Does Anyone Miss Boston Market?

[LilianaUwU]

They're running deals to make footlongs $7

Remember when it was $5?

If you book inflation from 2007 then $7 basically is the new $5.

Why the fuck are things much more expensive than that nowadays, then?

[jeffandnicole]

I enjoyed Boston Chicken, and then Boston Market when they wanted more options to serve than chicken. I rarely got anything else besides theur chicken though.

Common sides for me were the mac and cheese and stuffing. I'd get theur Caesar salad side on occasion, along with a few other sides.

Then, they started messing with the recipes. The stuffing was horrible.

They had several locations in NJ close due to a franchisee issue. Some locations have since reopened, but jusding by the foot traffic and number of cars in the lot, they are not recovering well.

[Max Rockatansky]

They're running deals to make footlongs $7

Remember when it was $5?

If you book inflation from 2007 then $7 basically is the new $5.

Why the fuck are things much more expensive than that nowadays, then?

I usually go by the rule of goods should be pacing inflation (hence 3% annually).  Fast food prices are outpacing inflation which is why I mentioned eating less of it a couple replies back.  Interestingly some stuff like gas has stayed flat or done down in relative price compared to 2007

[Rothman]

They're running deals to make footlongs $7

Remember when it was $5?

If you book inflation from 2007 then $7 basically is the new $5.

Why the fuck are things much more expensive than that nowadays, then?

I usually go by the rule of goods should be pacing inflation (hence 3% annually).  Fast food prices are outpacing inflation which is why I mentioned eating less of it a couple replies back.  Interestingly some stuff like gas has stayed flat or done down in relative price compared to 2007

What blows my mind is how expensive oil got in the early OPEC days when we weren't prepared for their supply controls.  Although gas prices are pretty stable over time, we've never hit how expensive it was in the later 1970s.

[kalvado]

Wiki has a link saying there were 27 BMs as of this summer
https://www.thetakeout.com/boston-market-down-to-27-locations-bankruptcy-closures-1851329106/
While Google maps still remembers a few around me, none of them are seen on the company web site.

[Max Rockatansky]

They're running deals to make footlongs $7

Remember when it was $5?

If you book inflation from 2007 then $7 basically is the new $5.

Why the fuck are things much more expensive than that nowadays, then?

I usually go by the rule of goods should be pacing inflation (hence 3% annually).  Fast food prices are outpacing inflation which is why I mentioned eating less of it a couple replies back.  Interestingly some stuff like gas has stayed flat or done down in relative price compared to 2007

What blows my mind is how expensive oil got in the early OPEC days when we weren't prepared for their supply controls.  Although gas prices are pretty stable over time, we've never hit how expensive it was in the later 1970s.

I love to calculate the rate of inflation on sites that get all nostalgic about face value gas prices (and general prices) of that era.  Most normal folks just plain don't understand that money doesn't have static value.

[ZLoth]

It's been about 25 years since I last ate at a Boston Market. There was one near an old workplace that was a Carl's Jr, then becaome a Boston Market, then back to a Carl's Jr. So, no, not going to miss it.

[MikeTheActuary]

Never ate at one. We're they good while they lasted?

I was introduced to Boston Market after moving to CT a little over 25 years ago.  I don't think I had been in one for a few years prior to pandemic lockdowns.

It was never "in rotation" for us during that time, in no small part because after a couple of visits that were "decent for fast food, and we appreciate the difference from other chains"...the quality went downhill.

My impression is that some of that may have been an artifact of the local franchises more than Boston Market in general, but the local loss of Boston Market only inspired a little sympathy for the folks losing their jobs, rather than nostalgia for something that I would miss.

[1995hoo]

I remember when the chain was called Boston Chicken.

I have more than a feeling that I never ate at any of their locations under either name, though it's been a long time since I recall seeing one (the one I passed most often is now a mattress store). A Google Maps search has me feelin' satisfied that they closed all their Northern Virginia locations, which in turn gives me peace of mind that I need not cool the engines at one any time soon.

[SEWIGuy]

They're running deals to make footlongs $7

Remember when it was $5?

If you book inflation from 2007 then $7 basically is the new $5.

Why the fuck are things much more expensive than that nowadays, then?

I usually go by the rule of goods should be pacing inflation (hence 3% annually).  Fast food prices are outpacing inflation which is why I mentioned eating less of it a couple replies back.  Interestingly some stuff like gas has stayed flat or done down in relative price compared to 2007

What blows my mind is how expensive oil got in the early OPEC days when we weren't prepared for their supply controls.  Although gas prices are pretty stable over time, we've never hit how expensive it was in the later 1970s.

The fact that the United States is now the world's largest oil producer means we can manage supply woes a lot easier than we used to. The biggest issue now are spikes in demand driving the price up, which usually means that the economy is going well anyway.

[JayhawkCO]

They're running deals to make footlongs $7

Remember when it was $5?

If you book inflation from 2007 then $7 basically is the new $5.

Why the fuck are things much more expensive than that nowadays, then?

I usually go by the rule of goods should be pacing inflation (hence 3% annually).  Fast food prices are outpacing inflation which is why I mentioned eating less of it a couple replies back.  Interestingly some stuff like gas has stayed flat or done down in relative price compared to 2007

What blows my mind is how expensive oil got in the early OPEC days when we weren't prepared for their supply controls.  Although gas prices are pretty stable over time, we've never hit how expensive it was in the later 1970s.

The fact that the United States is now the world's largest oil producer means we can manage supply woes a lot easier than we used to. The biggest issue now are spikes in demand driving the price up, which usually means that the economy is going well anyway.

I'd argue the biggest issue is oil companies being more beholden to their stockholders than their consumers.

[SEWIGuy]

They're running deals to make footlongs $7

Remember when it was $5?

If you book inflation from 2007 then $7 basically is the new $5.

Why the fuck are things much more expensive than that nowadays, then?

I usually go by the rule of goods should be pacing inflation (hence 3% annually).  Fast food prices are outpacing inflation which is why I mentioned eating less of it a couple replies back.  Interestingly some stuff like gas has stayed flat or done down in relative price compared to 2007

What blows my mind is how expensive oil got in the early OPEC days when we weren't prepared for their supply controls.  Although gas prices are pretty stable over time, we've never hit how expensive it was in the later 1970s.

The fact that the United States is now the world's largest oil producer means we can manage supply woes a lot easier than we used to. The biggest issue now are spikes in demand driving the price up, which usually means that the economy is going well anyway.

I'd argue the biggest issue is oil companies being more beholden to their stockholders than their consumers.

It's a commodity. Oil companies can't hold prices high because someone will always undercut them. That's one of the reasons OPEC worked back in the 70s is because it's a cartel that hardly had competitors to undercut. That's not the case now.

[JayhawkCO]

They're running deals to make footlongs $7

Remember when it was $5?

If you book inflation from 2007 then $7 basically is the new $5.

Why the fuck are things much more expensive than that nowadays, then?

I usually go by the rule of goods should be pacing inflation (hence 3% annually).  Fast food prices are outpacing inflation which is why I mentioned eating less of it a couple replies back.  Interestingly some stuff like gas has stayed flat or done down in relative price compared to 2007

What blows my mind is how expensive oil got in the early OPEC days when we weren't prepared for their supply controls.  Although gas prices are pretty stable over time, we've never hit how expensive it was in the later 1970s.

The fact that the United States is now the world's largest oil producer means we can manage supply woes a lot easier than we used to. The biggest issue now are spikes in demand driving the price up, which usually means that the economy is going well anyway.

I'd argue the biggest issue is oil companies being more beholden to their stockholders than their consumers.

It's a commodity. Oil companies can't hold prices high because someone will always undercut them. That's one of the reasons OPEC worked back in the 70s is because it's a cartel that hardly had competitors to undercut. That's not the case now.

Sure looks like that gap is getting wider.

[SEWIGuy]

Eh, not to me.

[Scott5114]

Subway was acceptable until they got way too expensive.  Paying $14 for a basic foot long just isn't something I'm willing to do with much frequency.

They're running deals to make footlongs $7, but no Subway in a western town where the only option seems to be accepting said deals. Even in states outside of California. None of the NV or UT small town stores will take that app deal.

One of my favorite things about Nevada is Port of Subs. I think I've eaten at Subway once since I moved here, and that was in Tonopah, which...it's Tonopah, it's not like you're going to get a gourmet meal there.

27 BMs as of this summer

Someone needs to see a gastroenterologist.

[cl94]

Yeah, my 2 Subway visits since moving west have been in Portola, CA and Torrey, UT. In other words, places without other chain fast food. Tonopah at least has a Burger King, which I most recently patronized just over a week ago.

Port of Subs isn't as good as Jersey Mike's, IMO, but they're all over Nevada, which makes them a good option in some of these towns that have little else. And they're leaps and bounds above Subway.

[Max Rockatansky]

27 BMs is a shockingly low total for any season.

[MikeTheActuary]

Sure looks like that gap is getting wider.

On a nominal basis, definitely.  However, proportionately....



...maybe a little, and even then, it'll depend on when one thinks the starting point of the comparison should be.

[JayhawkCO]

Sure looks like that gap is getting wider.

On a nominal basis, definitely.  However, proportionately....



...maybe a little, and even then, it'll depend on when one thinks the starting point of the comparison should be.

What are the axes on that graph?

[SEWIGuy]

Sure looks like that gap is getting wider.

On a nominal basis, definitely.  However, proportionately....



...maybe a little, and even then, it'll depend on when one thinks the starting point of the comparison should be.

What are the axes on that graph?

Looks like dates and the ratio between oil and gas prices.

[JayhawkCO]

I guess. All I know is that oil companies post record profits over and over and the CEOs are making hundreds of millions per year. I think all of that has a lot more to do with what we pay at the pump than just demand spikes.

[Scott5114]

Sure looks like that gap is getting wider.

On a nominal basis, definitely.  However, proportionately....



...maybe a little, and even then, it'll depend on when one thinks the starting point of the comparison should be.

I didn't read the quote at the top at first and thought this chart was posted in response to Max saying 27 BMs is low for any season. "Wow, someone is dedicated to charting that stuff..."

[TheHighwayMan3561]

27 BMs as of this summer

Someone needs to see a gastroenterologist.

Bandit: *awakes from his long slumber to return to action*

[Max Rockatansky]

Has bandit been in a long slumber?  I feel like the "school bans" thread has had plenty of banditisms.

[Jim]

I wouldn't say I miss it, but I definitely ate many times at Boston Chicken then Boston Market.  For a long time, I felt like the price was right for what you got.  The locations near me often had a 3-piece dark meal for a pretty good price.  I knew what to expect and it was pretty good.  I was probably at the one in Latham, NY, not too long before it closed, seems like a year or two ago, and it was still fine, but didn't feel like the good value it used to be.  I definitely go to the Popeye's that rose from its rubble at that location more frequently.  When I want rotisserie chicken, I find the grocery store ones are good.  I wonder if the rise of rotisserie chickens at every grocery store was part of the chain's downfall.