Why does the Northeast not have any unique fast food chains?

[Dough4872]

Why does the Northeast not have any unique fast food chains unlike other parts of the country like the South, Midwest, and West? It's all the same boring national chains like McDonald's and Burger King.

[LilianaUwU]

did Wawa or Sheetz go bankrupt all of a sudden

[Max Rockatansky]

Because the Northeast is the stock McDonald's equivalent region of the U.S.

[Dough4872]

did Wawa or Sheetz go bankrupt all of a sudden

They are convenience stores not fast food restaurants. Also parts of the northeast like New York and New England have neither of them.

[Mapmikey]

Why does the Northeast not have any unique fast food chains unlike other parts of the country like the South, Midwest, and West? It's all the same boring national chains like McDonald's and Burger King.

https://www.dangelos.com/locations

[TheCatalyst31]

You've still got Roy Rogers, unlike most other parts of the country.

[oscar]

You've still got Roy Rogers, unlike most other parts of the country.

Regrettably, not any closer to New England than New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

[Rothman]

Because the Northeast has a lot of good food in it.

Just need the stock fast food places when you have all sorts of yummy places to go to otherwise.

[kphoger]

You've still got Roy Rogers, unlike most other parts of the country.

Regrettably, not any closer to New England than New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Which are both part of the Northeast, of course, but that doesn't really help.

I wonder how many of the remaining Boston Market locations are in the Northeastern states, compared to the rest of the country. 

[Dough4872]

You've still got Roy Rogers, unlike most other parts of the country.

Most of the Roy Rogers around here are in service plazas along the Pennsylvania Turnpike

[Max Rockatansky]

You've still got Roy Rogers, unlike most other parts of the country.

Most of the Roy Rogers around here are in service plazas along the Pennsylvania Turnpike

Gotta pay to play the Roy Rogers game.

[hotdogPi]

We have sit-down restaurants.

Bertucci's, Uno Chicago Grill, Friendly's, and the 99 Restaurant are all headquartered in Massachusetts. However, of these four, only the last isn't in a path of decline.

(Uno moved their headquarters; their first location was in Chicago.)

[vdeane]

did Wawa or Sheetz go bankrupt all of a sudden

As mentioned, they're upscale gas stations (usually - there are surviving Wawa locations with no gas, not sure about Sheetz)/convenience stores that serve great hot food.  Most Wawa locations don't even have anywhere to sit down and eat - it's grab and go.  I don't know if there's a Canadian equivalent on that front (which brings up the question of why not).

Not to mention that NY and New England have neither (although NJ and downstate NY have QuickChek, which is similar, and making inroads to the Capital Region).

In many respects, Sheetz and Wawa are more like smaller, less litigious Buc-ees than something like Culver's or Steak n Shake.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Unless you count Runza which is hyperlocal to Nebraska (a small handful of locations in Iowa and one in SD), the Midwest doesn't really have much unique since Culver's went national.

[LilianaUwU]

I don't know if there's a Canadian equivalent on that front

Closest would be Couche-Tard, which is of course known as Circle K everywhere else.

Also, I'm surprised Buc-ee's hasn't went after the Couche-Tard owl yet... maybe they fear the return of the FLQ if they attempted anything.

[cl94]

The Northeast has several small local chains (Anderson's and Mighty Taco in Buffalo, Ted's Fish Fry in Albany, Tom Wahl's in Rochester, among many others) that do not expand beyond a metro area or state, so it's not like regional chains aren't a thing in the Northeast. They just tend to be smaller and more localized.

As far as reasons why there aren't a ton of chains in the Northeast, there are several. Supply chains are difficult for many companies serving the Northeast due to relative distance from the rest of the country. The region is more hostile to larger chains than the rest of the US, with local options a preference in many areas. Most towns have a local sub shop, burger/hot dog place, etc. that is "fast food", but more local and often higher quality. There's not as much of a unifying culture and cuisine as you get in the Midwest (for example).

[ElishaGOtis]

How are we defining "fast food" here? If we're limiting them strictly to drive through, that kills quite a few locations, but if not, that opens a whole new can of worms.

Going by pure definition of fast food or similar, regardless of which mode of transport you use to access your food, I'd argue:
- D'Angelo
- Wawa ("but they're a gas station like Buc ee's" yeah not one in Gainesville, plus they now offer carhop service at some locations)
- Ted's Hot Dogs
- Duchess
- Pret a Man— (*gets taken out by... uhh... someone idk*) 

[Molandfreak]

Unless you count Runza which is hyperlocal to Nebraska (a small handful of locations in Iowa and one in SD), the Midwest doesn't really have much unique since Culver's went national.

I love going to the last Happy Chef in Mankato, but I miss when it was a chain.

[Roadgeekteen]

Boston in general is devoid of many major chain restaurants, fast food or fast casual. There will always be some national chain I want to try, and their closest location is Springfield, Connecticut, or New Hampshire.

[MikeTheActuary]

Bertucci's, Uno Chicago Grill, Friendly's, and the 99 Restaurant are all headquartered in Massachusetts. However, of these four, only the last isn't in a path of decline.

99 still exists?   All of the ones I used to pass by in the Hartford area have been gone for a while now.

[hotdogPi]

Bertucci's, Uno Chicago Grill, Friendly's, and the 99 Restaurant are all headquartered in Massachusetts. However, of these four, only the last isn't in a path of decline.

99 still exists?   All of the ones I used to pass by in the Hartford area have been gone for a while now.

They're expanding where I live, with new locations popping up.

[wriddle082]

Boston in general is devoid of many major chain restaurants, fast food or fast casual. There will always be some national chain I want to try, and their closest location is Springfield, Connecticut, or New Hampshire.

Papa Gino's seems to be a bit of a regional chain in the Boston area.  At least one Mass Pike service plaza location at Charlton, and other locations away from the Mass Pike.  I liked their pizza when I was working in that area about 10 years ago, but knowing the pizza preferences of most Northeasterners, I can see why they may not be the most popular.

[oscar]

You've still got Roy Rogers, unlike most other parts of the country.

Regrettably, not any closer to New England than New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Which are both part of the Northeast, of course, but that doesn't really help.

Really part of the Mid-Atlantic region, not the Northeast.

New York is iffy, but while it used to have Roy Rogers at some Thruway service areas, I didn't see any south of Albany when I drove past the service areas there last month.

[Jim]

Re: 99, in the Albany area, I believe the Colonie/Wolf Rd and Clifton Park locations have closed relatively recently.  If the story about Cane's taking over the former location on Wolf Rd is true, I'll take that as a huge win.

On the original topic, I echo those who mentioned that there are a good number of localized regional chains around here.  I'll add places like Mr. Subb and Paesan's Pizza around the Albany area as examples, Angelina's subs in the Berkshires, someone already mentioned Ted's Fish Fry, there's Hot Harry's with a few remaining locations.  I'm not coming up with much to match anything like Runza in Nebraska, Blake's in New Mexico, Skyline in southern Ohio, or Cook Out in North Carolina where they're just all over the place in and near their areas but don't seem to have expanded beyond at least not so far.  I guess the previously mentioned D'Angelo's would be like those.

[TheCatalyst31]

Unless you count Runza which is hyperlocal to Nebraska (a small handful of locations in Iowa and one in SD), the Midwest doesn't really have much unique since Culver's went national.

There's also Portillo's if you're in the Chicago area.