Where’s the Beef? Unfortunately, it’s in Queens. Corporate fast food god’s like McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s and others have touched the hearts arteries of one too many Sunnyside residents.
To my heart’s dismay, in the past I have not been a total food snob. In fact, when I’ve needed a quick bite, I too have partaken in the Whopper Jr. “fun.” But each time, I have been distracted by the overwhelming number of people partaking in the same “fun.” There are youth groups, grandparents bonding with grandchildren, teenagers on their cell phones, and once I overheard a Spanish lesson going on at the Burger King on 41st. The excitement is surreal—it’s like watching high-heeled women at a free sneaker give away during the black out of ‘03.
I don’t know about you, but I love our little donut shops, our cute coffee spots and my sushi being served in a boat. And this all comes without the fear of a scary man in a King costume lying next to me in the morning.
If we want our favorite haunts to stay open, it would be wise to spend our hard earned time and money at the small, charming, delicious mom and pops we have been blessed with before the “man” takes over our nabe with another flame-broiled hotspot.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Fast Food Nation
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4 comments:
I personally take a fair amount of enjoyment in the occasional trip to Burger King or Wendy's when the craving hits. But you're right. On weekends I've regularly seen 90% of the tables full with long lines of customers at the registers. I've seen popular places in Sunnyside, but few are that popular. Not to mention that, from a health standpoint, it's a little scary how many kids seem to snacking there regularly.
Thanks Jeremy-- scary isn't it? It's definitely some weird phenomenon on Queens Blvd.
I'm not sure how much competition there really is between Yeti of Hieizan and Wendy's, for example. I can't really imagine a youth group eating at Yeti.
The fast-food places are cheap, kid-friendly and informal. The kind of "fun" you're talking about is often just not expected or tolerated at a lot of locally-owned restaurants. Many of them don't have much that's in a teenager's price range. And it doesn't seem like it'd be too hard to make a kid's menu (I've seen them in independent restaurants outside the neighborhood), but nobody in Sunnyside seems interested. There's also the post-Jehovah's Witness-service crowd, who seem to like chains like Wendy's and Starbucks.
I'd definitely like to see the local restaurants hold their own against the chains, and I think many of them (the diners and pizzerias particularly) are doing pretty well.
I live on the north side of the Boulevard, so I haven't been to Nita's or La Dolce Vita, but do they seem to be struggling?
I don't agree with this Virginia Postrel article, but I find it thought-provoking.
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