General Discussion

Sherman A1

(38,958 posts) Wed Dec 28, 2011, 06:33 AM Dec 2011

Zombie restaurants [View all]

You see them all across the country, in shopping malls and street corners, suburban towns and city centers: zombie restaurants.

Many of the undead are part of familiar chains that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this year: Friendly’s, Chevys, Sbarro, Perkins. The zombie restaurants, barely bringing in enough cash to cover basic expenses, always seem to be one sizzling fajita or glazed chicken skewer away from a merciful end, but somehow keep hanging on — leaving too many restaurants chasing after scarce dining dollars.

“There’s a lot of walking dead,” said Bob Goldin, executive vice president for Technomic, a consulting firm that works with restaurant companies. “A lot of chains, they hang in there and they’re hard to kill off.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/28/business/bankrupt-restaurants-are-still-holding-on.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha25

A sign of the times?

Click here to purchase valentine hearts!

46 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Zombie restaurants [View all] Sherman A1 Dec 2011 OP

I READ SUBJECT LINES ONLY. That said, Zombies need to eat too. Cooley Hurd Dec 2011 #1

I only eat at the ones zombies go to jberryhill Dec 2011 #2

Excuse me, Miss...could you bring us another serving of fresh Brains? BlueJazz Dec 2011 #3

"Eat? Youbetcha." - Zombie Liberation Front (ZLF) SpiralHawk Dec 2011 #9

To truly appreciate zombie restaurants one must go to the Persian Gulf Sen. Walter Sobchak Dec 2011 #4

I LOVED Showbiz Pizza as a kid. Fawke Em Dec 2011 #14

How about Shakey's?? blueamy66 Dec 2011 #44

For the love of God, won't someone think of the profits!? JHB Dec 2011 #5

Agreed Sherman A1 Dec 2011 #7

No argument JHB Dec 2011 #8

You are right, we should try and boycott these places Motown_Johnny Dec 2011 #13

Its because the workers didn't wear enough flair Ichingcarpenter Dec 2011 #6

:) fishwax Dec 2011 #36

Perkins??? Odin2005 Dec 2011 #10

It's a diner type restaurant Aerows Dec 2011 #16

Perkins is good for breakfast. Other meals, not so much. MineralMan Dec 2011 #17

I've never eaten anything but breakfast there Aerows Dec 2011 #19

Perkins is common in the South, I think. ParkieDem Dec 2011 #22

Not in the deep South. I live in North Georgia and have never heard of a Perkins restaurant. n't RebelOne Dec 2011 #42

I know that, I was suprised that it is in trouble. Odin2005 Dec 2011 #24

I love their breakfast Aerows Dec 2011 #40

Yup! Odin2005 Dec 2011 #41

Hell, that would be a hell of a chain concept - BRAINS! HopeHoops Dec 2011 #11

maybe, but... JHB Dec 2011 #12

I never thought of zombies as fashion conscious. HopeHoops Dec 2011 #21

I never thought of zombies as conscious at all! n/t oneshooter Dec 2011 #35

With the right marketing and the right buzz Retrograde Dec 2011 #30

People eat animal testicles too. Some things just wouldn't appeal to me even if I still... HopeHoops Dec 2011 #39

There's got to be a reality show in here somewhere ashling Dec 2011 #15

I loved Chevys proud2BlibKansan Dec 2011 #18

What was Chevy's? liberalhistorian Dec 2011 #20

pseudo mexican restaurant pretending to be the real thing. lunatica Dec 2011 #23

With great food proud2BlibKansan Dec 2011 #33

At best it's passable lunatica Dec 2011 #43

Not everyone wants the real thing proud2BlibKansan Dec 2011 #45

It's still only passable since I wasn't referring to spicy chile dishes lunatica Dec 2011 #46

They're still around. My family and I eat there every once in awhile. neverforget Dec 2011 #29

250 miles away from me. proud2BlibKansan Dec 2011 #34

Ours closed a few weeks ago as well fishwax Dec 2011 #37

I remember reading an article here on DU about some restaurants "re-calibrating" to .... Hassin Bin Sober Dec 2011 #25

Check out the ROC Diners' Guide just1voice Dec 2011 #26

It is a good source of information Sherman A1 Dec 2011 #28

interesting story. saving to read later Liberal_in_LA Dec 2011 #27

Not Friendlys! Retrograde Dec 2011 #31

Yes, Friendlys Sherman A1 Dec 2011 #38

Slightly off-topic film recommendation: anybody ever seen the documentary "Family Business"? Proud Public Servant Dec 2011 #32