I have to agree with her on Cheesecake Factory - they give you enough to feed Kerry's entire team of image consultants. One of the few restaurants where I usually have to walk away with 1/3 to 1/2 of the meal uneaten.
Does Cheesecake Factory have surveillance to make sure you eat the whole thing? You can't just leave part of your meal on the plate or take it home and get another meal out of the deal?
Too much food for your money.
The horror, the horror.
And the problem with that is?
A long time ago, there was this neat new restaurant called TGI Fridays. Their menu looked like a notebook - spiral bound with MANY pages. Their portions, and their prices, were huge. I remember the French Dip sandwich that had to have a pound of sliced roast beef on it. Lines to get in were out the door - waits of an hour for a seat were common. You paid for this bigness, sandwiches cost at least 50% more, but the quality was great and the selection was phenomenal.
Fast forward 20 years or so. Prices are a little high, but portions are WAY down. Their current French Dip might have 8 ounces of meat, maybe. There is NEVER a wait at my local Fridays these days.
My point? American might give lip service to eating "healthy," but large selection and huge portions sell. The Cheesecake Factory has taken over where Fridays has fallen away. I already see pressure being put on the Cheesecake Factory to "Fridays" their selections (shrink 'em and cut back on variety). If they do, some other chain will come along and take the popularity crown. I wonder if this a recognized pattern in the development of a restaurant chain:
1. Original restaurant serves great food, huge portions, wide selection.
2. Restaurant expands. Food quality suffers a bit, but portions remain large. Selection gets cut back a bit due to supply problems and/or local tastes.
3. Restaurant franchises. Food quality drops like a rock. Portions cut way back. Selection is decided on a national basis and is kept "simple" for supply chain reasons.
4. Restaurant chain develops financial problems.
5. Restaurant either reinvents itself or shrinks and returns to it's roots.
Ditto on the Cheesecake Factory!
They serve HUGE portions, and the food is delicious!
Sweet Baby and I have to share when we go there. We both leave with our tummies full! ;-)
But this fleamale is just exposing her (we're in better health than you) opinion!
Ever get to Claim Jumper? You can add that to the list.