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Casual dining is in danger — and millennials are to blame.
Brands such as TGI Fridays, Ruby Tuesday, and Applebee's have faced sales slumps and dozens of restaurant closures, as casual dining chains have struggled to attract customers and grow sales.
"Casual-dining restaurants face a uniquely challenging market today," Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith recently wrote in a letter to shareholders.
According to Smith, these sit-down restaurants' struggles can blamed on the most-frequently besmirched generation: millennials.
"Millennial consumers are more attracted than their elders to cooking at home, ordering delivery from restaurants and eating quickly, in fast-casual or quick-serve restaurants," Smith wrote.
Millenials are too focused on food ordering apps and healthy cuisine.
(Score: 3, Informative) by tekk on Tuesday June 06 2017, @03:08AM (13 children)
(Score: 5, Interesting) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday June 06 2017, @03:42AM (12 children)
This is fascinating. As someone who enjoys cooking (and was baking my own bread before "artisan bread" became fashionable to bake at home again), I think it's great to hear people taking an interest in cooking more.
A question though: I completely get the aversion to Applebees, etc., especially due to cost. (I frankly NEVER understood why anyone ate there.) But I note the summary mentions delivery and "fast-casual or quick-serve" restaurants. I've read that places like Panera and Chipotle are thriving. I can't count the number of times in the past few years that people I know have been all excited about going to Panera -- which I think is "fine," but I also don't get.
So, how much of it is more cooking, and how of it is just interest in slightly cheaper and FASTER places to eat? Is speed important? One reason I remember going out with friends to a "casual dining" restaurant was to hang out. It wasn't about the food. It was about socialization. We couldn't yet afford more expensive restaurants, and we didn't want go to a take-out or fast-food joint: we wanted to hang out. Is that dynamic changing? I rarely see people lingering at Panera (not that I ever go there except when dragged by someone else). I really don't want to risk stereotyping, but the younger folks I do know somewhat seem so addicted to devices that I can't imagine sitting around for 90 minutes and just hanging out at a restaurant table with them. (Heck, more older adults also seem to be that way too, so I won't blame it on "Millennials.") Is that a factor at all? People just want to grab and go or get take-out, since sitting around a restaurant table socializing for extended periods is less important?
I'm just curious and wondering.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Tuesday June 06 2017, @04:05AM
Other venues of socialization has arsed that gives a better value of the resources put in?
(Score: 2) by tekk on Tuesday June 06 2017, @06:02AM (1 child)
I think that may be more a matter of availability? Not that my friends and I don't socialize when we're at a sit-down restaurant, and I don't think we count it against it. The thing is that restaurants are kind of shitty for socializing, more noise, etc. A lot of the time when we just hang out and talk we order from one of those food delivery services. They contract with a bunch of restaurants in the area and act as a delivery service for them, so everyone can just order from the restaurant they like, it all arrives at the same time, and all eat together at somebody's house. The only consistent time we would eat out and socialize was on Tuesdays when the local pizza place I mentioned above had $2 draft beers and $3 slices, so we'd get lunch there if we could afford it that week. Just spend an hour between classes talking about whatever and depending on your schedule getting a bit buzzed to make one particular class more bearable.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 06 2017, @06:31AM
Over the last 15 years or so restaurants have become much louder. [grubstreet.com] Its both a deliberate trend (playing music) and accidental (architectural choices that reflect rather than absorb plus opening the kitchen to the dining area).
(Score: 2) by jimshatt on Tuesday June 06 2017, @07:07AM
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday June 06 2017, @11:09AM (5 children)
When it gets to cheap and fast, it's not about eating, it's about ingesting some nutrients until you get a proper meal... I guess.
Facebook happened since? A whole generation grown with it already?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Interesting) by urza9814 on Tuesday June 06 2017, @12:58PM (4 children)
That's generally how I feel about the "fast casual" establishments. I swear I can feel the grease coating my throat after I eat at one of those places. I'll stop at a TGI Friday's if I'm stuck in an airport or something but that's about it. Compare that to Chipotle (for example), which is much faster and, while it's still basically fast food, at least it's not so goddamn greasy that it and everything it touches shines like fuckin glass. Even the *bread* at most fast casual places has a greasy sheen to it! And I'm not even talking about health impacts, I just feel disgusting after handling that crap. And then you end up with half a plate of that slop left over 'cause they give you (and charge you for...) a big enough portion to feed a whole goddamn family...they're gross enough the first time, the leftovers certainly don't improve with age. I feel crappy from eating it, I feel crappy from handling it, I feel crappy from throwing half of it away.
Hang out? When there's fifty big screen TVs blaring three different football games at full volume all day and night? I'll stick with the neighborhood pub where you can actually hear the person you're trying to talk to...plus it's in the neighborhood, not a strip mall twenty minutes away, so I can walk there...'cause that kind of "socialization" often includes drinking, and I can't drink if I've gotta drive home. And if I *am* drinking I wanna actually drink BEER, not the pisswater Bud Light crap you'll find at such chains. But ultimately we usually order delivery, sit at home and smoke a bowl -- another thing you can't do at a restaurant. And if we do leave the TV on at least we can watch something decent.
But fuck man, there are other places where you can go and socialize and share a meal or whatever other than friggin Applebees. The ONLY advantages the fast casual chains have is consistency and recognition...but I can grab my phone and instantly pull up a dozen restaurants that I never knew existed within walking distance of my house...and I can check the menu to see what they have, and check the reviews to see if it's any good, so that chain advantage doesn't mean much these days. These chains aren't daily dining locations, they're for highway off-ramps or airports or train stations. Places where you want something comfortable and recognizable, and don't mind it being overpriced and mediocre.
And hell, I'd actually be *embarrassed* to take a date to an Applebees. Literally I'd take her to McDonalds before I'd take her to Applebees. At least if you're doing McDonalds there's a goddamn reason; the fast casual chain means you've got the money to go out, you've got transportation to go out (since they're always off some highway near the edge of town) you've got the time to go out...and yet you still failed to find anywhere interesting to go. It says that you can't be bothered to make an effort, you can't be bothered to even lift your phone out of your pocket and open Google. And that you're some kind of hermit that doesn't know your local area and can't be bothered to fake it.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Tuesday June 06 2017, @01:00PM
Minor correction...where I said "fast casual" should have just been "casual" I guess by the terminology of this article. Goddamn they're breaking out some fine-grained categories...
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday June 06 2017, @01:49PM (1 child)
Atta boy... if they play some jazz at barely audible level, even better.
Beat me if I understand why. Never been in one, none around for some 10000km+ (green). What's their theme?
My Nokia feature phone doesn't play well with Google - and gosh it's more complicated than I need from a phone (phone and alarm clock).
And I know my local area as the back of my palm - no eating place for less than 10 km around, and the closest is a fish-and-chips takeaway; when I bought the home, this was a feature.
But then, I'm not at an age when people are incline to dating.
Why am I telling you this? Because it puts the whole thing in perspective: I'm quite comfortable in my skin, if I need to socialize I invite my friends at home or go to their place - happens as often as once every 2 years or so (they live more than 30 km away anyway, some are even on another continents).
Even Google got bored to trace and second-guess my needs or tastes.
Compare with yourself: you can go drinking and still walk home inebriated, you are fast to use a smartphone and Google. There may be some differences in personality between us, but for sure growing up (or not) with Google and social media as a daily reality makes a big difference between our lifestyles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Tuesday June 06 2017, @07:55PM
Blah. Yes, that's the theme -- "blah." They serve generic mass-produced American cuisine that's generally not very interesting or outstanding in any way. It's not awful, but generally overpriced considering how boring the cuisine is. (And I have nothing against people who like standard generic "American food," but you can likely find a local non-chain restaurant other than Applebee's that at least has some "character" among similar dishes.)
Just to give you an anecdote: when I was young, I had a close friend whose (blue-collar) family was really into generic American status symbols. They'd skimp and save money on most everyday stuff, but they had the generic big-screen TV (for that time), stereo system, nice cars, etc. Nothing that made them "stand out" or was unusual -- just the standard American symbols of success. My friend's dream meal for many years was eating the most expensive item on the menu at Applebee's -- a porterhouse steak, I believe.
Despite what I've just said, I don't really judge people who like Applebee's. Everyone has their own tastes. But I can understand why someone would say it's not a good place to take a date -- because it basically sends a message like, "I can't come up with anything more interesting to do."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 06 2017, @04:00PM
Agreed, I can't even get my wife to go to Buffalo Wild Wings anymore because it is too damn loud to hear each other from across the table.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Tuesday June 06 2017, @12:33PM
For the first two, either delivery food, or popping into somewhere like Subway on the way home fits the bill. For the last one, I wouldn't want to go to one of these crappy chains (though they don't exist much around here). There are a number of places near here that do much better food for a similar price to one of the chains in TFA and provide a more comfortable environment to sit and talk for a couple of hours.
They're in an awkward spot where they're more expensive than fast food, less convenient than delivery, and less nice than most small-chain or non-chain restaurants. As I understand it, their main appeal is that the food quality is exactly the same menu and exactly the same quality everywhere. That was appealing to a generation that didn't travel much and always wanted something like home when they did, but not so much to anyone born after the 1960s.
sudo mod me up
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Tuesday June 06 2017, @01:26PM
I'm 37. I can cook which I do. I think the issue largely is time. If I want to cook I have to pick up groceries. That's a trip to the store that's at least half an hour. If I pick it up on the way home, it's just 10-15 minutes. I then have to get everything prepared and cook which is upward of an hour, maybe less maybe more. Sure I'll spend $20 on enough food to last me a few days but that's for a single dish. I then have to eat that dish for the next few days. Plus the labor of cleaning up.
OR
Walk down to the halal place and pick up a chicken/lamb/combo over rice dish for $7.50. Or drive a few minutes to another halal cart that packs the dish so high they have to squish it closed (two meals) plus a free drink for $6. There's also the Dominican restaurant around the corner that has full dinners for $8 that can easily be split in two. Multiple pizza places with a big heaping chicken or other special slice for $4 (whole meal). Mexican joint with $2.50 fresh tacos or $8-10 dishes. Chinese food dinner combos with an egg roll for about $7. All within a 5 min walking distance. For me, it's not too bad. So I eat take out a bunch.
I get home later on overtime days so I'm beat. If I don't have leftovers that night I'm getting take out. On weekends I eat my own food unless I'm going out to do something social. Usually, I cook sunday night for the next few days. Then from about wednesday-friday I eat out. Sometimes I cook those days if I'm in the mood or get home early enough.