D&D 5E D&D and Chain Restaurants: The Poll

[Mind of tempest]

LOL I can't believe you actually bothered making a poll!

It's official, I have definitely wasted too much time here and need to find more constructive things to do with my free time.

constructive is relative so this can be considered constructive.

 

[tetrasodium]

Voted Other, because 5e is Starbucks.

1) Ubiqiutous within its niche. There are other coffee places, even popular coffee chains, but Starbucks is everywhere. Just like 5e within the TTRPG space.
2) Mainly offers one thing, but a ton of modularity within the space that it offers. 5e mainly supports one particular play style (DM focused story play), but gives you a ton of options within that space.
3) You can go to Starbucks for 2 min, or you can go for 5 hours (pre-COVID, anyway). Likewise, 5e works well for both extreme casuals and for dedicated TTRPGers.
4) Starbucks both helped originate its niche (upscale coffee place) and remains the leader within its space, again much like D&D as a whole.

Others have detailed the starbucks side of this a great deal but #2 falls apart a bit. 5e's "modularity" is largely the result of claiming it to be so over & over again.

America is a strange place, you have a whole shop for thing supermarkets just have counters for.

We also have a grocery store chain known for its award winning subs

 

[Zardnaar]

Upscale cafes have been around for longer than I have been alive, and Starbucks is not one. It's niche would be 'soulless, chain coffee place'.

The analogy also breaks down in that I rather enjoy playing D&D, while Starbuck's coffee is pretty much undrinkable.

I don't think Starbucks doing that well here and it failed in Aussie. American coffee lolwut.

What chain is in most places but doesn't have the recognition of McDonalds?

Generic mom and pop burger joint?

That's D&D. Does one thing well perhaps an above average Cheeseburger.

 

[turnip_farmer]

I don't think Starbucks doing that well here and it failed in Aussie. American coffee lolwut.

There are 54 Starbucks in Australia, I don't think they failed.

 

[OB1]

Other In-n-Out

Because while the menu looks basic, long time customers know how to hack it to get exactly what they want!

 

[Shiroiken]

Assuming an American viewpoint, McDonalds all the way. Despite what a lot of people say, most Americans really love McDonalds.

Voted Other, because 5e is Starbucks.

1) Ubiqiutous within its niche. There are other coffee places, even popular coffee chains, but Starbucks is everywhere. Just like 5e within the TTRPG space.
2) Mainly offers one thing, but a ton of modularity within the space that it offers. 5e mainly supports one particular play style (DM focused story play), but gives you a ton of options within that space.
3) You can go to Starbucks for 2 min, or you can go for 5 hours (pre-COVID, anyway). Likewise, 5e works well for both extreme casuals and for dedicated TTRPGers.
4) Starbucks both helped originate its niche (upscale coffee place) and remains the leader within its space, again much like D&D as a whole.

I hate how much I agree with this, but that's because I detest Starbucks.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Man, Cracker Barrel is perfect. Toys for the kiddies. Rocking chairs for the grognards. Biscuits n gravy for everyone else.

And, to tie into other threads here, a huge side helping of lawsuits from all their black customers for how poorly they are treated.

 

[Lanefan]

There are 54 Starbucks in Australia, I don't think they failed.

54 Starbucks in all of Australia? That's a major failure by their standards.

Come back to me once there's 54 Starbucks within a 15-mile radius of Sydney city hall. That's the degree of market saturation they tend to go for.

Over the last half-year they've closed something like 200 or 300 outlets here in Canada...meaning there's only about 1200 left.

 

[TwoSix]

54 Starbucks in all of Australia? That's a major failure by their standards.

Come back to me once there's 54 Starbucks within a 15-mile radius of Sydney city hall. That's the degree of market saturation they tend to go for.

Over the last half-year they've closed something like 200 or 300 outlets here in Canada...meaning there's only about 1200 left.

There are about 15,000 in the US, so we're somewhat ahead of Canada on a per capita basis, but not like an order of magnitude different as in Australia. (Although all the numbers I see are pre-COVID, so...)

It looks like most of their international targeting right now is in Asia.

 

[wingsandsword]

Since some people here don't know what these restaurants are (they're all popular large US chains), I figure I'll give some explanation:

• 1. McDonalds. It's everywhere.

I do suspect that pretty much everyone knows what McDonalds is. Largest fast food franchise in the world. Low-quality food, but very uniformly made, and totally ubiquitous. Popular with kids. You can go almost anywhere in the world and find a McDonalds, and the food will be pretty much the same anywhere.

• 2. Chipotle. So good you overlook the occasional food poisoning.

"Fast casual" chain selling burritos and similar Tex-Mex style food. The burritos are the very large "mission style" burritos first created in San Francisco. The food quality is usually pretty good and very delicious, but they've had some scandals with food poisoning in the past that has tainted their reputation a little.

• 3. Cheesecake Factory. I trust in the Snarf.

Restaurant chain that specialized in sumptuous, huge, calorie-filled meals. Tasty, but very fattening.

• 4. Cracker Barrel. It has rocking chairs for the grognards.

A popular restaurant chain in the US specializing in "country" style cuisine, found mostly (but not entirely) in the southern US. Rather like the food my grandmother used to make. Known for having a fairly relaxed atmosphere, being popular with the elderly, and popular with country folks. Each store has a country store selling old fashioned and nostalgic goods, including rocking chairs and old-style candy.

• 5. Taco Bell. It's amazing if you don't think about what goes into it.

Popular US fast food chain. Mass produced highly Americanized "Mexican" food that's okay, but of very questionable quality. Open late at night, popular place to get food when the bars close. Tends to give a lot of people some. . .unpleasant. . .gastrointestinal side-effects when eaten though.

• 6. Outback Steakhouse. No rules, just right.

Australian-themed steakhouse chain in the US. Not even remotely authentically Australian, but plays to American stereotypes of Australia being a relaxed, slightly wild and quirky place. The marketing for them emphasizes it's a place you can come and relax and not worry about formalities and etiquette, just sit down and enjoy your meal.

• 7. Denny's. It might be terrible, but you're there at 3am.

A diner chain that is open late hours and serves a broad, generic menu including breakfast and lunch/dinner foods. Tends to be greasy and of questionable quality, but they're cheap and pretty much always open.

• 8. Olive Garden. When you need to settle. And want breadsticks.

A chain of Italian restaurants that is rather something of a running joke for being very generic and faux-Italian in how it looks and acts. Tries to create the illusion of an Italian bistro or family dinner. Tends to be situated around other chain restaurants and malls, and is often a "compromise" choice when a party of people with diverse dining tastes each wants something different. It's not the best, but most people think it's at least adequate enough to eat there.