- Messages
- 19,134
- Points
- 70
Despite the percieved evil of chains, I'm convinced that their presence can be used as an indicator of a region's economic health. Consider Buffalo, New York. Upscale retail and restaurant chains that are well-established throughout the United States (and often Canada) don't have a presence in Buffalo, and probably never will. Buffalo may be the largest city in the country without the following:
* Neiman Marcus
* Saks
* Restoration Hardware
* Whole Foods
* P.F. Chang's
* Macaroni Grill
* Morton's Steakhouse
* Expo Home Center
* Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
* Bed Bath and Beyond
* Z Gallerie
* Anthropologie
* Urban Outfitters
* Crate & Barrel
* Cheesecake Factory
* Hops
* All of the theme chains (excepting Hard Rock at the Falls).
* Black Eyed Pea
* Landry's
* Houston's
* Longhorn Steakhouse
* Tony Roma's
* Ruth's Chris
* Chevy's
* On The Border
* Panera Bread
* Carrabba's Italian Grill
* Qdoba
* Jamba Juice
* Lowe's (Home Depot is the only home improvement big box in Buffalo; there's a local chain of smaller stores called Valu Hardware. It's local, but it's also ... ehhh.)
I know Buffalonians will take issue with me on these words. "We don't need dose chains der -- we've got da Bocce Club's, dat LaNova's der, da Polish Villa's, da MIghty Taco's, and da great Italian restaurants on every corner der."
Perhaps, and the funky restaurants of the Elmwood Village/Delaware District area too, but consider what Buffalo doesn't have. Yes, there's independent Italian and Greek restaurants everywhere, as well as those "bar-in-the-front-little-restaurant-in-the-back-with-bowling-trophies-in-all-the-windows" joints. Buffalo has GREAT restaurants, but the variety isn't there compared to other -- it's spaghetti, souvlaki, or a goot fishfry der at a bar der on da Unionroat der.
My major point, though, is that it's telling -- very telling -- that so few upscale retail and restaurant chains have considered a location in Buffalo.
* Neiman Marcus
* Saks
* Restoration Hardware
* Whole Foods
* P.F. Chang's
* Macaroni Grill
* Morton's Steakhouse
* Expo Home Center
* Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
* Bed Bath and Beyond
* Z Gallerie
* Anthropologie
* Urban Outfitters
* Crate & Barrel
* Cheesecake Factory
* Hops
* All of the theme chains (excepting Hard Rock at the Falls).
* Black Eyed Pea
* Landry's
* Houston's
* Longhorn Steakhouse
* Tony Roma's
* Ruth's Chris
* Chevy's
* On The Border
* Panera Bread
* Carrabba's Italian Grill
* Qdoba
* Jamba Juice
* Lowe's (Home Depot is the only home improvement big box in Buffalo; there's a local chain of smaller stores called Valu Hardware. It's local, but it's also ... ehhh.)
I know Buffalonians will take issue with me on these words. "We don't need dose chains der -- we've got da Bocce Club's, dat LaNova's der, da Polish Villa's, da MIghty Taco's, and da great Italian restaurants on every corner der."
Perhaps, and the funky restaurants of the Elmwood Village/Delaware District area too, but consider what Buffalo doesn't have. Yes, there's independent Italian and Greek restaurants everywhere, as well as those "bar-in-the-front-little-restaurant-in-the-back-with-bowling-trophies-in-all-the-windows" joints. Buffalo has GREAT restaurants, but the variety isn't there compared to other -- it's spaghetti, souvlaki, or a goot fishfry der at a bar der on da Unionroat der.
My major point, though, is that it's telling -- very telling -- that so few upscale retail and restaurant chains have considered a location in Buffalo.