sd wrote:

> In article >,
> George > wrote:
>
> > > Tell everyone you know, Maxine and pray they'll stay afloat. Around
> > > here, it's one chain after another. We've got most of them. People
> > > gripe about nothing but chains but don't support the high quality
> > > independent places frequently enough to keep them going.
> >
> > I always patronize a great small business first. I think the main reason
> > why small, good restaurants struggle is lack of mind share. The
> > industrial chains do constant advertising and a lot of people begin to
> > think they are the only option.
>
> That certainly is some of it, but many also suffer from a lack of
> capital and/or an inability to hire and keep good help (cooks as
> well as servers and hosts).
>
> Then there are the customers. Many people are simply risk-averse.
> They are not curious about foods they've never tried before. They
> want to know what to expect when they walk into the restaurant.
> They're willing to settle for singles and doubles because those who
> swing for home runs often strike out. For those people, walking into
> an Applebee's in a new city is the best way of avoiding anything
> unexpected or truly inedible. :-(


And in some smaller places Applebee's or some other chain may be the best
choice by far...

--
Best
Greg