[mommy22]

In my town, (about 25,000) in NEOhio, a bunch of restaurants have closed. Let's see...Steak n Shake, Longhorn Steakhouse, Outback Steakhouse, a nice place on our town square that was locally owned. But new retail space withing the city limits is BOOMING!!!
I took the girls for dinner to a local (cheap)hot dog place that is locally owned and every seat was taken on a Saturday night. Also, they are building a new shopping complex with...your favorite vision master, Olive Garden!
Speaking of dentists being lone occupants of new buildings: If you have kids BEWARE!!
Dentist have become not someone to whom you go 1-2 times per year for a cleaning or other needed service....they are there to sell you new services. I had to be very firm with my dentist who nearly accused me of child abuse because I didn't see the need for the plastic film to be applied to my kids teeth to avoid caveties. I told him: we don't drink soda, candy is still a treat, and they brush twice a day, and they come from good dental stock (their dad and I both have good teeth). We did go to an orthodontist when my older daughter was in 2nd grade (9 years old). Her teeth were falling out left and right and coming in all funky. He told me to come back in a year. I asked him why so many 8-9 year olds at her school already had braces, and he said that if they get the kids in theer young, they'll have braces on for up to 4 years (!) and he'll make twice as much money on them. If you wait til they are 12-13, it'll only take about 1 year, and the orthodontist won't make as much money. As it turns out, her teeth came in straight and beutiful (they say that long term nursing can give kids straight teeth)and same with my younger daughter.
All I'm saying, is they (dentists) are nothing more than salesmen anymore, so they can afford those new rents.

[misterno]

"All I'm saying, is they (dentists) are nothing more than salesmen anymore, so they can afford those new rents."

Best quote of the day. I can not agree more.

[burtonridr]

In the past month we have had about 10 go out of business on our paper route.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'O')ld News.............

They have really good food at a moderate price.

Baker's Square owner files Chap. 11, will close 56 restaurants

[Byron100]

I for one am awful glad to see some of these horrid chain places close. Ever since I saw the movie "Office Space" and its infamous scene with the "17 pieces of flair", I pretty much quit going to those places. They charge way too much for crappy food, the managers of these places are about as dumb as a sack of gravel, and in some cases, just downright dirty and nasty. A world without Chili's, Ruby Tuesday's and most especially Red Lobster (grrrr) is a happier place to be. And to think people actually wait in frickin' line for to eat at those places.

That being said, I'm a huge supporter of the local mom-and-pop eatery, and pretty much limit my eating out to those kinds of places. Nothing like getting a delicious meal at the Galaxy Diner for $8.99 served by a waiter who actually has time to chit chat with ya. (Imagine that! And no 17 pieces of flair either...LOL!) The local cafeteria rocks too, and yes, it's within walking distance.

What I really hope the coming depression does is to destroy so-called "tourist" communities...those places are nothing but a blight upon the landscape, and I'll be thrilled to see those places turn into ghost towns. I've never understood the idea of spending lots of $$ just to travel to a place filled with gobs of annoying tourists and their bratty, snotty kids...not to mention being ripped-off right and left...ugh. If go on a trip, I want peace and quiet, think of a remote mountain cabin or a campsite you have to drive down 5 miles a dirt road to get to...

[vision-master]

The World is flat.

Travel and you see the same crapoa chain food joints everywhere.

[Byron100]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vision-master', 'T')he World is flat.

Travel and you see the same crapoa chain food joints everywhere.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Byron100', 'I') for one am awful glad to see some of these horrid chain places close. Ever since I saw the movie "Office Space" and its infamous scene with the "17 pieces of flair", I pretty much quit going to those places. They charge way too much for crappy food, the managers of these places are about as dumb as a sack of gravel, and in some cases, just downright dirty and nasty. A world without Chili's, Ruby Tuesday's and most especially Red Lobster (grrrr) is a happier place to be. And to think people actually wait in frickin' line for to eat at those places.

[burtonridr]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', '
')We spend a lot of time talking about transportation on this board but my gut tells me there's MUCH more people employed in the food service industry. Because of this, an argument can be made that restaurants closing down would actually effect society more so then airlines or trucking companies going out of business.
You may not like the "17 pieces of flair" or was that 15?, but there are people out there who's livelihood depends on stuff like that.

[burtonridr]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', '
')We spend a lot of time talking about transportation on this board but my gut tells me there's MUCH more people employed in the food service industry. Because of this, an argument can be made that restaurants closing down would actually effect society more so then airlines or trucking companies going out of business.
You may not like the "17 pieces of flair" or was that 15?, but there are people out there who's livelihood depends on stuff like that.

[Cog]

But I thought we wanted people to start adopting a simpler life-style to save on oil. Cooking meals at home from scratch with cheaper ingredients is all about that.

[Byron100]

I know all this talk of everything shutting down is depressing to some, but we've got to contract our economy somehow. We simply cannot live at X standard of living as the dwindling supply of oil will only allow us to live at X standard of living, and eventually at the lower level of Z. I think it's far better to have the beginning of a decline now by cutting out "frivolous" activities as much as we possibly can, so we can have the resources for essential activities tomorrow.

As for employment, I honestly don't see any way out of this conundrum except by way of staggering increases in governmental spending (possibly all the way up to 80% of GDP), by way of massive government programs employing the millions that will be soon rendered jobless by the traditional economy. I know this would violate the traditional rules of economics, spending money you don't have, etc, but I sure do hope they try. I mean, we have absolutely nothing to lose.

In the meantime, I urge everyone I know to spend as little as possible, and save as much as possible...you really are going to need that money later...

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', 'B')ut I thought we wanted people to start adopting a simpler life-style to save on oil. Cooking meals at home from scratch with cheaper ingredients is all about that.

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Byron100', 'I') know this would violate the traditional rules of economics, spending money you don't have, etc, but I sure do hope they try. I mean, we have absolutely nothing to lose.

[Cog]

@ Jack

You have greatly annoyed me now by causing me to think about this problem.

[Jack]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cog', '@') Jack

You have greatly annoyed me now by causing me to think about this problem.

[truecougarblue]

Applebees is closing its restaurants at the following locations and laying off a total of 1,071 employees by the end of this month: (3 days from today)

1238 West Imperial Highway, La Habra
24872 Madison Ave., Murrieta
1021 N. Milliken Ave., Ontario
107 Fletcher Parkway, El Cajon
10709 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga
12044 Amargosa Road, Victorville
12375 Limonite Ave., Mira Loma
12600 Day St., Moreno Valley
16867 Sierra Lakes Parkway, Fontana
19201 Bear Valley Road, Apple Valley
2046 Redlands Blvd, Redlands
2146 Vista Way, Oceanside
3820 Mulberry, Riverside
3956 Grand Ave., Chino
7510 Hazard Center Drive, San Diego.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jack', '.')...
Is it? Suppose I want some bread. I could combine flour, yeast, and other ingredients, bake them in the oven, and produce a loaf. Or, I could procure a loaf that was produced in a commercial bakery.

Considering all the resources used to produce and deliver a bag of flour, a sealed packet of yeast, and so forth, I wonder. Add in the problem that the oven heats up to produce a single loaf.

Or consider a can of chili. Compare what is involved in creating home made chili. Which really consume more resources?

Complicated, isn't it?

[Jack]

You make some good points, Cube.

I keep thinking of the more distant past, though.

For example, England during Dicken's time - with bakers. Individuals couldn't afford ovens.

And I seem to recall that third world villages have shared ovens....

An even more dim memory was that Rome had lots and lots of small eateries that served simple meals. It would take a fairly hard crash to get us back to Rome.

Anyway, I agree there will be far less choice. I'm just not completely sure it means cooking at home.

[cube]

Wow you sound more doomer-ish than me Jack.
I can't imagine society going so far down the slope they can't even afford an oven.
I was thinking the near future aka within my lifetime.
I think a quick and dirty way to "predict" what a PO future will look like is to ask yourself this simple question. Imagine waking up tomorrow morning and you just got a 50% pay reduction.
What would you do? ---> I don't know about you but I'd start cooking at home!

A PO world is where you have less money to spend. The average American could probably cut their food bill in half by cooking at home using simple ingredients. I think the reason why cooking at home almost NEVER gets brought up is because lets face it, most people on this forum are men. It's not a subject that gives men Adult content text deleted unlike say long haul trucking, lithium ion batteries, and the aerodynamic principles of electric cars.