With the arrival of The Flat Top Grill in Wauwatosa, the debate about chains vs. locally owned restaurants again rears its head.
While I prefer to support local businesses and understand the need to do so, I do, occasionally, eat at chains, too (mostly at lunch). I think chains bring benefits to Milwaukee, but I don't think more chain places equals a better Milwaukee, especially if it means that local businesses are squeezed out.
Among the benefits of chain restaurants are that:
- Any business growth in the area is good news and they hire and pay local workers, they collect local sales tax, sometimes support local charities, etc.
- The food is generally is consistent. Customers know what to expect.
- Staff is generally -- key word, generally- well-trained thanks to a lot of experience in this area.
Some of the downsides to chains:
- Because they often have major resources, like chains in any sector, they can and do sometimes target local businesses. And even if they don't, their resources can have an overwhelming affect on local businesses that don't have the same cash flow.
- I think most will agree that a city benefits from having some unique character rather than being solely an amalgam of chain stores and restaurants. If you've traveled the U.S., you know that most cities are already starting to look alike and are rapidly losing their uniqueness. When we boast about Milwaukee, we boast about Kopp's or Sanford or Kil@wat, not about the fact that we have four chain seafood places or 43 McDonald's locations (I made that number up, so don't bother checking it!).
- Although local employees make money and spend it here, most of the revenue and the profit generated leaves town.
- Food is consistent, sure, but rarely stellar. Think of all the best-loved food in Milwaukee and almost none of it ever comes from a chain.
Milwaukee, like most cities, can benefit from a healthy mix of local eateries and chain restaurants. Get rid of all the chains in Milwaukee and customers will have many fewer options and a lot of jobs will be lost. Flood the city with more and more chains and there's trouble, because the population of Milwaukee isn't growing and at this point neither is its wallet.
When only the biggest are left standing, it won't mean only the best are left standing.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
