Other National Chains That Are Shells Of Their Former Selfs.

Started by thenetwork, August 09, 2022, 07:47:17 PM

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thenetwork

We've gone around and around on rhe slow death of Sears/Kmart as well as a few restaurant chains and how they are just a slim fraction of what they once were.

What about other dominant national chains in other retail categories that are barely holding on?

The one chain that got me thinking of this thread is Midas.  At one time they were the king of replacement mufflers (along with Tuffy and Speedy).  The Midas in my town looks dilapidated and not well maintained  and I believe they are now even closed on weekends.  It is located at a very busy intersection, but you'd be lucky to see any cars parked in the lot.

Other once dominant businesses???


jp the roadgeek

The Price Chopper in my town, created in 2004 from a former KMart, already looks outdated and empty inside.  They have yet to be converted to a Market 32.

Bed Bath & Beyond ain't what it used to be. And Friendly's is about 10% of the footprint it once was.  Quiznos came and went and is almost nonexistent now.
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

kurumi

Fry's supermarkets apparently have 123 locations still open, in Arizona mainly.

The spinoff Fry's Electronics dominated the southwest (mainly CA and TX) until the Internet took off. Peaked at 34 locations, took many years to die, with empty shelves, "sold on TV" nonsense and toys and other random stuff.

Even at its peak, there was controversy about customer service and financials and whatnot, but in the 90s it was a fun place to visit, and in the 10s it was an interesting place to watch fading away.

The history would make a good documentary IMHO.

My first SF/horror short story collection is available: "Young Man, Open Your Winter Eye"

Takumi

Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

Scott5114

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 09, 2022, 07:56:00 PM
The Price Chopper in my town, created in 2004 from a former KMart, already looks outdated and empty inside.  They have yet to be converted to a Market 32.

Not quite a national chain–Price Chopper of Kansas City is an entirely unrelated chain that happens to have the same name. That chain is still going strong (they even recently expanded to Des Moines).
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

ibthebigd

So many of the casual restaurant chains come to mind

Applebee's
Ruby Tuesday
TGI Fridays
Logans Roadhouse


SM-G996U


74/171FAN

Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2022, 10:26:09 PM
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.

Yep, my mom used to get groceries at the one in Hopewell from time to time. 
I am now a PennDOT employee.  My opinions/views do not necessarily reflect the opinions/views of PennDOT.

Ted$8roadFan

Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2022, 10:26:09 PM
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.

I think at one point in the iOS, Winn-Dixie actually had stores in the Cincinnati area.

Life in Paradise

Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 10, 2022, 06:57:02 PM
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2022, 10:26:09 PM
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.

I think at one point in the iOS, Winn-Dixie actually had stores in the Cincinnati area.
For a time in the mid 70s, Winn-Dixie had a store in Princeton, IN  (Southwestern IN).  That didn't last too long.  They also built a store in Owensboro, KY in the 80s, and its gone as well.

SectorZ

Quote from: ibthebigd on August 10, 2022, 06:33:43 PM
So many of the casual restaurant chains come to mind

Applebee's
Ruby Tuesday
TGI Fridays
Logans Roadhouse


SM-G996U

I don't know the last one, but on Applebee's and Fridays absolutely. The Ruby Tuesday locations around me were still good but now they're all gone, though I contend they were better when they were more of an Applebee's-style restaurant before their pseudo upscale attempts.

Ted$8roadFan

Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 10, 2022, 06:57:02 PM
Quote from: Takumi on August 09, 2022, 10:26:09 PM
Winn-Dixie once reached up to Virginia as late as the mid-2000s.

I think at one point in the iOS, Winn-Dixie actually had stores in the Cincinnati area.

I meant the 90s.

JayhawkCO

Bennigan's. I guess there are still some around and they're looking to open more internationally.

Big John

Shakey's pizza.  Once national but now only in California and some international locations.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: Big John on August 11, 2022, 12:31:24 PM
Shakey's pizza.  Once national but now only in California and some international locations.

Two in Washington too.

Ted$8roadFan

Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.

It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.

Scott5114

Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:47:57 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.

It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.

It's not that they're not good–Chili's is perfectly fine–but that's just it, it's perfectly fine. I can make perfectly fine at home for way cheaper and not have to play the social interaction game with the waiter and wait for the food to arrive.

To justify spending money on a meal, it either needs to be way faster and easier than cooking (fast food restaurants fall into this bucket), something impractical to make at home (I don't have a smoker, so barbecue falls into this bucket for me), or it needs to be way better than what I can do at home. A lot of the casual chain restaurants fall into the gap between those buckets for me, so I've stopped spending money at them.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

JayhawkCO

Quote from: Scott5114 on August 11, 2022, 04:00:26 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:47:57 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.

It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.

It's not that they're not good–Chili's is perfectly fine–but that's just it, it's perfectly fine. I can make perfectly fine at home for way cheaper and not have to play the social interaction game with the waiter and wait for the food to arrive.

To justify spending money on a meal, it either needs to be way faster and easier than cooking (fast food restaurants fall into this bucket), something impractical to make at home (I don't have a smoker, so barbecue falls into this bucket for me), or it needs to be way better than what I can do at home. A lot of the casual chain restaurants fall into the gap between those buckets for me, so I've stopped spending money at them.

Exactly. Why go out for a club sandwich, grilled salmon with veggies, etc.? Way easier to do better at home for much less money.

Ted$8roadFan

#18
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 04:19:17 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 11, 2022, 04:00:26 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:47:57 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.

It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.

It's not that they're not good–Chili's is perfectly fine–but that's just it, it's perfectly fine. I can make perfectly fine at home for way cheaper and not have to play the social interaction game with the waiter and wait for the food to arrive.

To justify spending money on a meal, it either needs to be way faster and easier than cooking (fast food restaurants fall into this bucket), something impractical to make at home (I don't have a smoker, so barbecue falls into this bucket for me), or it needs to be way better than what I can do at home. A lot of the casual chain restaurants fall into the gap between those buckets for me, so I've stopped spending money at them.

Exactly. Why go out for a club sandwich, grilled salmon with veggies, etc.? Way easier to do better at home for much less money.

Plus, in many areas of the country, there are many local restaurants that do a better job than the chains restaurants. For instance, there are any number of Italian and Seafood restaurants in New England that are worth going to instead of Olive Garden or Red Lobster.

skluth

Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 07:40:13 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 04:19:17 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on August 11, 2022, 04:00:26 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 11, 2022, 12:47:57 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on August 11, 2022, 12:44:34 PM
Seems like a lot of national chains, especially restaurants, are suffering.

It's probably because, by and large, chain restaurants are not good.

It's not that they're not good–Chili's is perfectly fine–but that's just it, it's perfectly fine. I can make perfectly fine at home for way cheaper and not have to play the social interaction game with the waiter and wait for the food to arrive.

To justify spending money on a meal, it either needs to be way faster and easier than cooking (fast food restaurants fall into this bucket), something impractical to make at home (I don't have a smoker, so barbecue falls into this bucket for me), or it needs to be way better than what I can do at home. A lot of the casual chain restaurants fall into the gap between those buckets for me, so I've stopped spending money at them.

Exactly. Why go out for a club sandwich, grilled salmon with veggies, etc.? Way easier to do better at home for much less money.

Plus, in many areas of the country, there are many local restaurants that do a better job than the chains restaurants. For instance, there are any number of Italian and Seafood restaurants in New England that are worth going instead of Olive Garden or Red Lobster.

Red Lobster was fine when I was in St Louis but few locals would go to Olive Garden when there were plenty of excellent local Italian restaurants. The opposite was true when I was in Tidewater where I never found a really good Italian restaurant but plenty of better (and cheaper) options than Red Lobster for seafood.

Rothman

Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Scott5114

Quote from: Rothman on August 11, 2022, 08:45:37 PM
Olive Garden is for those that have no taste.

At some point I'm going to give a speech about Interstate Maintenance funding at an Olive Garden on a county route. Just for you.
uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

Rothman

Quote from: Scott5114 on August 11, 2022, 08:59:36 PM
Quote from: Rothman on August 11, 2022, 08:45:37 PM
Olive Garden is for those that have no taste.

At some point I'm going to give a speech about Interstate Maintenance funding at an Olive Garden on a county route. Just for you.

You madman.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Dirt Roads

Quote from: Rothman on August 11, 2022, 08:45:37 PM
Olive Garden is for those that have no taste.

Olive Garden became a shell of their former self when they quit putting enough olives in their "All You Can Eat Salad" about 35 years ago or so.  Falsetto advertising.

JayhawkCO




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