10 fading US restaurant chains

Dining out is a social experince but restaurants have forgotten that. I have dined at most of the restaurants in this article. At least those with a bar. But then, smoking, if only at the bar, was outlawed. So much for my cocktail hour at the bar.

Then, the prices started shooting up. Probabye because without allowing smoking at the bar, liquor sales probably dumped. So, the cocktail prices doubled. So much for drinking in a restaurant bar.

And, a hamburger goes to $10 or $12. You must be kidding.

Then we found out why we thought restaurant food tasted so good. Because it is LOADED with ridiculous amounts of salt, fat and calories. Eating out....not a healthy habit.

Then there is the service, most of which is pathetic. And yet, the lousiest waiter of waitress thinks they should get a 20 or 25% tip.. We are all working for less and we earn more when our work product is exceptional. 15% is my standard for good service. 20% for exceptional service. Most of the time I struggle with 15% because service is barely acceptable on average.

Then Ben Bernanke came along and reduced the income of retired people living on interest income to zero and further undermined the restaurant and travel business for the population most able to spend on food and travel.

Save your money, Save your health. Eat tastier, higher quality food. Light a candle, turn on the music you like at a volume the allows converssation. Have a cocktail , a cigarette and good dinner at home and watch a movie on Netflix.

An illegal alien, a Muslim, a black guy, a communist, walk into Bennigan's.  The hostess says,

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"What'll it be Mr. President, a booth, or a table"?

I'll be sad to see Big Boy go. I remember my dad taking me there many times for a late-night ice cream sundae run. Not to mention countless dinners there too.

 I also feel bad about Ponderosa. That was my favorite restaurant when I was very young. It was a little out my mom's price range so it was a rare treat which made it seem even better. But then they expanded the salad bar a little too much and it eventually became a buffet that was mediocre at best. So athough I miss what it used to be, I think it's time to bow out of what it's become.