Quote:
Originally Posted by even stephen  Ask yourself one question....Is Applebees, as a chain, successful....
he may be trying to raise the bar......I've heard that he is a great
teacher as well....not as patient as on TV, but very competant and
gifted.....$$$$$$$$$$ |
Well said Stephen! Anyhow FWIW.....
There was a time when places like TGI Friday's, Bennigans, Houlihans and even Applebee's were the bench mark for the industry. Not so much by white table cloth standards but for the rest of those places out there. I guess what has now become the "Casual Theme". The food was (by most standards) above average in quality and execution. They had extensive menu's for both dining and the bar and judgeing by the 2-3hr waits to get in not too unsuccessful. But like the Dodo.......
As I see it, Applebees as a company see's an opportunity and so does Chef Tyler. Now the ingredients may not be the highest of quality and in some ways the execution is lagging but for the most part the whole effort is commendable. I'd never thought I'd feel this way especially about Applebees but..... They are making it work for the folks that enjoy the concept.
As a side note.... Way back when in Atlanta, me and my fellow restaurant co-workers had some mighty fun times frequenting those places. Places like Friday's, Copperfields, Applebee's (and the couple dozen other ideas patterened after them that had sprouted up and now dot the country) were always a place to unwind and hash over the days events. I for one am happy to see an effort to make things better. It's good for the industry over-all. So....Anyone trying to improve even on mediocrity or the sub-standard is not doing themselves, this or any other industry a dis-service.
