There is a trend that NPR wrote a story on this morning about the trend recently for restaurants to look like factories. Here's a link:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/29/483306505/why-does-every-new-restaurant-look-like-a-factory
Now, I want to make something clear: I don't like dining in the "french ballroom" that the article mentions. I don't like pretense, and I also feel that the "ambiance" of a place shouldn't detract from the experience. So on some level, I do like the simplicity and relative cleanliness of the industrial chic.
But I also want the ambiance of a place to add to the experience. I worked in a factory for a few years while my wife was in grad school in Michigan. Interestingly the break/dining area there was more like a corporate boardroom/atrium than a factory floor. Point is, I know what a factory looks like, and while these eateries are definitely not exactly that, it's close enough that it's bothersome to me.
The other choice/trend seems to be these terribly kitschy places with old signs tacked to the wall, with sometimes a local feel, but more often with just an old timey kind of nostalgia. And while this may work in some places - there's a cool place here in town (Morgan) called Deb's Spicy Pie that does this well, but it's in an historic building and the items on the wall look like they belong, both on the wall and in the community. And it's not overdone. It's still simple and interesting without being busy and distracting.
Another place I like is Maddox in Perry. It's ALWAYS crowded at Maddox, and rightfully so. Their steaks are awesome, and their raspberry butter is to die for. The ambiance there is a kind of farm house/cabin feel, which again is justified because the place has been open for decades and started out as an old farm kitchen. It feels warm and inviting because it is. And I enjoy that.
What is interesting in all of this is that as the restaurants themselves have become increasingly similar, the menus in these places have all become remarkably similar as well. You may say that it's restaurateurs responding to market conditions and demands. But... Well, if I were to plunk you down in any given restaurant almost anywhere in the country, would you know where you were? Would you be able to get a local taste? Maybe the McDonaldization of these restaurants is a good thing - after all, when I want a Quarter Pounder, I want it to be what I want it to be... Bu there's no adventure, no local feel, and no excitement or interest.
And that is not good.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/29/483306505/why-does-every-new-restaurant-look-like-a-factory
Now, I want to make something clear: I don't like dining in the "french ballroom" that the article mentions. I don't like pretense, and I also feel that the "ambiance" of a place shouldn't detract from the experience. So on some level, I do like the simplicity and relative cleanliness of the industrial chic.
But I also want the ambiance of a place to add to the experience. I worked in a factory for a few years while my wife was in grad school in Michigan. Interestingly the break/dining area there was more like a corporate boardroom/atrium than a factory floor. Point is, I know what a factory looks like, and while these eateries are definitely not exactly that, it's close enough that it's bothersome to me.
The other choice/trend seems to be these terribly kitschy places with old signs tacked to the wall, with sometimes a local feel, but more often with just an old timey kind of nostalgia. And while this may work in some places - there's a cool place here in town (Morgan) called Deb's Spicy Pie that does this well, but it's in an historic building and the items on the wall look like they belong, both on the wall and in the community. And it's not overdone. It's still simple and interesting without being busy and distracting.
Another place I like is Maddox in Perry. It's ALWAYS crowded at Maddox, and rightfully so. Their steaks are awesome, and their raspberry butter is to die for. The ambiance there is a kind of farm house/cabin feel, which again is justified because the place has been open for decades and started out as an old farm kitchen. It feels warm and inviting because it is. And I enjoy that.
What is interesting in all of this is that as the restaurants themselves have become increasingly similar, the menus in these places have all become remarkably similar as well. You may say that it's restaurateurs responding to market conditions and demands. But... Well, if I were to plunk you down in any given restaurant almost anywhere in the country, would you know where you were? Would you be able to get a local taste? Maybe the McDonaldization of these restaurants is a good thing - after all, when I want a Quarter Pounder, I want it to be what I want it to be... Bu there's no adventure, no local feel, and no excitement or interest.
And that is not good.
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