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From an "opinion" in today's Inquirer.
Al
Krigman (Left of Ivan Groznyj) ================================================
Chains affirm strength of Center City
By Sandy Smith Sandy Smith lives, writes and eats in Center City. The Quizno's chain wants to open a sub shop on Rittenhouse Row. Man the barricades! Venerable Bookbinders Seafood House on 15th Street is slated to become another Applebee's. Horrors! There is much wailing and gnashing of teeth over chain restaurants' invading hallowed dining turf in Philadelphia. Eateries such as Applebee's, critics say, threaten the vitality of the city's distinctive independent restaurants. Franchises such as Quizno's go one step further by diluting Walnut Street's reputation for fine dining. I hate to burst the critics' bubble, but these battles already have been lost. Are inexpensive or moderate-price chain restaurants - serving burgers, big salads, chicken tenders and frosty drinks - really a threat to fine dining? If so, then people should have begun picketing the moment McDonald's brought its Big Macs to the 1700 block of Walnut Street. Some say national chains lack local character; sure they do. But that thinking would mean that it probably was a mistake to allow the Capital Grille, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Morton's of Chicago, and McCormick & Schmick's to open here. There also are Maggiano's Little Italy, the Fox & Hound, Elephant & Castle, Buca di Beppo - and the list goes on. The problem with the critics is that they do not understand the significance of the influx of chain restaurants into Center City, which actually has been going on for quite some time. Their presence is an affirmation of Center City's strength as a dining destination and of its attractiveness to visitors from beyond the region who want to dine near our tourist attractions. Chain eateries cater to a certain type of customer: someone who expects a certain level of consistency - even predictability - at a certain price when dining out. We may lament these diners' lack of adventuresome spirit, but we shouldn't discourage them from spending their time and money downtown. Many of the same customers who seek the familiar on some occasions enjoy experiencing the new and different on others. I'll wager that some of the people who pack Stephen Starr's El Vez most evenings also can be found hanging out on 13th Street at Chili's occasionally - though they may not want to admit it to their friends. If Manhattan is big enough to accommodate the fine diners, the adventurous, the trendy and the Olive Garden crowd, we should be, too. Center City's dining scene has plenty of room for both savvy local entrepreneurs and the suits who run the corporation that scatters Chili's and Maggiano's restaurants across the landscape. We don't need to break out the brass band when another chain announces it is opening in town, but neither do we need to sound the alarm. |
