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Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Again - so what? Why is it harmful to YOU, who wouldn't eat there anyway, that some people want to go OUT to eat, and can't afford the high-end restaurants like the ones you specified in your post? If someone doesn't want to cook at home, and wants to go OUT to eat, and can't afford a fancy high-end restaurant, Applebee's is an option. Even if it's microwaved. I mean, I microwave my "baked" potatoes and corn on the cob and they come out better anyway. But I don't want to clean up or do any of the prep work. I just want to sit down and have everyone else do all the work for me once in awhile. That's why people dine OUT. So that they don't have to do the work themselves.

It's also a good reason to get out of the house. You go to Applebee's or World of Beer or whatever else is in the area, and enjoy the evening with free music in the town square. You make a night of it, at a reasonable expense if you're on a budget.

People who have lots of money might not appreciate that. But people with lots of money are able to go to their Waldorf-Astoria steakhouse. If you meant there were better places at similar prices elsewhere, you wouldn't have selected THAT as your example.

Us plebes like dining out too, in a restaurant atmosphere with waiter service. For us, places like Applebees are an affordable option.

Enjoy your $65 filet mignon and $13 french fries on the side at the Bull and Bear. I'll pay $25 for a cheeseburger, fries, and tip, and a drink, and be able to afford to do it twice right across the street from my house, and get free dancing and live music at the same time.

We are just average folksy people here, but it is not a crime to like aged beef on rare occasions (once or twice a year). We are no better than anybody else and can’t stand the snooty. We like all food and many restaurants in the local area. Gio’s and Francesco’s are both in the northern area and we tend to frequent them. We love fresh cooked food and it isn’t necessarily high priced in many situations. I’m just saying it isn’t a catastrophe to loose a chain restaurant like Applebees. We love the squares and we love our community, you don’t have to spend a mint to enjoy a nice night out here. We also don’t have to pay for or consume food that was placed in boil bags or microwaved to be served to me. Applebee’s is a poor example of the restaurant middle man model.