This guy knows. He’s stayed at a Holiday Inn a time or 2.

Let’s all have a moment of silence for how wrong Snags was.

Not that there is anything wrong with profit but these groups that buy these restaurants put it first and foremost, above everything. Quality, Service matters secondary. When you put profit up there solo as your driving factor for everything and get that linear with that aspect, there is the irony that it will be the biggest thing that suffers. Thats what has happened here.

Assuming you mean, full service rest chains, yes. Wes actually nailed it dead on. I hate when we agree. Wait, I like it. Wait....I don't know. QSRs will probably never die because it's relatively cheap and its fast/convenient. But for FSR, no one wants to pay for that anymore with the return you get now (crappy food, crappy service, bad interiors, high prices).

Last time I went to Red Lobster was just atrocious. I didn't want to go but had a nice gift card. I think Thai Union Group  owns them and a few others. All equally plastic cookie cutter. Darden Group may be the worst of them all.

This guy knows. He’s stayed at a Holiday Inn a time or 2.

Let’s all have a moment of silence for how wrong Snags was.

I don’t think the chains are fazing out.  Here in little ole Dothan, we’ve had them all, from Applebee’s to Outback to Texas Longhorn etc.  We’ve had a few drop by the wayside, like O’Charley’s and TGIFridays.  For the most part, they’re still here. 

The problem is two-fold.  Here in the Wiregrass, we have waaayyy too many restaurants for it to be sustainable for everybody.  Some are just simply not going to make it from a numbers standpoint.  The other is overall service.  I don’t care who you are, whether it’s a national chain, or the mom and pop diner down the street.  If you don’t make it a good experience from a service and food perspective, you will lose business.  Way too much competition, and the prices are too high all around.  So, if you don’t keep your game stepped up, and up to date, you’re not going to make it. Doesn’t matter if you’re a chain.

There are some here,  like Outback, Logan’s, Cracker Barrell, Olive Garden, Texas Longhorn…if you don’t get there early, just grab a buzzer and enjoy a smoke or six, if that’s your thing. You’re going to be there a while.  Others, like O’Charley’s and TGIFridays closed their doors.  Never updated.  Never had anything special that made you want to come.  Too much competition, so they closed. 

Bottom line is, with the prices everybody is charging, you have to be on your game and make people want to come back.  If that’s not important to you, you won’t stay in business.

Have you ever sen a giraffe run?

I thought TJ Finley was through with football?

It's hedge fund ownership.  They squeeze everything for max profit, quality falters and the business fades.