Originally Posted by
Champ967
You make some salient points. Three thoughts --
1) Franchise fees leave the community. I dont know a whole lot about this, but I've heard they're not insignificant. If you want to make the case that increased sales arising from brand recognition compensate for this ... ok, maybe it's a wash.
2) More importantly, chain restaurants do little to enhance a community's character as unique and distinct. If your place is like every other place, then there's no reason to go there. I hope Ruston aspires to be other than just Bossier or WM with a university.
3) These things are not mutually exclusive. A city can have franchise restaurants AND local joints and support both. Sometimes you want a farm-to-table bratwurst with artisanal goat cheese. And sometimes, you just crave a Whopper.