Tom’s Franchise Information Blog

I started thinking about how you really do know what you are getting with a chain restaurant location the other day. I was out of town to relax and shop for the afternoon when I had a different experience. I was just walking around when hunger struck so I stopped in at a small restaurant that was located in the shopping district. I ordered one of my usuals from a chain restaurant back home.

The chili burger I got was not what I am familiar with. I had been waiting anxiously for it but wasn’t impressed by what was delivered to me. The portions at this restaurant were much more than at the one I often frequent. I was expecting the burger to be smothered in delicious homemade green chili that was spicy but not beyond the ability to eat it. I ended up with red chili though that I am sure wasn’t homemade.

This is the type of scenario that makes a chain restaurant so appealing. You know exactly what you are going to get when you walk in the door. The menu, the portions, and the ingredients are all going to be the same. There is no guessing as to what you will end up with or surprises along the way.

Traveling is a common theme for many people. They go to visit family members, to take care of business for their jobs, and to take a well deserved vacation as a break from their daily routine. Regardless of the reason for why they are traveling though they will all need to eat. A chain restaurant takes the guess work out of what your meal will consist of and what it will taste like.

Most chain restaurants are well aware of this fact. They capitalize on it by offering logos that people easily recognize. A child may not know how to spell McDonald’s but I guarantee you that even a two year old knows what those golden arches mean when they see them. People associate the quality experiences they have had at such locations and they are willing to repeat them again and again.

With all of the instant customers that a chain restaurant can have as the result of this, people are very interested in owning them. They know they will have a successful business right from the start. They will also get the training they need to operate it and all of the necessary equipment. There is often a high price associated with chain food restaurants to buy them though.

Yet being part of a chain restaurant can be detrimental at times too. If another business with the same name is struggling due to poor food, sanitation issues, or even the finding of a foreign object in the food it can adversely affect your particular location as well.

I personally love chain food restaurants though. I enjoy being able to order my meal and know exactly what it is that will be served to me. Sometimes I am willing to try new restaurants and some of them I really like. However, if I have my choice between an unknown location and a chain restaurant, the latter will win almost every time.

Patricia Farnham - Restaurant industry veteran, owner/operator, author and enthusiast.
If you’re considering starting your own restaurant, or buying an existing operation, there are vital concepts you need to know
to make it profitable. Check out her opinions regarding opening a restaurant on her website.

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