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  #21  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 2:47 PM
jmecklenborg jmecklenborg is offline
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Originally Posted by JManc View Post
Damn Bay Area just wants to stay home, work in their pajamas and hang out with their cats rather than go to the office. I've only been in once since mid December.
The thing about working from home is you see just how little your cat does throughout the day.
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  #22  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 2:47 PM
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Originally Posted by bossabreezes View Post
Pretty obvious for anyone who's been to SF lately. Downtown is still completely dead and it's very sad to see. I hope it gets better because right now it feels almost totally abandoned.

Other neighborhoods in the city are faring better, but still feel quiet compared to pre-covid.
I was in London for vacations and the City was definitely more empty. Canary Wharf, much worse, depressing really. The complex is massive and so few people around. A ghost town.
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  #23  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 3:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
Eh, reflexive chain dislike is kind of silly.
But it's NOT reflexive chain dislike. Chains can be good. I don't eat burgers much anymore but a really good chain is The Habit Burger Grill. Very good burgers, even better than In-N-Out. I usually get their ahi tuna sandwich. And instead of fries, I'll get their tempura green beans. Their salads are good too; that's where I go sometimes for fast food salads.

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Shake Shack makes an excellent burger, better than the vast majority of independents. The fries and concretes are really good.
No. Their burger meat is flavorless, and the cheese looks like Velveeta. I've only been twice, and I'll never go again. And it's pricey for what you get; it's really not a good value. For what I paid, I could've gotten something much better.
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  #24  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 3:18 PM
iheartthed iheartthed is offline
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Originally Posted by floor23 View Post
Let's see if WFH continues after the next recession. I've noticed since the start of this year the subway is getting more crowded. I work in Midtown East around GCT, and the surrounding area appears to be much more populated this year compared to last year. I suspect that work from home peaked in 2020-2022 and companies are pressuring employees to return to their offices.
Yeah, I think a recession could throw a lot of cold water on this WFH trend, but a year ago was the middle of the omicron wave. It was much less active in January 2022 than it was in November 2021, right before the wave.
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  #25  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 3:22 PM
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right? if shake shack pulled up next to Hawkins Burgers in South LA or Chipotle next to Lucky Boy's in Pasadena, I still know which place I'm going to.
Unless I knew the quality of the burger I was getting from a local place, I would go to Shake Shack the vast majority of the time. Their quality and consistency is just incredible for chain restaurant. My only issues are that they tend to be a tad expensive (around $10+ for a normal cheeseburger), and I don't really love their fries (tend to be too dry in order to be crisp, and I prefer a nice crisp shoestring over a crinkle cut fry).

At local places, the overall burger quality is all over the place. This is especially true for diner burgers. I've basically stopped ordering burgers from diners. My go-to at a diner is a Reuben sandwich nowadays.

As for Chipotle, it's very meh to me. It's good quality, but nothing mindblowing for me. I remember a college classmate from Colorado raving about how good Chipotle was back in 2004, but I have never been impressed. Also, it always gives me certain post-digestion problems the next day.
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  #26  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 3:30 PM
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Unless I knew the quality of the burger I was getting from a local place, I would go to Shake Shack the vast majority of the time. Their quality and consistency is just incredible for chain restaurant. My only issues are that they tend to be a tad expensive (around $10+ for a normal cheeseburger), and I don't really love their fries (tend to be too dry in order to be crisp, and I prefer a nice crisp shoestring over a crinkle cut fry).

At local places, the overall burger quality is all over the place. This is especially true for diner burgers. I've basically stopped ordering burgers from diners. My go-to at a diner is a Reuben sandwich nowadays.

As for Chipotle, it's very meh to me. It's good quality, but nothing mindblowing for me. I remember a college classmate from Colorado raving about how good Chipotle was back in 2004, but I have never been impressed. Also, it always gives me certain post-digestion problems the next day.
Oh mah gah the food at Chipotle is really salty. Like my experience with Shake Shack, I TRIED to give it a chance, but I figured after 3 times and I get the same result, I'm not gonna go to one ever again.
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  #27  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 3:39 PM
iheartthed iheartthed is offline
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Well, only if those local restaurants are bad, right?
Not necessarily. Chains can drive up the rent and push out family owned restaurants. The block where Chipotle is going up has a lot of west African and West Indian restaurants. Those places don't have pockets deep enough to compete against Chipotle and Shake Shake for space.
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  #28  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 3:46 PM
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Not necessarily. Chains can drive up the rent and push out family owned restaurants. The block where Chipotle is going up has a lot of west African and West Indian restaurants. Those places don't have pockets deep enough to compete against Chipotle and Shake Shake for space.
My gosh, that's sad. I would take Jamaican patties and Nigerian cassava cake over Chipotle and Shake Shack ANY day. Surprised most people wouldn't, given the choices.
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  #29  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 3:47 PM
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Those chains are going up in a new apartment building. It's highly unlikely that some fancy residential highrise is gonna lease to a mom & pop West African restaurant over a Chipotle. Even if they preferred the independent, and even if the independent offered more money, I'm sure there's some corporate best practice that favors the most creditworthy, stable tenant.
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  #30  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 3:55 PM
Investing In Chicago Investing In Chicago is offline
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Originally Posted by sopas ej View Post
My gosh, that's sad. I would take Jamaican patties and Nigerian cassava cake over Chipotle and Shake Shack ANY day. Surprised most people wouldn't, given the choices.
Talk about being out of touch with reality, you're genuinely surprised the average American would rather eat at Chipotle and Shake Shack over Jamaican Patties and Nigerian Cassava Cake?
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  #31  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 4:05 PM
iheartthed iheartthed is offline
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
Those chains are going up in a new apartment building. It's highly unlikely that some fancy residential highrise is gonna lease to a mom & pop West African restaurant over a Chipotle. Even if they preferred the independent, and even if the independent offered more money, I'm sure there's some corporate best practice that favors the most creditworthy, stable tenant.
A lot of the new towers on Fulton Street haven't gone the chain route so far. I don't think there's a single national chain restaurant on Fulton Street in the nearly 2 mile stretch from Flatbush Avenue to Bedford Avenue other than a Dunkin Donuts and Popeyes, and both of those have been in their spaces for years. There are probably 50 - 100 restaurants in that corridor. The Chipotle/Shake Shack is definitely a shift.
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  #32  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 4:16 PM
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There's been an Applebees, at Restoration Plaza, right in the heart of Bed Stuy, for probably 20 years. There's a Dallas BBQ (a big local chain, for the non-NYers on SSP) nearby too.

I don't really see the issue. Bed Stuy is overwhelmingly independent restaurants. Nothing wrong with a few chains. Also, Brooklyn still has a lot of working class black people, and they seem to patronize chain restaurants. I'm not a fan, but they seem busy. I bet you a Red Lobster, or Cheesecake Factory, would make big bucks. Of course these establishments aren't remotely cool, or even good.
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  #33  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 4:22 PM
iheartthed iheartthed is offline
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
There's been an Applebees, at Restoration Plaza, right in the heart of Bed Stuy, for probably 20 years. There's a Dallas BBQ (a big local chain, for the non-NYers on SSP) nearby too.

I don't really see the issue. Bed Stuy is overwhelmingly independent restaurants. Nothing wrong with a few chains. Also, Brooklyn still has a lot of working class black people, and they seem to patronize chain restaurants. I'm not a fan, but they seem busy. I bet you a Red Lobster, or Cheesecake Factory, would make big bucks. Of course these establishments aren't remotely cool, or even good.
The Applebees is deeper into Bed Stuy and I think that's the only chain dine-in restaurant on the entirety of Fulton Street. There is no Dallas BBQ in Bed Stuy. The only one I know of in Brooklyn is in downtown Brooklyn.
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  #34  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 4:25 PM
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I actually have a soft spot for Dallas BBQ. Yeah, it isn't good, but it's American excess to the fullest. Giant portions, comical drinks, and very reasonably priced. They do huge volume.

I vaguely remember a Dallas BBQ on Nostrand somewhere. Maybe it's somewhere further south. Wouldn't be north, bc that corridor shifts to Hasidic Jewish.
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  #35  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 4:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Investing In Chicago View Post
Talk about being out of touch with reality, you're genuinely surprised the average American would rather eat at Chipotle and Shake Shack over Jamaican Patties and Nigerian Cassava Cake?
No, I'm not out of touch with reality. I think it is indeed sad that Americans would rather have Chipotle and Shake Shack over Jamaican patties and Nigerian cassava cake. It shows you how unwilling the average American is in trying different things, and trying things that are even better than Chipotle and Shake Shack. That is the reality. Genuinely surprised? Well, if I knew people tried the one other thing but preferred Chipotle and Shake Shack, then yes. It'd be like a McDonald's putting those west African and Caribbean restaurants out of business.

Since we're talking about food, my guess too is that restaurants and snack-type places that used to do a lot of business providing breakfasts and donut-runs for office breakrooms have seen a big decline, since many workers are WFH.
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  #36  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 4:32 PM
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I am thinking 10-15 years before transit numbers go up.

Its not just the WFH issue, its also crime or perceiving there is crime.
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  #37  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 4:32 PM
iheartthed iheartthed is offline
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
I actually have a soft spot for Dallas BBQ. Yeah, it isn't good, but it's American excess to the fullest. Giant portions, comical drinks, and very reasonably priced. They do huge volume.

I vaguely remember a Dallas BBQ on Nostrand somewhere. Maybe it's somewhere further south. Wouldn't be north, bc that corridor shifts to Hasidic Jewish.
I see one on Nostrand down near Flatbush, so that must be what you're thinking of. I never knew that one existed.

I haven't been to BBQs in years but it was a good place to get a strong drink and decent food for a reasonable price.
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  #38  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 5:12 PM
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There's actually quite a few good local chains. Ike's, Super Duper Burgers, Sushirrito, Blue Bottle, and Boba Guys come to mind.
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  #39  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 5:16 PM
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Originally Posted by sopas ej View Post
No, I'm not out of touch with reality. I think it is indeed sad that Americans would rather have Chipotle and Shake Shack over Jamaican patties and Nigerian cassava cake. It shows you how unwilling the average American is in trying different things, and trying things that are even better than Chipotle and Shake Shack. That is the reality. Genuinely surprised? Well, if I knew people tried the one other thing but preferred Chipotle and Shake Shack, then yes. It'd be like a McDonald's putting those west African and Caribbean restaurants out of business.

Since we're talking about food, my guess too is that restaurants and snack-type places that used to do a lot of business providing breakfasts and donut-runs for office breakrooms have seen a big decline, since many workers are WFH.
Naming random foods from random countries doesn't make you worldly, and looking down on basic American Food doesn't make you superior. I grew up in Manhattan and have had more Jamaican Patties than I can count, and they are ok, but give me a burger from Shake Shack any day of the week.
I've never had that Nigerian thing, but certainly would rather have a good burger any day of the week.
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  #40  
Old Posted Jan 19, 2023, 5:20 PM
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Originally Posted by jtown,man View Post
I am thinking 10-15 years before transit numbers go up.

Its not just the WFH issue, its also crime or perceiving there is crime.
Transit ridership is already going up... I don't think NYC will hit peak again before 2025 at the earliest, though. But it has nothing to do with crime perception.
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