for lunch and had to eat it while sitting on the sidewalk across the street because there were bees at their eating area.

[bandit957]

Also, there's very few Steak 'n' Shakes in my area, but we still had to tolerate their annoying TV commercials.

[txstateends]

This sounds like when I see Kmart ads now.  They no longer have stores in north TX, but they still advertise nationally.

[Big John]

In WI, Meijer has been advertising for over a year but no stores are open yet.

[Roadrunner75]

We were getting Sonic ads for years before they finally came to NJ.  One finally opened up a few miles south of me, more or less in the middle of nowhere.  The first week there were cars lined up out onto the highway to get in.  It closed a few months ago.

Was that the one in Somers Point?  That one closed several years ago!  (Unless they reopened and closed again!)

I was one of those people absolutely excited to finally see Sonic open.  I might've been there 3 times since! Haha.  But they do have really good Strawberry Slushies.  I'll get just that when I do drive by one.

The Sonic I was referring to was in Waretown, on Route 9 - specifically, here:
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.805017,-74.197986&spn=0.000004,0.002615&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=39.804965,-74.198487&panoid=xOyPGkGpz0Au3qpXzv90eQ&cbp=12,40.97,,0,3.52
The restaurant next to it, which you would stare at while downing your hot dog and tater tots in your car, is still chugging away.  Sonics don't lend themselves to an easy conversion of use when they go out of business, either.

[dfwmapper]

A new burger place just opened in North Dallas in an old Sonic location. They're using the drive in area as a patio, or they will be if Dallas ever runs out of things to complain about and gives them their permits.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/2015/03/spork_north_dallas.php

[GCrites]

I always refer to Rally's as "the bee place." Their seating is all outdoors (at least at the few locations in my area), and there's always bees flying around. One day, I stopped at Rally's for lunch and had to eat it while sitting on the sidewalk across the street because there were bees at their eating area.

Ha, you don't want a Rally's you can eat in either. There's two that I go to in Columbus, one at the corner of Central Ave. and Mound St. on the Near West Side which is nutjob central and situated in an old BBF (maybe?). The clientele curse so much and are so loud that I become uncomfortable. Then there's the one in Grove City which is an old G.D. Ritzy's. It's got these crazy different levels that are clearly pre-Americans With Disabilities Act. "Remodeling" quality is poor at best. But I still go because I like the food and Columbus is so goddam windy that eating outside is only worth it about 10% of the time.

[jp the roadgeek]

Checkers  aired ads in CT, opened 1 location, and it closed 6 months later. We also see ads for Golden Corral (nearest in Springfield, MA), Hardee's (nearest in Lebanon, PA), CiCi's Pizza (nearest in Scranton or Allentown, PA), and Jimmy John's (nearest in Syracuse)

[NJRoadfan]

The restaurant next to it, which you would stare at while downing your hot dog and tater tots in your car, is still chugging away.  Sonics don't lend themselves to an easy conversion of use when they go out of business, either.

The one in Rio Grande at US-9 and NJ-47 has since closed too, I guess US-9 is hazardous to Sonics. The business isn't all that suited for places that have a winter. The one in Green Brook, NJ adapted by enclosing the seating area. I was surprised to see them closing left and right in Florida though (incidentally the closed one I went to in Largo Florida was across the street from a now closed What-a-Burger). I guess the franchisees aren't the greatest in running a business.

Checker's isn't going anywhere though. The model is strictly drive thru, the seating is mostly an add-on and not essential to the business model.

[GCrites]

Eating in your car might have been a lot more fun in the 1950s when cars all had vinyl bench seats that were 8 inches off the floor without nooks and crannies everywhere. Today it sucks.

[NJRoadfan]

All the Checker's locations here are drive thru only with some outdoor seating, there is no indoor seating area. The buildings are all pre-fab, they just slide them off of a truck like a diner.