Last week’s issue posed the question, “Why do central Arkansans overwhelmingly decide to dine at chains over local restaurants?”
Central Arkansas has more than 700 restaurants, at last count, and the top performers are typically revealed via the Little Rock and North Little Rock convention and visitors bureaus and the gross-receipts tax, also known as the “hamburger tax.”
Consistently topping the lists in those two cities are Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Golden Corral and Chili’s, just to name a few. (See last week’s story at syncweekly.com for the top 10 restaurants in Little Rock and North Little Rock.)
Last week, theories were tossed around like unlimited salad bowls: Maybe our commuter culture means residents in cities like Cabot, Jacksonville, Lonoke, Benton, Bryant and Conway aren’t aware of the local options. Maybe the chains have hours that are more convenient for those driving long distances into town.
In an effort to answer this question, we asked those waiting in line at chains what drove their dining decision that night. Their answers were vague. This week, the tables were turned as we grilled diners at local eateries. We also asked local restaurant owners how they compete with chains.
GOING OUT
West Little Rock has more than its fair share of chain restaurants peppered along Chenal like pepperonis on a pizza. In the midst of that is The Villa Italian Restaurant, located in a strip center off Bowman Road, roughly 2.5 miles from the nearest Olive Garden.
Around 7:30 p.m. Friday, Amy Dossy, 31, stood outside chatting with two friends following a meal at the restaurant. She lives in Bryant — disproving the “commuter culture” theory — but admits she may be an exception because she works, shops and attends church in Little Rock.
“All of my social interactions are done inside the city,” she said. “I enjoy local places, and I have been pleased with the food here."
Across the street, 27-year-old Jeff and his dining companion, Jana, exit David’s Burgers. The nearest McDonald’s is practically visible from the parking lot, but Jeff and Jana chose David’s for the “quality.”
“We like that the patties are fresh and not frozen, and they show you the cooking process,” he said.
Why would people choose McDonald’s over this?
“Probably because they’re everywhere,” he guessed. “And cheaper.”
Saturday night at Cajun’s Wharf, and Little Rock’s Red Lobster is seven miles away. Two groups of first-time diners are each given up to 30-minute wait times.
One group includes 21-year-old Samantha. She’s been to Red Lobster but decided to give Cajun’s a try when co-workers suggested it. She was “feeling adventurous” that night.
Sitting on a wooden bench at 8 p.m. is Reaper Blanks. He’s 20 minutes into his 45-minute wait for a table for two. Blanks considers himself to be a discriminating diner when it comes to seafood, as he spent time on the East Coast and grew up in the Gulf area of Alabama. His Red Lobster days are long gone; he rarely goes these days.
“What they have there has been flash frozen and is maybe two or three months old,” he said. “You can tell because when you get it, it’s already flaked and chewy.”
He theorizes that people go to Red Lobster because they think it’s the only place they can get seafood in a landlocked state.
If the fish at Cajun’s is not to his liking, he says, he’ll probably get steak instead.
THE BUSINESS SIDE
Not even local industry insiders like Don Dugan, owner of Dugan’s Pub and a member of the Arkansas Restaurant Board, can say exactly why chains are so popular, but he attributes their success to “a whole host of reasons.”
“National marketing is something that’s always good. Places like Outback and Chili’s have national budgets, and they’re able to go out and advertise nationally. People know what they can get there. That’s the best I can figure out.”
He admits consistency in the food is the biggest challenge and something all independently owned restaurants struggle with.
“It can be hit and miss, and consistency is something that’s really hard to judge and hard to get every time you go out to a local restaurant, which may be why they’re still local restaurants and not chains themselves.”
He says the trade-off for diners is food that’s formulaic.
“If you’re going to get a rack of ribs from Chili’s you know what it’s going to be every single time. It’s consistency,” he said. The only solid weapons in his arsenal as a small business owner are word-of-mouth advertising and a better menu, he says.
“But I’m always curious as to what drives people to the places that they go. It makes me nuts how these places get all the damn business. I don’t understand it. I can’t fight them dollar for dollar in the advertising department, but what I can do is create a better product and fight them word-of-mouth as far as advertising goes.”
For Ken Shivey, owner of The Villa in west Little Rock, the riddle of the local market is tricky. With 50 years behind it — 32 of those under his ownership — The Villa certainly has a solid customer base and reputation, but the chains are not without impact.
“I remember when the chain moved in, and it didn’t have much affect on us,” Shivey said. “But once those gates opened, it got crazy.”
Naturally, the national brands have deeper pockets to reach into for expensive advertising and can offer discounts on top of that, advantages to pull in customers that the small operator doesn’t have, Shivey said. “I couldn’t afford the piece they put in the paper, let alone [offering] $5 off dinner,” he said, pointing to a recent Macaroni Grill advertisement.
But he can offer the things that drew him in as a customer at The Villa in the early 1960s.
“The two things customers can expect when they come see us is that they will be dealing with the same people every time and they can get the same food every time,” Shivey said, pointing to a long-tenured and loyal staff that knows its regulars well.
And while national marketing may be out of reach, small operations are not without resources beyond word of mouth anymore. Online advertising is helping. And The Villa is trying new things, even if it’s out of Shivey’s realm of expertise.
“I don’t know computers, but I know everything is on the Internet now, and we’re going to be doing something,” he said, explaining that a manager is working with dealchicken.com to set up coupons that don’t require an up-front cost.
What do you think? This question is still open for comments on Sync's Facebook page.
— additional reporting by spencer watson
A feedback feast:
On Sync's Facebook and Twitter pages, central Arkansans deposited their dining theories on why the most popular restaurants in the area are chains. Here’s a sampling of what they said:
Cecile Bello: The chains will have the benefit of people knowing what to expect as far as variety and quality of the items they carry on their menu, due to an established history, a presence on the Internet, and TV advertising that local, independent restaurants (which may have to rely mainly on good word of mouth) just aren’t going to be able to compete with.
Jay S C Morgan: We ate at a chain tonight; though the food was good and moderately priced, the spontaneous line dancing and blaring country(?) music made me want to punch a baby. Not a real baby; don’t get all offended Sync readers, but like a corporate “Happy Happy Birthday we’re really glad you came” sing-song add-a-skewer-of-shrimp-for-$5.99 kind of baby. I like Gadwall’s, The Italian Couple (RIP), Georgia’s, Star of India, the Faded Rose, Larry’s Pizza, Hot Dog Mike, Hannaroo and Ristorante Capeo for local flavor, depending upon my gastric predisposition. As for why the general populace’s choices lean toward big-box versus mom and pop, it’s the same in food service as it is in retail and other related industries; if they don’t give us a chance, we can’t give them a good impression.
Max Maser: The “big box” establishments are also open 24/7 (with a few exceptions, save holidays) whereas the local ones will be closed at least two days a week (typically Sunday-Monday). Business taxes also have a lot to do with it; establishments above a certain number of employees (9?) have to pay considerably more taxes. Small family eateries can’t afford that burden; big chains can. Since they’re open more, they get more business and make more $$$ ...and their servers have at least 15 pieces of “flair” too!
Shawna Shannon: Consistency. When you go to a big chain, you know the food and service will at least be decent/good. It’s hard to spend your hard-earned money on a risk
Michael, Arkansas Foodies Blog: Regarding your recent article on chain restaurants: I think the major reasons that chains are so popular comes down to the fact that eating out is a luxury for many people, and a chain restaurant is a safe bet for folks who want to get something good for their hard-earned dollars. Eating out isn’t cheap, and trying local places that lack the reputation of established chains is a gamble they just can’t afford to make. I think it’s unfortunate, but I can understand the sentiment.
@MosaicGrl: My theory is that many Southerners have not been exposed to many different ethnicities (and their foods) and have not traveled extensively. So they haven’t been exposed to different types of food — new food can be scary.