"Secrets Of DC Food Chains: What Makes Them So Successful" by Rita Rapuano on zagat.com

[SeanMike]

"Secrets Of DC Food Chains: What Makes Them So Successful" by Rita Rapuano on zagat.com

I found this to be interesting. It's not the most in-depth of articles, but gave some good food for thought (pardon the pun).

[DaveO]

Clydes. Been around for a while. Does well.

[The Hersch]

I was interested to learn that ShopHouse "has nearly 10 locations", but was left wondering if that meant nine or eight. Or seven.

[DonRocks]

I was interested to learn that ShopHouse "has nearly 10 locations", but was left wondering if that meant nine or eight. Or seven.

If a restaurant has 2 locations, and is about to open a 3rd, I'll sometimes go into the Dining Guide and put (3-5 locations) even though it's not accurate the same day I write it - I have too much on my plate, and would forget to do it later. This doesn't happen often, but I confess: It's a little cheat I've taken a few times in the past. (Geez, to think I used to count *every location of every restaurant*. Ugh, ugh, ugh, unsustainable!)

The quote from the Five Guys representative was a load of BS. Actually, they pretty much all were - once you're a member of the Chain Gang, you say what you need to say.

[Joe H]

According to the article Sweetgreen (which I love) has something called "fro-yo."

What is fro-yo?

[DonRocks]

According to the article Sweetgreen (which I love) has something called "fro-yo."

What is fro-yo?

It's a Kamniki stew, traditionally cooked in the hollowed-out skulls of yaks that have been dry-aged for at least 90 days, before being slow-smoked using only Slovenian oak broken down from 4-6 year-old wine casks and blessed by 101 Dalmatian priests.

[Mark Slater]

According to the article Sweetgreen (which I love) has something called "fro-yo."

What is fro-yo?

Fro-yo means Frozen Yogurt. Don't feel bad. I had to ask the young people I work with what "cos-play" and ""dub-step" mean.

[DaveO]

According to the article Sweetgreen (which I love) has something called "fro-yo."

What is fro-yo?

Frozen yogurt. I had to look the term up a while back. Being of a certain generation leaves us behind the eight ball with current lingo

[Mark Slater]

It's a Kamniki stew, traditionally cooked in the hollowed-out skulls of yaks that have been dry-aged for at least 90 days, before being slow-smoked using only Slovenian oak broken down from 4-6 year-old wine casks and blessed by 101 Dalmatian priests.

Donny, don't be mean. Are you making fun of us old people? :-)

[DonRocks]

Donny, don't be mean. Are you making fun of us old people? :-)

I used a smiley!

[Mark Slater]

I used a smiley!

Oh, I didn't have my spectacles on.

[DonRocks]

Oh, I didn't have my spectacles on.

And *I* was poked fun of for this.

[DaveO]

And *I* was poked fun of for this.

...and they were funny.

What is fro-yo?

I've had to "research" endless phrases.   There is a "price" for being older. Fortunately internet research solves many of these mysteries.

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Back to the original OP:   There are and have been quite a number of successful local chains some which have been operating for a long time; GAR and Clydes come to mind.  On the other hand I'm sure there are many cities and metro regions that boast similarly local long running chains.  Regardless of the demographics of the DC region there is an additional element in expanding from a single operation to multiple restaurants.  It takes a different set of skills.