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Millennials are killing chains like Buffalo Wild Wings and Applebee's

What a bizarre way to frame the failures of casual dining chain restaurants.

Yeah, it's so interesting how failing businesses and business models are blamed on the consumer when it comes to the millennial generation, instead of the company who can't change their business model. I'm sure there's been a time when that applied to some other industry and consumer, but I love the sense of threat around these articles.
 
Yeah, it's so interesting how failing businesses and business models are blamed on the consumer when it comes to the millennial generation, instead of the company who can't change their business model. I'm sure there's been a time when that applied to some other industry and consumer, but I love the sense of threat around these articles.

Some serious Fox news triggering tactics. Stupid kids too good for my Applebees! No you idiots, it was always garbage all along. But keep eating those well done steaks grandpa.
 
Chain restaurants that are sit down are absolute shit. I haven't ate at one of those places like Applebees or Dennies in over a decade. Only place I've been to like that recently is waffle house and only when I'm passing through some middle of nowhere town on a long road trip and it is late. Can't even begin to figure out why people go to places like this when you can go to a local joint and get food that is ten times better in every way. I absolutely hate sit down chain restaurants. They are terrible.

Those counter service places like chipotle on the other hand are quite good. Their menu is simple, food is good and they have a nice atmosphere. If I eat at a chain it is usually a place like this but I prefer to eat at a local business.
 

old

Member
Yeah, this is the reason bdubs wings have went up so much in price. Wings in general have went up a lot in price.

Fwiw, I still eat st B-Dubs and Applebees, and both still appear to do a good business where I live. There are two of each within 5 miles of my house.

Only reason I go to BW3 is for UFC events. That's it. The food sucks and is overpriced. But I'm not paying $50 to watch a fight.
 

FLEABttn

Banned
Every time someone drags me to BW3, I stare at the menu and wonder why people order "boneless" wings. It's not like they take actual chicken wings and de-bone them. They're just overpriced McNuggets.

Why would I eat food that hasn't been de-boned? I have a man for that.
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
So in other words, Millennials are eating healthier and saving money by cooking at home. If they ate out all the time, we'd hear about how they have an obesity problem and love wasting their money eating out.

Food is already expensive as is, and having to pay an extra few dollars on top of that for a tip makes it hard for people to want to go out, especially with frozen wages.
It's just that millennials stopped getting fiesta lime chicken and now get avocado toast
 

Beach

Member
I can't speak for Applebee's since I've never had a desire to go there but every Bdubs I've been too has been packed at night. It's usually college students too. Not to even mention when the Lakers are playing.
 

Branson

Member
Odd, I went to a wing chain two days ago, and it was completely packed, with the line out the door. Almost everyone was of millennial age. In fact, I looked to be at the older end of the scale at 31. lol

And since when have wing joints not been quick dining?
Yeah Friday and Saturday night here places like they are talking about are packed with people waiting. I don't really go a lot to those except TGIF and Cheddars.
 
Chain restaurants are an affront to local cuisine.

Visits NYC, and what do we see in touristy Time Square? The same suburban crappy chain restaurants that you can find anywhere else.

The chains are a blight to culture
 
BWW's wings aren't even good. They're sauces are decent, but the actual chicken isn't. Much better places to go. Applebee's I'm surprised. Their food is shit, but alot of college kids and poor adolescents go there for half price apps.
 
Appleebees food is garbage, that's why I don't eat there. BWW I'll stop in now and again, and Friday's is too out of the way. I have no issue with going to a sit down restaurant as long as the food is good.
 
BWW's wings aren't even good. They're sauces are decent, but the actual chicken isn't. Much better places to go. Applebee's I'm surprised. Their food is shit, but alot of college kids and poor adolescents go there for half price apps.
I go to BWW about once a year. To pick up a few bottles of sauce. We cook our own breasts, make salads or whatever with it. Sitting down to eat there is horrible and expensive. $10+ for a wrap that consists of shit tier chicken, ranch, sauce and iceberg lettuce wrapped in a 2 cent flour tortilla LOL
 
I don't ever get wings at wings places anymore. I just get the buffalo strips. Wings are ludicrously expensive suddenly now, and they have little meat on them. I don't get the point.

Wings are about the skin to meat ratio and its taste relationship, not about getting as much meat as possible for the buck. Buffalo strips are breaded which gives a different taste to the chicken.
 
Food trucks are killing a lot of casual dining places, especially ones that don't serve good food.

You get hot-off-the-grill food that's restaurant quality, on the cheap.

mmm i wouldnt say always cheap when it comes to food trucks. i remember paying $15 for 2 sliders and garlic fries (granted the serving of said fries was a lot). thats not including a beverage (or appetizer)

and there are sanitation issues with food trucks as well. with bdubs and other dining places they adhere to strict cleanliness codes.
 
For me it's about how healthy a place is and how expensive it is. I'm eating at home a lot more now because I don't have the cash to blow 50 bucks each time my family wants to eat some where. Maybe if wages were better you wouldn't see this problem.
 

Regiruler

Member
As a former cook and long time food fan, there are a few trends here going.

-Americans are becoming more sophisticated about food. Many Millennial grew up in a time of massive growth of food availability, the growth of farmer's markets, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, The Food Network and now Youtube. Simply put your average Millenial know more about food than her parents, who probably doesn't know what Mesclun is.

-The Growth of Fast Casual like Chipotle, Five Guys, Panera, etc. Fast Casual joints offer just as good food as these places at lower prices and less hassle. These joints also have spoiled us so places like Applebees need to offer something more special to bring us in.

-Lack of wage growth. This is huge. It's much cheaper to cook on your own and make things yourself thanks to Youtube, Blue Apron, etc, than to go to an overpriced casual dining chain.

To be fair I've never heard of this either.

EDIT: Oh it's just a salad. Meh.
 

LProtag

Member
I've never been to BWW, but I feel like I don't need to. There's this sports bar in my city known for their wings that's got also got cheap PBR tallboys.

Then there's another dive bar with craft beers and really interesting wing sauces: maple chipotle (tastes like chicken and waffles), orange soda BBQ, then this one that I have no idea what it actually is, but it's the perfect heat.

Why get generic wings and shitty beer selection when you can get this?
 

scogoth

Member
Marketing team: "Our food sucks and young people don't come to our restaurants. I recommend we publicly blame them for our problems, that'll convince them to come to our restaurants!"
 

SDCowboy

Member
Wings are about the skin to meat ratio and its taste relationship, not about getting as much meat as possible for the buck. Buffalo strips are breaded which gives a different taste to the chicken.

I know what the differences are. But for the cost, I can't justify the price of wings these days over strips. At the end of the day, I'm buying buffalo chicken, so I'd rather have significantly more meat for around the same price.
 
The only restaurant like these worth going to is Red Robin.

Red Robin is trash compared to Grizzlies and Applebees, get your tastebuds checked.

Granted, Applebees isn't all that great but they have been getting better the past few years. But for a burger Grizzlies is fucking amazing.

Texas Roadhouse is my go to though for steaks, holy shit do they make them to perfection.
 

otapnam

Member
A big part of those chains being successful was their creation at a time with less selection and less information about food was readily available.(internet)

Now there's competition and people are more educated about food. These shitty chains can't get away with their old strategies anymore
 
Yeah, it's so interesting how failing businesses and business models are blamed on the consumer when it comes to the millennial generation, instead of the company who can't change their business model. I'm sure there's been a time when that applied to some other industry and consumer, but I love the sense of threat around these articles.


Right. These same people always say "Let the market decide!" But then get mad when shit like this happens.
 

Zona

Member
I am become Millennial, destroyer of industries.

Amazing how the generation with the hardon for unregulated free market capitalism can blame the generations under them for "killing" businesses by having different tastes and life situations.

Can't be the businesses fault for failing to adapt, no it's our fault for not liking exactly the same thing as our parents. Or having their level of disposable income.
 

RedHill

Banned
I go to BWW about once a year. To pick up a few bottles of sauce. We cook our own breasts, make salads or whatever with it. Sitting down to eat there is horrible and expensive. $10+ for a wrap that consists of shit tier chicken, ranch, sauce and iceberg lettuce wrapped in a 2 cent flour tortilla LOL
Their macaroni is so expensive for just a small cup. Why go there when I could go to a local place that will load me up with food for less than the price of BWW
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Hardly just millennials.

We're older and love eating at sit down restaurants, but almost never go to chains.

We'd rather support local restaurants with better food and awesome craft beer selections. It costs more, but worth it for the quality and supporting local/small businesses to us.
 

Kard8p3

Member
I legit had to wait an extra 45 minutes after I was told my pickup order was ready at Applebee's, and that place was dead quiet in my tiny ass town. I feel no sorrow in them hurting.
 

Ernest

Banned
People are starting to realize that chain restaurants are crap, and for the same prices, they can get much better, more unique food at independent, chef-driven restaurants.
 

Raging Spaniard

If they are Dutch, upright and breathing they are more racist than your favorite player
I love how the article could be titled "Millenials embrace cooking at home and supporting local restaurants" and it would basically be the same thing.
 

Ryuuga

Banned
"If you weren't buying all that Fre Shavacado toast you'd afford a house, but seriously it's free appetizer night so stop by"
 

ccbfan

Member
Please don't put bww on the same level as applebees.

Applebees is pure crap tier. It's battling with dennys the worst dine in place ever.

Bww have good wings if you find a special sauce you like (their regular buffalo wings are ehh and you can usually find a bar with better wings.) and have a decent beer selection and a great place to game sports.

Also everyone I've been to is packed and full of people under 40 so I'm not sure how millennials are killings bww.
 
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