Post #200178 by foamy on Sat, Nov 26, 2005 10:14 PM

I dislike the new big chain restaurants. I don't get it. They're always full. Full of mostly obnoxious people. I get the same type of meal out of my grocer's freezer. I just don't put it on a plate and fluff it up. They're killing the unique places. The places where food, service and atmosphere mattered, or didn't, either way... the world is going to hell in a hand-basket.

I was travelling with some friends and we stopped at a Hooters (I had no say in the matter). I went in and was astounded. Hooters marketing must really work. Like your experience, I couldn't hear myself think. A gazillion TVs blasting every different sport you could imagine. Conversation was difficult at best. A lame menu, 90% of which you could find on any of the other chain restaurant menus. Or in your grocer's freezer. What really got me was the crowd. Of course there were the guys, guys you would expect to find there. But wait! There's guys bringing their dates there (which I don't get), there's groups of girls there. To be where the guys are maybe? Senior citizens, husbands and wives. The topper: A family brought their 6 or 7 year old son there for his birthday party and of course, invited all the relatives. Everyone seemed to be having a great time.

For a long time, I've wondered... is it just me? I just went X-mas shopping and I'm coming to this sad conclusion: it may very well be.