johncomic | am I a peasant?

For years, all I ever knew about IHOP was that it was an apparently easy punchline for standup comics, and “IHOP waitress” was a standup shorthand similar to “trailer trash”. Déclassé would appear to be one of the kinder terms for this place.

Then about a month ago, we went to Buffalo on a shopping trip, and Paisley's fella Kyle suggested we have lunch at IHOP. So I finally got to go there and see for myself.

For basic unpretentious food, we all found the quality perfectly satisfying and the prices very reasonable. Those of us who had never been there before were very pleasantly surprised and glad we had come. And, for the record, our waitress was attractive, personable, witty, and very good at her job.

Yesterday we did Buffalo again, and had pretty much decided on the way down that it would be IHOP for lunch again. This experience was a duplicate of last time, right down to the bright and lovely waitress. For my tastes, I can't see anything so wrong with this place.

In fact, yesterday we noticed that they were playing jazz (how many other places do that anymore, besides *$?), and one of those jazz tunes I caught was Thelonious Monk! I'm sorry, but that right there earns IHOP cool points that no one will ever be able to take away...

So is the problem simply my own tastes? Am I inherently some sort of lowbrow lowlife that can't distinguish trash from treasure? Or am I simply not cynical and elitist enough to pass for “truly cool”? I'm honestly not sure I care, nor really worried about whether I should care. I feel more like “What's supposed to be so wrong with this place? Or, what's wrong with people that need to put it down?”

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I like IHOP just fine. No, it's not haute cuisine, but it's generally good, basic food at a decent price. We have one right down the street and we've eaten there plenty of times. Generally breakfast foods only, though; that's what they do best. I don't see much point in getting burgers or other food there, but that's just me. =)

Also...if IHOP is supposedly "white trash" or "peasant", you should visit a Waffle House sometime.

Edited 2011-06-30 16:46 (UTC)

I think the main argument against chains/corporations is not really quality -- "the breakfast they offer is crap" -- so much as standardization -- "over time, they eradicate local culture, such as family-owned restaurants and their unique cuisine and decor, mainly through pricing."

So in evaluating the chains, you don't ask yourself if your experience during that hour was good. You ask yourself if, in twenty years, it will be the only available experience.

A rough equivalent in your world would be that all the hand-drawn, hand-written comics created by hundreds of skilled talents disappear... and are replaced by comics generated by a computer algorithm that always yields exactly the same style in both art and writing.

The computer-generated style may satisfy many, but by itself it's a poor substitute for the variety offered by the original model.

I agree with this to an extent. Like I said, I like IHOP well enough. However, if there were a locally-owned restaurant nearby that served breakfast, I'd prefer to patronize it, even if it did cost more. Sadly, there isn't one. I live in metro Atlanta but not in an area with a wealth of dining options that aren't chains.

I rarely go out to eat at all these days -- toddler, limited income -- but I do try to go to the locally-owned restaurants on our tiny "Main Street." They actually aren't pricier than comparable chains (we have an Irish-themed pub, a Cajun/Creole restaurant, a pizza joint, and a BBQ place) and the service and atmosphere can't be beat. And honestly, it makes me feel good to give money to people who are part of the community.

Yeah, restaurants are in a bit of a bind because they're, by definition, a local-only experience. So they can't pursue the best possible strategy: to leverage the Internet to serve a niche market on a global scale.

In industries where that's possible, I have actually seen the reverse of standardization in my lifetime. In guitars, for instance. When I was born, there were basically four kinds of electric guitars: Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Mosrite. And the last two were, added up, perhaps 2% of the market

Today? Go to www.destroyallguitars.com and look at the list of builders down the left side. Look at the guitars by Spalt, or Teuffel -- those instruments reflect serious creativity, truly unique distinction. The variety of available guitar designs from boutique builders has dramatically increased in the last decade alone and I am a direct beneficiary.

Good point. The Internet has really allowed for niche markets to flourish where it's possible. Your guitar example is quite apt.

Of course, in some arenas it's more about quantity than quality. There was a time when getting a book published was quite a feat; sure, there have always been the small publishing houses and vanity presses, but getting your work out to the masses meant one of the big guns. Now anybody can easily and inexpensively become a published author thanks to print on demand and e-books. Is this a good thing? I don't know, but this path is going to lead me into a rant about people responding that they're "writers, too!" when I say that I'm a freelance writer...and I don't want to go there. =)

Sure. For the purposes of that discussion I define a writer as someone whose income is primarily earned by writing. (Mine is entirely earned by writing.)

It's true e-books can be written and published by anyone, but I'm not concerned about that. The world has always rewarded writers who skillfully fulfill audience interests, and punished writers who only try to please themselves (and often don't even do that). Similarly, writers who understand and leverage basic principles of marketing do better; writers who can't be bothered, and falsely equate marketing with advertising, do worse.

I expect all of that will continue however many wannabes e-publish.

HEY. This has nothing to do with IHOPs or other chains (although I did enjoy Cracker Barrel when I was there in MI a week and a half ago!), but Wes, you should email me and tell me what happened to Yap.

(Sorry for the hijack, Curmudge.)

Dal address still work? It's the only one I have.

Yep, that or cshannahan at gmail.

“(Sorry for the hijack, Curmudge.)”

Garrrr....

;)

Standardization is the key to the success of chains. People want to know what they're getting. I can understand that. With few exceptions, the only time we eat at fast food chains is when we're traveling. If we're staying somewhere, we'll seek out the local experience, but while we're on the road, there's something to be said for knowing exactly what you're getting. That's why the growth of chain restaurants parallels the growth of freeways.

The Internet and shows like Diners and Dives are a godsend to independent restaurants. Via Google or a Smartphone ap, we can look up restaurants along with sights, events, local weather and road construction. Thanks to shows like Diners and Dives, we'll try out those plainer looking places in hopes of finding the world's best pulled pork sandwich or jerk chicken.

That's why the growth of chain restaurants parallels the growth of freeways.

It also parallels the growth of suburbs. In suburbs, which are much newer to the world, there's often no established, go-to set of family restaurants. So the chains can simply expand into empty space.

The Internet and shows like Diners and Dives are a godsend to independent restaurants.

For marketing, sure.

But wouldn't it be great if I could actually get their offerings wherever I happen to be, the way I can a book or a guitar already?

Sadly, food spoils. So I would have to be able to teleport to the restaurant, or the food would have to teleport to me.

Sadly, food spoils. So I would have to be able to teleport to the restaurant, or the food would have to teleport to me.

Teleportation... my favourite fantasy (that doesn't involve - er never mind).

It actually occurred to me that in some cases, the Internet does almost fulfill this. Example:

http://www.tastesofchicago.com/category/Lou_Malnatis_Pizza/?utm_source=loushome&utm_medium=rnav&utm_campaign=dropdown

Almost. A dry-ice-frozen pizza, even from Lou's, is never gonna compete with the one that came out of the oven one minute ago. But it's still nice being able to get it in Austin.

I believe H&H bagels from NYC can be had this way as well.

am I a peasant?

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