Learned something surprising a couple days ago about the fast food industry

DerekJohnson

I was talking to my sister who lives in Arizona. She works for one of the nation's largest commercial property management companies. They collect rents for Walmart, Red Lobster, Target, etc. She said fast food chains are making a killing during Covid. They have significantly lowered overhead while having long lines of customers at the drive-thru windows. She says they are doing better now than before the Covid lockdowns. I found this to be shocking but she insists it's true.

Bob_C

Of course they are. People are poorer and the competition of quick dine in has been eliminated. Never seen so much fast food trash in parking lots, everyone is wasting in their cars.

LoneStarDawg

And zero dining in, so way more streamlined

whatshouldicareabout

DerekJohnson said:

I was talking to my sister who lives in Arizona. She works for one of the nation's largest commercial property management companies. They collect rents for Walmart, Red Lobster, Target, etc. She said fast food chains are making a killing during Covid. They have significantly lowered overhead while having long lines of customers at the drive-thru windows. She says they are doing better now than before the Covid lockdowns. I found this to be shocking but she insists it's true.

Pretty sure @Pitchfork51 chinned this because of Arizona

Tequilla

Bob_C said:

Of course they are. People are poorer and the competition of quick dine in has been eliminated. Never seen so much fast food trash in parking lots, everyone is wasting in their cars.

Perhaps true in some parts of the country ... but fast food (unless you live on the value menu) at least in Seattle isn't that much cheaper than actual good food

Tequilla

LoneStarDawg said:

And zero dining in, so way more streamlined

This I think is the bigger issue

I much prefer going to a restaurant and eating compared to fast food ... but I can't really sit down easily in a restaurant and have a beer or whatever and watch some sports while I wait for my food, it becomes more tied to would I rather wait the 5-10 minutes to get the fast food by my house or the 30+ minutes to get a meal in a restaurant plus the time to drive to/from?

It's all about substitution and value ... and current conditions makes fast food look a little better.

LoneStarDawg

Soylent green is covid people!

PurpleThrobber

RIP, Hooters girls.

Pitchfork51

I can't stand sitting down in restaurants

I don't mind the bar.

But restaurants nowadays are bullshit. After you've had a drink or two I can't finish an appetizer, much less some monster plate of food.

doogie

Tequilla said:

LoneStarDawg said:

And zero dining in, so way more streamlined

This I think is the bigger issue

I much prefer going to a restaurant and eating compared to fast food ... but I can't really sit down easily in a restaurant and have a beer or whatever and watch some sports while I wait for my food, it becomes more tied to would I rather wait the 5-10 minutes to get the fast food by my house or the 30+ minutes to get a meal in a restaurant plus the time to drive to/from?

It's all about substitution and value ... and current conditions makes fast food look a little better.

Christ, where do you live?

Tequilla

doogie said:

Tequilla said:

LoneStarDawg said:

And zero dining in, so way more streamlined

This I think is the bigger issue

I much prefer going to a restaurant and eating compared to fast food ... but I can't really sit down easily in a restaurant and have a beer or whatever and watch some sports while I wait for my food, it becomes more tied to would I rather wait the 5-10 minutes to get the fast food by my house or the 30+ minutes to get a meal in a restaurant plus the time to drive to/from?

It's all about substitution and value ... and current conditions makes fast food look a little better.

Christ, where do you live?

North end of Seattle ... so most good restaurants for where I live require me going down to the U-District area or to the other side of I-5.

LoneStarDawg

Every Chick-fil-A in the world is printing cash.

Around us they have increased to a third drivethru line. It’s insane

Sledog

Idaho restaurants are open but the fast food drive thru lines are long!

pawz

LoneStarDawg said:

Every Chick-fil-A in the world is printing cash.

Around us they have increased to a third drivethru line. It’s insane

Imagine, they could 16.5% higher revenue overnight except they doin' the lawds work on sabbath.

doogie

Tequilla said:

doogie said:

Tequilla said:

LoneStarDawg said:

And zero dining in, so way more streamlined

This I think is the bigger issue

I much prefer going to a restaurant and eating compared to fast food ... but I can't really sit down easily in a restaurant and have a beer or whatever and watch some sports while I wait for my food, it becomes more tied to would I rather wait the 5-10 minutes to get the fast food by my house or the 30+ minutes to get a meal in a restaurant plus the time to drive to/from?

It's all about substitution and value ... and current conditions makes fast food look a little better.

Christ, where do you live?

North end of Seattle ... so most good restaurants for where I live require me going down to the U-District area or to the other side of I-5.

then you have to be lumping take out with fast food.

https://canlis.com/

The range from North Seattle is pretty wide

BleachedAnusDawg

LoneStarDawg said:

Every Chick-fil-A in the world is printing cash.

Around us they have increased to a third drivethru line. It’s insane

Used to be the one and only fast food (outside of Dick's) that I enjoyed. I gave it up after the owner declared that white people should wash the feet of black people.

Southerndawg

LoneStarDawg said:

Every Chick-fil-A in the world is printing cash.

Around us they have increased to a third drivethru line. It’s insane

Goddamned delicious, and they have their shit together.

LoneStarDawg

BleachedAnusDawg said:

LoneStarDawg said:

Every Chick-fil-A in the world is printing cash.

Around us they have increased to a third drivethru line. It’s insane

Used to be the one and only fast food (outside of Dick's) that I enjoyed. I gave it up after the owner declared that white people should wash the feet of black people.

If you dislike the washing the feet thing, you’re going to hate the turning the other cheek thing

Swaye

Any word on how Popeye's is doing? Axeing for @MikeDamone

Tequilla

doogie said:

Tequilla said:

doogie said:

Tequilla said:

LoneStarDawg said:

And zero dining in, so way more streamlined

This I think is the bigger issue

I much prefer going to a restaurant and eating compared to fast food ... but I can't really sit down easily in a restaurant and have a beer or whatever and watch some sports while I wait for my food, it becomes more tied to would I rather wait the 5-10 minutes to get the fast food by my house or the 30+ minutes to get a meal in a restaurant plus the time to drive to/from?

It's all about substitution and value ... and current conditions makes fast food look a little better.

Christ, where do you live?

North end of Seattle ... so most good restaurants for where I live require me going down to the U-District area or to the other side of I-5.

then you have to be lumping take out with fast food.

https://canlis.com/

The range from North Seattle is pretty wide

That’s a 20-30 minute drive for me - not close at all

DerekJohnson

Swaye said:

Any word on how Popeye's is doing? Axeing for @PurpleJ