It’s kind of like the food supply itself, controlled by only a few corporations.
It could be that like with a lot of everything else, “cookie-cutter” business models take hold. How many personal, small business dreams are smashed because Can’t Do bureaucrats overwhelm the honest little guy with regulations, fees, time wasted on minutiae, and the stress of not dotting an i somewhere along the way.
Corporate entities can afford the accountants, lawyers, and latest ADA-compliant restrooms.
And scamdemic downturns. Govt Covid closures killed off a number of local restaurants in this area. Popular, long-time businesses.
Despite all that, I’ve only lived in places with a lot of mom and pop restaurants and little shops. I guess it’s tougher where the population is less dense, but there’s nowhere here in the Northeast without local restaurants.