I agree with your anecdotal experience regarding chain restaurants. They’re suffering. More from folks turning their nose up at them than anything. The trend is toward local restaurants with more unique dishes and experiences. And it makes sense. The chain restaurants are expensive, and the food at most of them is sort of meh. Why would people choose to eat there when there are local restaurants with better, more interesting food?
On the fast food end, the BKs, Mcdonalds, etc. are competing with supermarkets. Its easier and frankly cheaper to pop into a supermarket for some ready made sushi than it is to get a death burger served slow.
Politics is a scam and we’re suckers for playing.
We’re not much into Italian food but...we have a small Mexican restaurant not too far that has $1 street tacos all day on Wednesdays. They’re excellent. We have a small Chinese restaurant that we can eat at for $11 any day and take half of it home. On Thursdays Sonic has 2 for 1 boneless wings. Love their Garlic Parmesan wings. I keep finding bargains like that all around us. We only eat out 1 day a week but doesn’t cost us much at all for good food.