Detroit to Get Applebee's at 8 Mile and Woodward

[old guy]

ASR89 wins! Those are the three I was thinking of.

There's also a Big Boy on E Jefferson, but that's debatable as to whether that's a national chain.

Any we're missing? A pathetic number, for sure...

I'm reasonably certain that Big Boy could be considered a national chain.
By 1979 there were more than a thousand Big Boy restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.

[Spartan]

I'm reasonably certain that Big Boy could be considered a national chain.
By 1979 there were more than a thousand Big Boy restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.

I would say Big Boy fits "fast-casual sit-down national restaurant chain" even more than IHOP. I'm not sure what category I'd put IHOP in, but it seems weird to include it with Red Robin, Applebee's and Chili's. It's closer to a Coney Island, really.

[jackie5275]

More power to 'em. I wonder how much of the Ferndale crowd will eat there.

[Mackinaw]

Anything national is being shut out of the downtown and midtown areas. Only local retail is being allowed to open in the downtown area or businesses that's owned by someone who was once a Michigander

Buffalo Wild Wings? Five Guys? Whole Foods? MCDONALDS? Texas de Brazil? Hard Rock??
Punch Bowl social? Subway? ... all downtown/midtown.

The observation is false. Also, what evidence do you have that "only local retail is being allowed," that anyone is being "shut out" and that you need to have Michigan residency to do business?

In reality, there may be [[finally) a trend towards people preferring small, local and particular. Consumer preferences are the cause, combined with continuing misunderstanding of national-level brands about the buying power in the city. As to the former, i'd submit that's a good thing. As to the latter, I'd comment that this is national brands willingly shutting themselves out.

[John]

Yeah, the crowd on a busy Sunday at the Meijer is an absolute cross-section of humanity - old, young, rich, poor, black, white, gay, straight, kids, no kids, etc. It's pretty cool to see.

Now, if only they'd open up a few more registers during the busy times...

Exactly. The checkout lines last Saturday night were longer than I can recall seeing at any grocery store in recent memory. The lines have always been longer than usual at that Meijer, but after standing in line an unprecedented 30 minutes, I have decided I'm all done with that place. There are plenty of other grocery options in the area.

As much as I want to support their store in Detroit, I refuse to continually waste so much time standing in line. I am certain this ongoing issue has already affected their business at that location.

[Dexlin]

Buffalo Wild Wings? Five Guys? Whole Foods? MCDONALDS? Texas de Brazil? Hard Rock??
Punch Bowl social? Subway? ... all downtown/midtown.

The observation is false. Also, what evidence do you have that "only local retail is being allowed," that anyone is being "shut out" and that you need to have Michigan residency to do business?

In reality, there may be [[finally) a trend towards people preferring small, local and particular. Consumer preferences are the cause, combined with continuing misunderstanding of national-level brands about the buying power in the city. As to the former, i'd submit that's a good thing. As to the latter, I'd comment that this is national brands willingly shutting themselves out.

Just for the future, I think this forumer may not be all there, and he makes completely non-sensical statements all of the time.

[Hermod]

In reality, there may be [[finally) a trend towards people preferring small, local and particular. Consumer preferences are the cause, combined with continuing misunderstanding of national-level brands about the buying power in the city. As to the former, i'd submit that's a good thing. As to the latter, I'd comment that this is national brands willingly shutting themselves out.

I fully agree. There should be a small tea room specializing in artisanal teas and fresh baked scones and macaroons. Put it right next to the high end cufflink shoppe.

[middetres]

Only 13 of 100 Big Boy locations are outside Michigan: 9 in CA, 1 in ND, 1 in IL and 2 in OH. So, I guess there is an argument that it's national just on its West Coast stores alone.

And I disagree about IHOP. It's national and fast-casual. Coney Islands are fast-casual too, just with a slant towards late-night and breakfast offerings.

By your definition Denny's, Cracker Barrel and Bob Evans are a Coney Islands too.

[dtowncitylover]

Exactly. The checkout lines last Saturday night were longer than I can recall seeing at any grocery store in recent memory. The lines have always been longer than usual at that Meijer, but after standing in line an unprecedented 30 minutes, I have decided I'm all done with that place. There are plenty of other grocery options in the area.

As much as I want to support their store in Detroit, I refuse to continually waste so much time standing in line. I am certain this ongoing issue has already affected their business at that location.

I wonder if that's due to the thought that maybe it wasn't going to be as popular as apparently it now is. It is a smaller Meijer after all.

[middetres]

The reason the lines are longer at that Meijer is because they don't have any self-checkout lanes for large orders.

I think this location has proven itself to the skeptics within the company.

It deserves to be open 24 hours and have self-checkout lanes for large orders like every other Meijer in the chain.

[ericatl]

First Whole Foods opened offering a wide selection of apples, and has been very successful.

Now Applebees is on its way to the city.

I hope the store site selection staff at Apple is taking note of Detroiters' obvious appetite for this eponymous fruit.

[noise]

Only 13 of 100 Big Boy locations are outside Michigan: 9 in CA, 1 in ND, 1 in IL and 2 in OH. So, I guess there is an argument that it's national just on its West Coast stores alone.

Big Boy is strange in that it's divided. There's Frisch's Big Boy, which has over 100 locations throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, which are not included in your numbers above.

[Mackinaw]

I fully agree. There should be a small tea room specializing in artisanal teas and fresh baked scones and macaroons. Put it right next to the high end cufflink shoppe.

Or, even better, a $10 burger at a Detroiter-owned shop and not Applebees, or a coffee with cream at a Detroiter-owned shop and not Starbucks. Local and particular does not and should not denote frivolous and/or finer things.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

Only 13 of 100 Big Boy locations are outside Michigan: 9 in CA, 1 in ND, 1 in IL and 2 in OH. So, I guess there is an argument that it's national just on its West Coast stores alone.

I see there's a Big Boy in Calimesa - I can go to that one.

[Khorasaurus]

The reason the lines are longer at that Meijer is because they don't have any self-checkout lanes for large orders.

I think this location has proven itself to the skeptics within the company.

It deserves to be open 24 hours and have self-checkout lanes for large orders like every other Meijer in the chain.

Agree that it has apparently been successful, which is great and led directly to their store at Grand River and McNichols been greenlighted.

But I don't think we'll see a change with the self-checks or the hours. Those are anti-theft measures and I think will remain in place for a while.

As for the lines, the line for the 12-item-or-less self checks frequently goes all the way back through the produce area. I think the solution is more check-out clerks operating more registers. Not sure removing the limits on self check would solve the problem.

[Spartan]

Only 13 of 100 Big Boy locations are outside Michigan: 9 in CA, 1 in ND, 1 in IL and 2 in OH. So, I guess there is an argument that it's national just on its West Coast stores alone.

And I disagree about IHOP. It's national and fast-casual. Coney Islands are fast-casual too, just with a slant towards late-night and breakfast offerings.

By your definition Denny's, Cracker Barrel and Bob Evans are a Coney Islands too.

I suppose, but "slant towards late-night and breakfast offerings" is exactly what IHOP is. I guess in my mind I consider that a different genre [[Diners?). Denny's would fit there as well. Bob Evans and Cracker Barrel, I would consider fast-casual family dining, probably mostly due to their lack of late-night. Of course, I haven't been to any of these in the last few years, so I may just have a foggy memory or weird classification system.

[xrockerboy]

Buffalo Wild Wings? Five Guys? Whole Foods? MCDONALDS? Texas de Brazil? Hard Rock??
Punch Bowl social? Subway? ... all downtown/midtown.

The observation is false. Also, what evidence do you have that "only local retail is being allowed," that anyone is being "shut out" and that you need to have Michigan residency to do business?

In reality, there may be [[finally) a trend towards people preferring small, local and particular. Consumer preferences are the cause, combined with continuing misunderstanding of national-level brands about the buying power in the city. As to the former, i'd submit that's a good thing. As to the latter, I'd comment that this is national brands willingly shutting themselves out.

Don't forget Olga's Kitchen.

[G-DDT]

Don't forget Olga's Kitchen.

Homer: "mmmm..fresh-cut curly fries."

[Django]

Im just amazed people go to places like this when they could be supporting a far better mom n pop who are not putting billions into investment bankers wallets. Im admitting my ignorance on the subject of financial mumbo jumbo but every time I see a Sysco food truck backing in to a place like Applebees I want to vomit.
At least I know where not to go to meet people, they separate the people from the sheepole.

[ThunderTrap]

Just something about Eight Mile and Woodward and its proximity to the Motorama and Lido Motels and their "ladies of the hour" and "candy cane fans" makes me want to go further west on Eight Mile when I visit Detroit. Recent trip saw me going into the 1970s retro ex-Howard Johnsons that is now Patsy's Family Restaurant 13400 W. Eight Mile in Oak Park...warm welcome from the family ownership, and the best club sandwich that I have had in a long time, great clam chowder...and I second the previous "Sysco Foods" commentary. Whenever a waiter forgets what the vegetable of the day might be, I simply remark "whatever's on special this week at Sysco Foods"...

[old guy]

I ate at an Applebees, once.

I suppose any new business in Detroit is good. I'm sure there are people that look forward to an opening of an Applebees, so that's good. And, even if just a few new borderline jobs are created, that's something.

[leapfrog]

More power to 'em. I wonder how much of the Ferndale crowd will eat there.

This part of the Ferndale crowd will eat there.
I already do nearly all of my non-meat grocery shopping at the Meijer [[Western Market in Ferndale has better meat, so I still buy that in Ferndale).

I switched from the Pet Supplies Plus in Royal Oak to the Petco at 8/Woodward.

I'm doing my part to support the retail on that corner. I wonder how many Detroit residents will drive to 8/Woodward to shop rather than drive out to the suburbs?
I can't imagine someone living at Southfield and Joy driving to 8/Woodward rather than down the Southfield to that retail monstrosity in Allen Park.

[MAcc]

The trolls will start chiming in with "rampant dine & dash" commentary- which will hopefully get ignored.
who will be the owner of this particular franchise outlet? do they run other Applebee's in the region?

The fact that this made a single newspaper, let alone every Detroit publication, is being chatted about on every local blog and forum symbolizes the sad state of affairs in Detroit.

It's a freaking Applebees. They sell microwaved garbage to mouth breathers and their employees are all on welfare because they make $2.50/hr.

[Hermod]

The fact that this made a single newspaper, let alone every Detroit publication, is being chatted about on every local blog and forum symbolizes the sad state of affairs in Detroit.

It's a freaking Applebees. They sell microwaved garbage to mouth breathers and their employees are all on welfare because they make $2.50/hr.

1. A new business opens in Detroit.
2. DYes gives a chorus of cheers that this is the dawn of a new age.
3. DYes begins to complain that the new business isn't what is needed and "why didn't they...."
4. When the new business is accepted as a done deal, DYes complains about the architecture.

Rinse-Repeat