QOTW - chains

[Vanquisher]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could?

3. Best chain restaurant?

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)?

5. Worst chain restaurant?

6. Worst chain store?

[medpedspouse]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?

Cafe Express

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could?

TJs

3. Best chain restaurant?

I am actually impressed with Cheesecake Factory. Not healthy but their ginormous menu is very consistent no matter where you go.

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)?

TJs

5. Worst chain restaurant?

I hate Cracker Barrel. My ILs favorite. I call it Bubba Grub.

6. Worst chain store?[/QUOTE]

Macys...other than sponsoring an awesome parade, they suck.

[alotofyarn]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could? Pappasitos is a local chain, but it would be my first choice. Otherwise, maybe California Pizza Kitchen. Oh, Torchy's Tacos too, another local-ish chain. Flying Saucer for sure. And Taco Cabana and Whataburger.

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could? Not that I can think of right now. We just got a Hobby Lobby, so I'm excited about that. Ooh, a Spec's would be really nice.

3. Best chain restaurant? Probably all the ones that we don't have. I love Sonic drinks. I do really like Cheesecake Factory. We just got one here, but I haven't gone yet. I like most Italian (Olive Garden, Johnny Carino's, Carrabbas, Maggianos) and steak (Outback, Texas Roadhouse) chains.

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)? I mostly shop at Ann Taylor Loft and Banana Republic Outlet. HEB is pretty nice, although I never shopped there when I lived in Houston because the Kroger was so much closer. Publix would be good too.

5. Worst chain restaurant? Buffalo Wild Wings (I should probably try this again - we've only been once and thought the chicken tasted frozen).

6. Worst chain store? Wal-Mart? I hate the crowds. I don't really shop at department stores because they're too big and I never know where to start. I do better with smaller stores with fewer options.

[MAPPLEBUM]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?
Tijuana Flats, or Mellow Mushroom. Though I haven't been to either in years.

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could?
Publix

3. Best chain restaurant?
Hooters

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)?
Whole Foods

5. Worst chain restaurant?
Waffle House

6. Worst chain store?
Forever 21


(#3 was a joke)

[Ladybug]

1. I would bring Le Madeline's to Albany. I love lunch there and it reminds me of my favorite grandmother. It's her favorite place to eat.

2. Nordstroms! Saks! Crate and barrel!

Heidi, Albany now has a TJs, whole foods and market bistro. The grocery market has *exploded* since we moved here. The clothing market and furniture market are due for some investment now. They might be waiting to see how all these new high-end food chains do...

3. Our favorite chain restaurant is macaroni grill because you can color on the table, stuff kid with Mac-n-chez and drink house wine by the glass. We've had some pretty impressive crayon art on our tables.

4. Best chain-whole foods, nordies. I could shop at those two stores for the rest of my life, none other needed.

5. Worst chain...Applebee's

6. Worst chain store...Spencer's

[WolfpackWife]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?

Breugger's Bagels. God I miss Breugger's.

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could?

Harris Teeter

3. Best chain restaurant?

I have to say, I'm a sucker for run-of-the-mill chain Mexican (blasphemous to those of you in areas of the country with great Mexican dives). La Rancherita, Mexico Restaurant, just to name a few.

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)?

Whole Foods or Harris Teeter

5. Worst chain restaurant?

Applebee's or Chili's. Not a fan.

6. Worst chain store?

Walmart. Maybe I just live near a particularly disorganized, gross, awful one but I can't stand it.

[ladymoreta]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?
Genghis Grill

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could?
Whole Foods

3. Best chain restaurant?
Mortons. For a little less pricey, Pappasito's Cantina.

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)?
Target

5. Worst chain restaurant?
Logan's (maybe that's just the one here)

6. Worst chain store?
Wal-Mart

[diggitydot]

I'm kinda glad that we don't have a lot of chain anything around here.

[Pollyanna]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?

Hmmm, I can't think of anything that we don't already have.


2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could?

I guess Ikea would be fun but I don't pine for one.

3. Best chain restaurant?

Hands down, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. Have never had a bad meal there.

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)?

Nordstroms for sure.


5. Worst chain restaurant?

I know folks will be shocked but Panera. Seriously, everything they make has a funky smell and aftertaste. Blech, no thanks!

6. Worst chain store?

Burlington Coat Factory. I have yet to be in one that is clean and the disorganization is mystifying.

[diggitydot]

I'm not a huge Panera fan, either. Their food all tastes super salty to me.

[corn poffi]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?

Maoz.

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could?

We are finally getting a Nordstrom next year!!! That was always my go-to answer when asked that question. Now that that's happening, I'd like to see a Trader Joe's in my neighborhood. We already have a couple of them, but for my own selfish reasons, I want one down the street from my apt.

3. Best chain restaurant?

That we already have? Ummmm Chipotle? I do like Chipotle from time to time. I don't like those sit-down chain restaurants. Blergh.

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)?

Nordstrom. Duh.

5. Worst chain restaurant?

Most of them...Gloria Jean's will probably prove to be one of the downfalls of human civilization.

6. Worst chain store?

VS Pink. That place can go back to the hot pink hell it came from.

[rain_dancer]

1. What chain restaurant would you bring?
Either In N Out Burger or Chipotle

2. What other chain would you bring?
REI. That place feels like home to me...I also love IKEA, Crate and Barrel, and Whole Foods, but I'd be in serious trouble budget-wise if we had these stores here.

3. Best chain restaurant? See my answer to #1

4. Best chain store? See my answer to #2

5. Worst chain restaurant?
I think a lot of the chain restaurants pretty much meet my (low) expectations. So I'm going to say Primanti Bros (I think it's a local chain) because of all their hype, which I don't understand after eating there. I wasn't really impressed.

6. Worst chain store?
Walmart. And don't crucify me, but Target kind of bothers me. It makes me mad that they lower prices on items by $0.02 and call it a sale (I consider that false advertising) and they only ever seem to have 2 check-out lanes open regardless of how busy. But I still shop there. It's a love-hate relationship

5. Worst chain restaurant? Applebees, TGIF, Ruby Tuesday, Chilis, Cheesecake Factory (why would you want to eat in a place that admits their food is from a factory?), Olive Garden... pretty much 99% of all chain restaurants are on my no-fly list.

6. Worst chain store? Walmart. I will not go into a Walmart. Kroger is no prize as a grocery chain. P

This sound like a list of the majority of chains near us! And I can't say I disagree with your assessment.

[corn poffi]

Target bothers me too!!! I think Target is basically Walmart with better PR.

I forgot about IKEA. It would be nice to have an IKEA nearby, but maybe in some random suburb at least 20 min away. I don't want to have to deal with the crazy traffic that comes along with it!

[PrincessFiona]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?
I'm so sheltered that I don't know what's out there.

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could? Same as #1

3. Best chain restaurant? We prefer to eat at non-chain restaurants when possible. I do like Star of India.

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)? I'm not sure. I know I stink at this thread.

5. Worst chain restaurant? Applebees, TGIF

6. Worst chain store? Wal-Mart (and yet we shop there for the prices)

[bobk]

1. What chain restaurant that you don't have in your city would you bring in if you could?
Pei Wei, Elevation Burger (small chain that's basically an upscale Five Guys)

2. Is there another chain store (not a restaurant) you would bring to your city if you could?
Wegmans, Bob's Store (I think these are only in the NY-Boston corridor)

3. Best chain restaurant?
Cheesecake Factory, Chipotle

4. Best chain store (grocery, department, etc.)?
Whole Foods

5. Worst chain restaurant?
TGIF, Buffalo Wild Wings

6. Worst chain store?
Walmart (I could write an essay about this, but to summarize, the damage to my psyche is not worth saving $5)