I Just Don't Understand Papa John, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, etc.

[customerserviceguy]

3. Serve shitty food at starvation wage-generating pricing?

Ok, seriously, the so-called hospitality industry tries to cut corners every way it possibly can. It employs the most undocumented workforce (after agriculture) and constantly tries to minimize labor costs on the bottom line.

You contrast Red Lobster and Applebees with Micky D's, but there's only a very small step between the two. I always patronize either one-of-a-kind family-owned restaurants, or the smaller regional chains that usually treat their staff better, and it comes out in the meal experience. Just last week, I was in the Pacific Northwest, and my lady and I twice patronized Burgerville, USA, which provides health care coverage for its workers. No, they don't have a "value menu", but their food tastes way better than that.