[Waterbaby]

Originally Posted by dpg

I live near an Olive Garden in Mass and eat there on occassion. Although a "chain restaurant" they have awesome food with endless breadsticks and salad. They would be a great addition to the area, try them if they ever do open. Sorry Nadia!!!

DPG -- I, personally, wouldn't call their food "awesome" -- and I love to both eat AND cook (and I excel at both, lol)...... I think OG's food is consistently good for a chain, no matter which location is chosen -- which would lead me to believe they don't really have chefs there, only people who "cook" the food which is prepared elsewhere, on a very large scale. As far as endless breadsticks and salad go, yes they have both -- breadsticks and salad are on the low end of the food cost scale so they can afford to keep them coming, and it impresses people because they are getting "something for nothing".

Would they be a great addition to the area? Or any other area? I don't believe so, any more than Wal-Mart or Target, or Lowes or Home Depot are. What they will be doing, if they really come to the area, is hurt the local restaurants because they have the chain-name recognition and people who frequent the chains won't even give the local restaurants a second glance. Instead, it will be "oh, I know that place, I'll eat there! I can get a meal quick, I can order from a familiar menu, and I won't have to think about it. PLUS!!!!!! my kids will get the same coloring book and crayons they get at home!!!!!!" In fact, I think I'll coin a new term: "big box restaurants".

Stepping off my soapbox now before this totally becomes a diatribe......

WB