Reply #92: May not be fair but it's correct

[NeedleCast]

I've worked at both owner-operated and chain restaurants and the turn-over rate at chains is astronomical. Its also very mercenary. It was always sort of funny as a manager looking through a stack of resumes, many of which looked like a whos-who of large chain restaurants with the applicant serving two weeks to three months at any combination of Applebees, Chilis, Ruby Tuesday, Outback, Borders, Cheesecake Factory, Olive Garden etc. etc. etc. Those applications went to the bottom of the pile unless I was desperate.

I've always said you can tell if a restuaraunt is good by the length that the staff has been there. Staff isn't going to stay if they aren't making money. That's why the owner-operated places tend to have server that have been there five, ten, twenty years.

You know what always killed me when I was traveling 200+ days a year on business...I always wanted to go find good, local cuisine. You're not going to find that at the chains. At Chilis, a chicken taco is a chicken taco whether it's in San Diego or New York. But you know, we'd be going to Seattle or Omaha or Cleveland and there'd always be a few in the group going "Ooooooo! They have a Cheesecake Factory here! Lets eat there tonight!" Because yeah, you can't find a Cheesecake Factory in the D.C. area.

Yeesh. I think I broke a few of them of that habit, but some people have no sense of adventure when it comes to food.