Restaurants

Radiantsoul

Most of the restaurants around me seem to be chains, with the possible exception of Indian restaurants. I wonder why this is?

Likewise most takeaway food is now chain based, with good fish and chips shops almost gone, the only exception seems to be fried chicken and kebab places.

nearlynew

There may be many reasons, but the high cost of property is the main reason.

chewmylegoff

probably got a lot to do with

(a) lower cost barrier to opening up as a franchisee rather than an independent operation

(b) the fact that anyone successful expands and becomes a chain.

there are still a lot of independent takeaways around me, but they're all cack.

Radiantsoul

Interesting that there is not a McDonalds of indian food.

FTBFun

Masala Zone?

Euphoria1z

Radiantsoul wrote: »

Interesting that there is not a McDonalds of indian food.

Theres a Mcindians in leicester

IronWolf

Radiantsoul wrote: »

Interesting that there is not a McDonalds of indian food.

McDonalds success was its fast food revolution - the fact you only waited 1 minute for your food. Now its expanded it has the economies of scale and buying power that mean smaller firms can't compete.

I think the appeal of chain stores is firstly the pricing, and secondly that people like familiarity and like to know what they're getting. Quite a lot of people are fussy eaters, especially kids, and you just go with what you know you like.

Curry always tastes the same, that's probably why there's no chains. A tikka masala from one restaurant tastes the same as a tikka masala from another to me.

Thrugelmir

Radiantsoul wrote: »

Most of the restaurants around me seem to be chains, with the possible exception of Indian restaurants. I wonder why this is?

Purchasing power. Economy of scale with standard formats.

Like many retail operations. Centralised distribution has changed the market place.

[Deleted User]

A friend who's family runs a lot of chains says the British public are so 'brand' driven it's very hard to make much money from a 'non-branded' restaurant.

the_flying_pig

ringo_24601 wrote: »

A friend who's family runs a lot of chains says the British public are so 'brand' driven it's very hard to make much money from a 'non-branded' restaurant.

yeah, dunno.

this could be rubbish but it does seem to be my observation that UK high streets have fewer independent businesses than pretty much anywhere else I've been, including the US, Australia, rest of Europe, etc.

I think that some of the reasons could be about extreme risk aversity when buying from a new/untested place.

also as a country i'm not sure we have much of an entrepeneurial ethos anymore. maybe the noughties pwoperdee gold rush played a part in this? I'm sure that lots of younger [say in their thirties] landlords are people who'd have set up proper businesses [rather than just buying up secondhand assets] in days gone by?

Thrugelmir

the_flying_pig wrote: »

this could be rubbish but it does seem to be my observation that UK high streets have fewer independent businesses than pretty much anywhere else I've been, including the US,

The shopping malls in the US are primarily occupied by chains or franchises.

The independents are more often found in smaller towns where there isn't the footfall to warrant the investment by the big boys.