We had to shut down the applebees because no one could afford to eat there in my town
People in here are missing the point. Yeah, Applebees, Olive Garden, IHOP, etc. aren’t “classy”, they’re cheap chain sit-down restaurants. They appeal to a wide audience, cause they are clean, the food is fine, they serve a variety of drinks, and you can go there semi-regularly as long as you have some disposable income.
Sure, you’re not going to see multi-millionaires who grew up rich going there, those people go to the “fancy” chains, like Ruth’s Chris Steak House. But you’d probably see a 6 figure tech job family sitting in a both next to a plumber family sitting next to a doctor family. Which is something you don’t really see at most other places.
Dude, do you know how much a plumber makes?
It’s not really the money, these places just seem like a terrible waste of <eating out calories>. And if you’re getting the lower calorie healthier option on these menus the food is just totally depressing. Always something like “here’s a piece of lemon, some leaves, and a skinless chicken breast.” I’m not paying someone to prepare that for me.
Six figure tech job here. I no longer feel like I can afford Applebee’s, idk about olive garden because the food is gross. Certainly can’t afford drinks and dinner.
All you can eat zupa toscana. It’s the only reason to go to olive garden. The salad is fine also I guess. Hard to fuck up lettuce and Italian dressing. That said I probably go less than once a year.
Applebee’s, on the other hand, I don’t think I’ve been to one in fifteen years.
I don’t really like eating out that much any more unless it’s for something I can’t do at home like sushi or hibachi or a slow roasted brisket. Slop on a plate with sauce or a medium rare ribeye are things I can easily make at home for half the price.
Lmfao Applebee’s isn’t classy at all, it’s like a step above Denny’s. Nobody with money is like ‘you know what I want tonight? some shitty microwaved food in a 90s setting where the service is meh and the cost is 3x what it’s actually worth’. People who think it’s high-class, are not actually high-income. Maybe to the social media influences, not people with real jobs.
Or has the joint turned itself around massively in the last decade?
My wife and I are high income but we used to be very poor. To this day Chili’s is a “go to” date night joint.
I wonder if this article is just an ad for those restaurants. “Eat here to mix with the elites!”
“Eat here to mix with the serfs!”
Serf and turf?
More like “serf & toff”. 🤌🏼
That went over my head, I’m embarrassed to say. You can probably guess which category I’d fall into.
Toff is a slur for rich fucks.
TIL lol
Oh, and don’t you worry none. We’re ALL serfs here. ✊🏽
Slowly turning into a Life in Hell strip
This is incredible. I completely forgot about Groening’s comic strip days. All I used to hear about was the original Simpsons stuff.
so both wealthy and poor people have equally bad palates, gotcha
“That’s what rich people eat; the garbage parts of food.”
“Well I had garbage yesterday and it didn’t cost $300!”
IASIP?
Has the quality gone down at Applebee’s and Olive Garden? I haven’t been to either recently but I recall them being consistently ok, certainly better than “shitty microwaved food”, as one commenter put it. I’m sensing some big “I think it’s super cool to look down on things” energy in this thread.
Olive Garden is still okay, but Applebee’s has definitely declined drastically.
Honestly, it’s just the cool thing to meme on on the Internet. Like saying the ice cream machine at McDonald’s is always down.
They aren’t the greatest, but they’re ok.
both trash honestly it is pretty microwave heavy
The last time I went to Olive Garden my raviolis were clearly microwaved as the food was hot but the shells were rock hard without looking overcooked in any way. It’s all garbage corporate food with a facade of being ‘fancy’ because they have some Italian decor on the walls.
Some people just have no idea what good food is and it’s puzzling to me, but it must not be related to income. I eat out at local restaurants mostly and they are not more expensive than those chains, and the food is way better.
Some of them are much better, some are just as bad. Too many local resteraunts around me have the same Sysco derived menu items. The same coconut shrimp cooked the same way in them all… Sure it is a different name out front and it isn’t a franchise but it may as well be.
You can usually avoid the bad ones using google reviews and a bit of trial and error. I guess it depends where you live, though.
My grandmother always insisted on going to somewhere like Olive Garden or Applebees when I’d go have my regular visits with her. Never understood it, but it made her happy and she didn’t like trying new stuff, so not a big deal. I feel like Boomers have got to be the only people left keeping these places afloat. I don’t know a single person blow 50 who eats there.
Risk reduction. Safe choice.
The food will be ok, there’s a relatively small risk of food poisoning, or having an especially shit meal. You know what you’re getting.
Same business model as chain hotels and blockbusters starring A-listers with name recognition. Customers know it will be just ok, but that’s enough.
This is exactly why I go to McDonald’s when I’m anywhere away from home. It’s almost always the same, and their corporate side is extremely serious about consistency and quality.
Cracker Barrel took this a step further, providing a generic “home-y” feel anywhere in the country.
Cracker Barrel is atrocious though. Absolutely flavorless. It’s the epitome of bland old white people food.
I’d rather eat Applebee’s. At least they use salt.
