10 US Restaurant Chains Customers Can’t Stand Anymore (And 2 Rising Stars)
Eight thousand restaurants wiped off the map — and the people who did it still collected dividends.
Most people assume the restaurant chains they grew up with are still the same companies they remember. Same food. Same values. Same deal.
But when you trace the ownership behind the signs, follow the money behind the menu boards, and read the bankruptcy filings most customers never see, a very different picture starts to emerge.
And in some cases, the people running these chains have already decided you are not the customer they are building for anymore.
Some of these brands have served millions of loyal customers for decades.
But once you start looking at who actually owns them today, what happened to the food, and why thousands of locations have quietly disappeared, the story behind the familiar signs becomes much harder to ignore.
A few of what we found will surprise even people who thought they already knew what was happening.
In this video, you will discover which chains are still delivering real value, which ones quietly changed the deal without telling you, what private equity ownership actually looks like on your receipt, and two chains that are doing the exact opposite of everything on this list.
The most surprising part of this video?
One chief executive broke two separate chains in the same year — collected nearly a hundred million dollars doing it — and is still running a company you probably visited this week.
If you want to know what is actually happening behind the counter before you spend another dollar, subscribe to In Plain Bite and turn on notifications.
Every video goes behind the menu, behind the marketing, and behind the ownership to show you what the press releases leave out.
📺 Watch the full video to see the complete breakdown.
This video explores topics including restaurant chain closures, fast food price increases, private equity and restaurant brands, franchise bankruptcies, chain quality decline, casual dining value comparison, and what is really happening inside America’s biggest food companies.
About In Plain Bite
📺 Videos exploring the reality behind major food chains, grocery stores, and restaurant brands.
From surprising menu differences to hidden industry practices, we break down the details most customers never notice.
🎙 Written, voiced and produced by In Plain Bite
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36 Comments
My two takeways:
1) We need to outlaw private equity.
2) Brian Nickel has done more to improve American health than any surgeon general, by getting Americans to stop eating fast food.
It’s not often anymore that I go to, ‘McMoney’ and order a, ‘McMini Hamburger’ with, ‘Teeny Fries’.
They went to college just to ruin their own business models. Half the portions twice the price. Destroy the value lose your customers permanently.
Unless you can break Cargil you can break McDonald’s
Poppeye’s chicken don’t waste your money it is crap
BK here in Weyburn, Saskatchewan it is filthy
Big Mac’s are disgusting I get the double 1/4 pounder I don’t want a fricken salad in my burger lettuce is disgusting soaking up the warm grease and gooey cheese yuck so a good beef burger and ketchup relish pickles on bread is where it’s at 😋lol
Translation:
Private Equity owned = Great reset = "You will own nothing and you will be happy!" 🤑👺🤑
The problem isn't food preparation and sale. You can find this in any US business hit by private equity. The problem is a US tax code that incentivizes debt-heavy strategies and corporate restructures resulting in immense tax write-offs for "failed investments" – those failed investments being the exact strategy in the takeover.
Just ate at Texas roadhouse. They are the best. That bread and honey butter is the best. Temptation is to just eat that. Sirlion steak is cooked just how you like it. I like well done and that is how i got it. Mashed potatoes are delicious and a great meal companion. If you like steak done right go here without delay
Have you seen some of these people working at these places, I don't want them touching my food, no thanks
If any retail business doesn’t respect you, don’t do business with them, if there is anyway possible to do so. You earn your money, they need to earn your business.
the fish size is unreal small like sliders that were 1 dollar
i mainly go to Chilies or burgerking or Long john zsilvers
Their roast beef and trout is very good
Private equity has ruined dining out experience 👍
I no longer want to dine out.
19:44 Labor law violations in the regime of Trump and in the thrall of this Supreme Court are irrelevant. If you can possibly do it, VOTE THIS NOVEMBER. Democracy depends on it! Assuming, of course, that we are, actually, going to have midterm elections and that Il Duce won't somehow manage to delay or cancel them.
Is Chipotle still poisoning customers? Contaminated produce means they're cheaping out on ingredients and charging as much as possible. Eat at mom-and-pop places. The prices are competitive and the food is honest.
I had to check my order at the counter.too many times I got it home and it was wrong
Pizza Slut closed down in Wheelersburg Ohio. I only had their excuse for a pizza when they had a coupon for a five item. They quit offering it. It was replaced with a similar "deal" that was a three item pizza. I quit. Frozen pizzas at Kroger have improved substantially. You still need to be careful what you buy though. Premium frozen is still cheaper than delivery.
It's not the food IMO…It's the angry rude workers that prepare it that's the problem..They Just don't care
And they ask for TIP
Wendy’s, Cracker Barrel Panera McDonalds. Food sucks. Prices ridiculous
Many of the quoted prices aren’t necessarily everywhere! I live in NC and it seems that places in many other states (like northeast, Midwest and Cali) all have prices much higher than here!!! But if the food isn’t good, I don’t care how cheap it is, I won’t be back!
Done 😮
I have NEVER purchased anything at (6) of these crap joints. I haven't been to the Subway in Rowland Heights, CA for over (25) years, even though I've lived out here for 30…. It SUCKS that much! 😮
Popeys recent closing in my area Central Ark hit us hard. One of our favs! But poor management wouldn't let them remain in business
NO MORE FAST FOOD IS GOOD THING🤡💩👍
Greedy corporations and politicians 🤡💩🖕
When a food chain sells out to one of the big companies who do not know how to run an eating joint the chain goes to Hell in a hand basket and then gone.
Oh I LOVE Texas Roadhouse!! My best friends took me for lunch at the one near us for my birthday. Food was awesome as was the service and especially the company I was with. 🙂
McDonalds is for trump lovers.
I bought a choc shake at 3 places. McDs, Arbys, and BK. I saved the cups and measured each. The prices were the same but McDs was 25% less by volumn. BK and Arbys were identical.
Great video with a great message. I live in Oregon and I only eat at family owned eateries like Gwynn’s Willamette Coffee House, Pizzacato or Oswego Grill.
I haven’t dined at a national brand for well over three years now. I intend to keep it that way.
Next time in your "Rising star" list don't forget In and Out!!!
I remember when Pizza Hut was great. This applies to any name, once your name value is lost, it's very very very very hard to get it back even if you new product is the best.