Re:How a shadow army of ghost kitchens took over America’s r...
by bsder on Wednesday February 24, 2021 @06:54AM
(#26248993)
> For me, all my perceptions of food changed when I started traveling outside the United States. Basic staples like bread and soup taste so good in places like Germany and Japan by default, but food of the same quality in the United States would cost $20-30 per plate.
So, what killed these restaurants in the US? They used to exist. Why did they go away?
Re:How a shadow army of ghost kitchens took over America’s r...
by benrbray on Wednesday February 24, 2021 @12:43PM
(#26252988)
My theory is cars. Everything is spread so far apart that local businesses can't rely on foot traffic to spur interest, and a 15-minute driving radius doesn't include all that many people. For many people living in suburbs there's no city center to speak of, and they meet all their needs at the local strip mall full of national and multinational restaurant and grocery chains with name recognition.
I think those who are aware of the problem definitely do care. Many people just don't think about it, because they're not old enough to remember a time where the local diner baked its own pies, simmered its own soups, etc..
For me, all my perceptions of food changed when I started traveling outside the United States. Basic staples like bread and soup taste so good in places like Germany and Japan by default, but food of the same quality in the United States would cost $20-30 per plate.
This is a big reason I started cooking at home. The quality simply isn't there in the American restaurants that are affordable to most people, especially outside of big cities.