06-26-2024, 08:24 AM
(06-26-2024, 08:10 AM)pally Wrote: Red Lobster’s closing has to do with pour mgmt. They were forced to pay top dollar for shrimp harvested by the parent branch of the owning conglomerate. Then forced to prominently feature that same shrimp(ie endless shrimp)in most of their menu limiting variety. They put non restauranteurs in charge who cut staff leading to severe service issues. In other words, in the search for more corporate profit, the company forced the restaurant to buy overpriced product putting money in their other pocket and screwed up service. And now they have a bled dry restaurant being sold for pennies.
Hooters is going the way of Applebees, TGI Fridays and many other restaurants of that style. The menu and atmosphere failed to keep up with current times as tastes have changed. It’s part of the lifecycle. Fast food restaurants last, casual restaurants, even chains, come and go.
And I know you don’t want to hear this, but fresh food is highly dependent on climate. Every sector is under pressure by changes in climate driving costs up. It would have risen regardless of who was president. Drought, rising temperatures, rising sea temperatures, natural disasters, funguses, viruses, land loss are all impacting food production world wide
So $5 dollar meals appear, Joe gets some odd credit, but restaurants close nationally, then it has nothing to do with him...
Fresh food is about making the options available at a similar or better cost than substitutions. That is why seniors and lower income families are given tokens to use at farmers markets, and the markets are moving to areas accessible to them. In addition, programs are out there for carryout's to be able to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to those in need.
I have yet to meet an actual famer who blames half of the excuses you are giving, but that's the boots on the ground, not wild guesses and talking points. I work with multiple farmers markets as well and hear very little of that as well, as their prices have barely moved compared to grocery stores.
There was a study done than showed a direct correlation between the density of fast food restaurants, I believe they used Subway, and obesity rates in the given population. I see cheap fast food as predatory to the population for multiple reasons and would like to see them barred from setting up within a certain distance from schools.
