Unadeventurous Eaters
Chain restaurants are a part of the fabric of Americana, particularly suburbia. They are staples in every local shopping mall and are extremely popular all over the country. Plus, they have proven to be a low-risk success for investors. But why? Chowbus, a tech company for non-chain restaurants, surveyed chain dining trends and found that these customers tend to seek quick and predictable dining options. “Chains are popular because they offer consistent quality and familiar menus across various locations. Their widespread presence and strong brand recognition give customers a sense of reliability and convenience.”
For older generations, who have witnessed decades of exponential change, it’s understandable that they cling to convenience and familiarity. However, it’s deteriorating the foundation of the culinary world by sabotaging smaller, family-run restaurants who can’t keep up with the ever-growing cost of operation. From the looming shadow of the new Outback Steakhouse that just popped up on the corner, mom-and-pop shops don’t stand a chance against the competition because they lack the infrastructure of their mega competitors.
With their standardized menus, nationwide commercials, and uniform business practices, customers find relief from choice fatigue and restaurant uncertainty. Yet the capitalist machine that makes these restaurants ubiquitously uniform is also squeezing the soul out of mealtime. In order to maintain their conformity to other restaurant locations, meals come pre-prepared, prepackaged, frozen, or straight out of a TV dinner tray, and that’s just not an environment that produces fresh and delicious dishes. However, this process guarantees a bland, microwavable, and easily repeated consistency that many customers appreciate.
Food critic Daron Cardose from Food & Wine advocates for chain restaurants saying the ability to choose the exact same item every visit is actually a virtue. A customer can order an eight-layer nacho appetizer in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and it’ll be identical to the plates served up in Missoula, Montana. Cardosa says, “Going to a new restaurant presents challenges and if you only go out to eat once or twice a month, maybe it’s not worth the risk.” However, when bad food isn’t even worth the money, perhaps it’s time to take a risk.
Via u/chillis
In the modern era, we have so many tools to suss out restaurant risks that solve the uncertainty problem. With any number of the restaurant review apps, like Google Reviews, Yelp, or OpenTable, users can scour one-star findings, browse local menus, and make an educated decision on their next restaurant reservation. Spending two seconds to research local eateries not only supports mom-and-pop restaurants, but it can lead you to better food, better prices, and perhaps a new go-to spot that doesn’t serve glorified airplane food.
While familiarity and convenience in the food world has its place, a resistance to tech from the older generations is actually the bigger issue for indie restaurants. If boomers and Gen X could muster their courage to open their cell phones and glance at a restaurant review app, it could open their eyes to a whole world of food possibilities. Technology provides so much more than just Facebook meme reposts, video calls with your grandkids, and Meta memory recommendations. Food lovers in their older years can discover local culinary gems, like a hole-in-the-wall restaurant called Phở 46 that has 2,322 five-star reviews, an 11-year-old doing homework at one of the open tables, and the tastiest bun cha bahn mi this side of Vietnam.
Via u/fizkes
Comfort Food
Eating doesn’t always have to be adventurous, it just has to be appetizing. Boomers and Gen X have sought comfort in franchises for far too long, bolstering the capitalistic bloat that overcomes smaller restaurants who have far less capital and much more to lose. As the gluttonous chain restaurants expand, they water down their menus to further satisfy conformity, while selling limited-time gimmicks, loyalty programs, and a three-part combo option. With a flick of some investor’s wrist, chains can easily eclipse mom-and-pop restaurants in a sad display of restaurant Darwinism.
As always, the big fish eats the little fish.
Food loyalists and restaurant lovers are a small corner of the customer base, but it’s boomers and Gen X who could turn the tides of dining trends for the masses. By choosing to branch out and experience something different, older generations can explore their options and potentially save a local business in one fell swoop.
Anthony Bourdain, a well-known chef, author, and travel documentarian, spent a lifetime pursuing the good-eats and the soul of mealtime. Bourdain famously said, “Food is everything we are. It’s an extension of your personal history, your province, your region, your tribe, [and] your grandma.” Food is more than just a meal. It represents who we are as humans by mirroring our culture and our history through the taste buds. While convenience-based meal models may cater to everyone, they satisfy no one. As long as chain restaurants remain busy, they’ll continue to spread like a suburban plague of culinary conformity.
When you go back home for the holidays this year, encourage your elders to try something new. Order some Thai food, drive out to that slow-roast barbecue joint, or grab a scoop at the last old-timey ice cream shoppe in the mall. It may not be as predictable as the Cheesecake Factory, but sometimes experiencing the unknown is the whole point, especially when it comes to food.