Defunct restaurant chains and retailers

[kphoger]

As if "the Baptist Church" is one thing?  Seriously, no religion is more famously fragmented than Baptist Christianity.

Lutherans are like "hold my beer."

I grew up Lutheran (I'm a PK) and have been a member of a Baptist church for more than 15 years.  No contest, Baptists are wa-a-a-a-ay more fragmented.

(Also, a Lutheran would never allow you to hold his beer.  That would be unwise.)

[SEWIGuy]

As if "the Baptist Church" is one thing?  Seriously, no religion is more famously fragmented than Baptist Christianity.

Lutherans are like "hold my beer."

I grew up Lutheran (I'm a PK) and have been a member of a Baptist church for more than 15 years.  No contest, Baptists are wa-a-a-a-ay more fragmented.

(Also, a Lutheran would never allow you to hold his beer.  That would be unwise.)

I mostly said that for the beer joke.

Anyway, my dad was an ELCA pastor.

[Dirt Roads]

No contest, Baptists are wa-a-a-a-ay more fragmented.

Case in point, in West Virginia we were called "Regular Baptists" because once-upon-a-time we were Seventh-Day Baptists.  That is way different than the Regular Baptist denomination in Kentucky.  In the Carolina's, you've got "Sandy Creek Baptists" versus the "Charleston Baptists", which nowadays has very little to do with "high church".  And for the most part, "Reformed Baptists" in the South have almost nothing in common with the denomination of same name. 

[Scott5114]

It's like Nevada having Casinos at their state borders entries.  They do it to attract others from their neighboring states to be customers or like in Texarkana when Bowie County was Dry,

Nevada, as a general rule, does not want others from neighboring states to be like in Texarkana when Bowie County was dry.

[GaryV]

(Also, a Lutheran would never allow you to hold his beer.  That would be unwise.)

The Baptist might be tempted if he was holding the Lutheran's beer.

[Rothman]

If your food sucks, no amount of cleavage will save you.

That's what I heard growing up:  that the food at Hooters wasn't very good.  But I had some coworkers who would occasionally bring back lunch from Hooters, and I must say that their club sandwich was top notch.  That's the only thing I've eaten from Hooters, but it was excellent.

Yet another thing the Internet replaced, and replaced it extremely well, to a point where some claim the Internet is only for porn.

Like the Baptist Church.

As if "the Baptist Church" is one thing?  Seriously, no religion is more famously fragmented than Baptist Christianity.

And interestingly segregated somewhat.

[catch22]

Heard America's largest breaststaurant chain Hooters field Chapter 11.

They've already scaled back stores and closed many locations, but it's not enough.  As the Buffalo Wing Market is very competitive for them and the outfits they wear are nothing compared to what gals are wearing these days so it's nothing to see a waitress in a skimpy outfit anymore.

In the mid-1990s, I was working for a telecom company that had a training center in Largo, Florida.  I was there for a class that lasted a week, and on the first day the instructor handed out a list of local restaurants that included the Hooters in Clearwater.  That first day he took us there for lunch, raving about it was the original location and the food was really great.  It was just OK in my opinion.  He tried to get us to go again later in the week, but none of us had any interest.  This remains my only Hooters experience.

[JayhawkCO]

Del Taco closed all of its Colorado locations except the one in Grand Junction.

[formulanone]

Heard America's largest breaststaurant chain Hooters field Chapter 11.

Hooters Files for A-cup Status

[thenetwork]

Heard America's largest breaststaurant chain Hooters field Chapter 11.

Hooters Files for A-cup Status

A Breastaurant Reduction...

[Big John]

Are they flatlining?

[Road Hog]

When I was just out of college a few of us fraternity brothers living in the area would go to Hooter's on Rodney Parham Road in Little Rock, mainly just to drink beer, catch up and maybe watch a game. The waitresses there were mostly unmemorable.

Then they shut it down for serving underage and Hooter's didn't return to Little Rock until a few years ago.

[jeffandnicole]

Heard America's largest breaststaurant chain Hooters field Chapter 11.

They've already scaled back stores and closed many locations, but it's not enough.  As the Buffalo Wing Market is very competitive for them and the outfits they wear are nothing compared to what gals are wearing these days so it's nothing to see a waitress in a skimpy outfit anymore.

In the mid-1990s, I was working for a telecom company that had a training center in Largo, Florida.  I was there for a class that lasted a week, and on the first day the instructor handed out a list of local restaurants that included the Hooters in Clearwater.  That first day he took us there for lunch, raving about it was the original location and the food was really great.  It was just OK in my opinion.  He tried to get us to go again later in the week, but none of us had any interest.  This remains my only Hooters experience.

I was in that location. It was cool to be in the first one, but that was it. 

There's one in the Tropicana in Atlantic City, and it's usually the least crowded of the restaurants in that area of the casino.

[roadman65]

Heard America's largest breaststaurant chain Hooters field Chapter 11.

They've already scaled back stores and closed many locations, but it's not enough.  As the Buffalo Wing Market is very competitive for them and the outfits they wear are nothing compared to what gals are wearing these days so it's nothing to see a waitress in a skimpy outfit anymore.

In the mid-1990s, I was working for a telecom company that had a training center in Largo, Florida.  I was there for a class that lasted a week, and on the first day the instructor handed out a list of local restaurants that included the Hooters in Clearwater.  That first day he took us there for lunch, raving about it was the original location and the food was really great.  It was just OK in my opinion.  He tried to get us to go again later in the week, but none of us had any interest.  This remains my only Hooters experience.

I was in that location. It was cool to be in the first one, but that was it. 

There's one in the Tropicana in Atlantic City, and it's usually the least crowded of the restaurants in that area of the casino.

Like I said the concept is dead and no one is interested in the Beer, Wings, Sports, and Broads ideal.  It would be best to rebrand the theme and start with a new restaurant and aesthetics.

Maybe keep a couple of them like in Clearwater.

However even Applebee's is just barely alive and even Ruby Tuesdays had to scale back as even before COVID they were a dying breed.

[GCrites]

Large chain sitdown has just become uncool. Any more than 3-4 people and it's straight to a brewery or other locally-owned (possibly regional) eatery. And you never see large groups of people getting fast food anymore unless they're on a bus trip or something.

[JayhawkCO]

Large chain sitdown has just become uncool.

I think people just finally realized the food sucked.

[kphoger]

For me, it started with COVID.  When restaurants tentatively opened back up, at least that type of restaurant tended to have switched to a very limited menu, and it was all the unique/special dishes that got axed.  All that was left were the normal dishes you could find anywhere else.  The menus have broadened since then, but the selection still isn't what it used to be at many of them.

[JayhawkCO]

For me, I can go to a chain place, say Applebee's, and get nothing that I can't make at home for the same price or cheaper. I would much rather go to a local Asian spot where I'm getting unique flavors, larger portions, I'm supporting local, and it still costs the same price or less.

[kphoger]

For me, I can go to a chain place, say Applebee's, and get nothing that I can't make at home for the same price or cheaper. I would much rather go to a local Asian spot where I'm getting unique flavors, larger portions, I'm supporting local, and it still costs the same price or less.

To each his own.

There's no way I could make loaded waffle fries at home that come out as good as a restaurant's.  Maybe you can, but I can't.  And I don't exactly have some French onion au jus sitting around the house for me to dip a roast beef sandwich in;  nor am I about to make a batch from stock just to fill a little ramekin.

[JayhawkCO]

For me, I can go to a chain place, say Applebee's, and get nothing that I can't make at home for the same price or cheaper. I would much rather go to a local Asian spot where I'm getting unique flavors, larger portions, I'm supporting local, and it still costs the same price or less.

To each his own.

There's no way I could make loaded waffle fries at home that come out as good as a restaurant's.  Maybe you can, but I can't.  And I don't exactly have some French onion au jus sitting around the house for me to dip a roast beef sandwich in;  nor am I about to make a batch from stock just to fill a little ramekin.

You can use a packet of "au jus mix" just as easily as Applebee's can. Just add water. There's no chance in hell they're actually making it from beef stock.

[kphoger]

But the main difference between eating out and cooking at home is that you have to know in advance what you want for the latter.

We go out to eat once a month, 14 days after planning meals and making the grocery list for that two-week shopping trip, 7 days after doing our in-between (forgot something, fresh produce, etc) shopping trip.  There's no way I'm going to know what restaurant we'll feel like going to a week or two before it's time.

If my wife and I decide that evening that we feel like having loaded waffle fries and a roast beef sandwich au jus—and hopefully the boys are OK with that too—then how are we going to make that at home?  She operates a home daycare, so we might have enough waffle fries in the freezer that we could use, but definitely not all the toppings.  And, even if we had those jus packets lying around, or some leftover beef stock, we won't have bought roast beef at the deli or sandwich rolls.

It's the same with burgers or pasta or salmon panini or whatever people feel like going out for:  in order to make it at home for less money, we still would need to have already bought the ingredients.

[JayhawkCO]

But the main difference between eating out and cooking at home is that you have to know in advance what you want for the latter.

We go out to eat once a month, 14 days after planning meals and making the grocery list for that two-week shopping trip, 7 days after doing our in-between (forgot something, fresh produce, etc) shopping trip.  There's no way I'm going to know what restaurant we'll feel like going to a week or two before it's time.

If my wife and I decide that evening that we feel like having loaded waffle fries and a roast beef sandwich au jus—and hopefully the boys are OK with that too—then how are we going to make that at home?  She operates a home daycare, so we might have enough waffle fries in the freezer that we could use, but definitely not all the toppings.  And, even if we had those jus packets lying around, or some leftover beef stock, we won't have bought roast beef at the deli or sandwich rolls.

It's the same with burgers or pasta or salmon panini or whatever people feel like going out for:  in order to make it at home for less money, we still would need to have already bought the ingredients.

I'm fortunate that I work from home and the closest grocery store is a three minute drive. So a quick 15 minute grocery store run is not a challenge for me personally. It also helps reduce waste because I can buy the appropriate amount of fresh veggies and not have to buy in bulk hoping I get through it.

[kphoger]

I'm fortunate that I work from home and the closest grocery store is a three minute drive. So a quick 15 minute grocery store run is not a challenge for me personally. It also helps reduce waste because I can buy the appropriate amount of fresh veggies and not have to buy in bulk hoping I get through it.

We save way more money by shopping for two weeks at a time than we would save by reducing potential fresh veggie waste.  Most produce we buy lasts quite a while anyway, and the more perishable ones (lettuce, cilantro, etc) we just pick up on the off-week.

[JayhawkCO]

I'm fortunate that I work from home and the closest grocery store is a three minute drive. So a quick 15 minute grocery store run is not a challenge for me personally. It also helps reduce waste because I can buy the appropriate amount of fresh veggies and not have to buy in bulk hoping I get through it.

We save way more money by shopping for two weeks at a time than we would save by reducing potential fresh veggie waste.  Most produce we buy lasts quite a while anyway, and the more perishable ones (lettuce, cilantro, etc) we just pick up on the off-week.

For larger families, I can definitely see that being the case. For my wife and me with a three year old, we just need less volume.

[kphoger]

For larger families, I can definitely see that being the case. For my wife and me with a three year old, we just need less volume.

Not just a family of five either, but a household that feeds up to five other children for lunch on weekdays.