Restaurant Death Watch

[kwellada]

Applebees is definitely a restaurant chain I would not mourn. I worked in restaurants throughout my 20s and that was the worst restaurant job I ever had. And yes, most stuff is microwaved. I think the last time I was even inside an Applebees was 1998 (other than picking up a friend at one after she had been in an accident and needed a place to hang out while I drove a couple hours to fetch her).

https://www.youtube.com/@BrightSunFilms on Youtube documents quite a few of these chains and their downturns. Pretty interesting channel, as well as Company Man's channel.

I've lived in cities that have a pretty good local restaurant scene so I rarely think of chain restaurants as an option anymore. Particularly here in Tucson, where there's so many excellent family owned Mexican restaurants that it feels impossible to check them all out at one point or another

[epzik8]

Back in 1994-1996, and I highly doubt it's changed for the better now, all the pasta was frozen, thawed out, and "cooked" in a microwave. I was shocked it didn't taste much worse than it actually did.

Microwave cooking should be illegal in and kind of restaurant. For "pre-cooking" I don't mind it.

Most chains just warm up their food.  Like Olive Garden.

Good point.

[kurumi]

Fun side note: Stephen Anderson (nycroads webmaster) is a stock analyst in that area, and has likely mentioned some of these chains on CNBC. Here's a video from 2019: https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/10/22/restaurant-analyst-gives-his-top-stock-picks.html

[roadman65]

Golden Corral again is cutting back and closing more locations.  It seems like Covid closed many already as Lakeland South in FL is an Aldi now.

I Drive in Orlando became Sickies Garage after Covid.

This chain seems slow but sure.