Stretch
of road in New York.
We’re
considering a run of roughly twenty-eight miles. Doesn’t hit a
major city over this particular route. Mainly just small towns
looking for a claim to fame, but tourism dollars aren’t a way
of life (and likely never will be).
From
the start to the finish of our journey, you’ll see the familiar
outline of a Pizza Hut three times. Two of them are closed, but
the iconic roof design more than confirms the identity of last
occupant. All of them were opened the first time Terry and I drove
along this road.
The
two closings likely shouldn’t be much of a surprise. If I asked
you to name the major players in the fast food and similar industry,
it might take a while to get to Pizza Hut. And yet, along this
same stretch of road…
* Two McDonald’s
* Three Burger Kings
* Two Wendy’s
* One Taco Bell
* One Arby’s
* Two KFCs
* One Dominos
Ever
think you would see Pizza Hut outnumber McDonald’s over a significant
stretch of busy road? There was a time when it was true. Subway
might even be the most common, but the numbers include one inside
a gas station’s convenience store, and I can’t confirm if that’s
one of three or four (or possibly even five) along the path.
I
think about this from time to time, because there was likely a
day when the openings were celebrated. Local papers probably ran
ribbon-cutting feature articles. Visiting might have become a
regular event for families.
“Our
town has a Pizza Hut!” And the sun was out.
In
the corner of my mind are fairly detailed memories of a bank opening
up near our house decades ago. They held a party that lasted multiple
days. Had someone dressed up in a costume walking on a tightrope.
(It was a lion wearing a king’s robe and crown. Impressive enough,
and partly little else going on, that we went to a couple of the
shows.) Gave out gift bags to kids, which resulted in multiple
days that summer making bake-it-yourself stained glass.
About
fifteen years later that banking group had been sold in a merger
process, and a handful of years after that it was sold again.
Today, the bank group that oversees that specific property is
one that didn’t exist when I was growing up.
Times
change. Though I don’t believe a tightrope was set up for any
of the acquisitions.
A
few years ago, a woman made headlines in Wisconsin when she wrote
an article for a local paper demanding an Olive Garden location
in her town. As I recall, she filled her request with glowing
descriptions of breadsticks and salad. Her piece was immediately
the target of replies, ranging from a wide variety of jokes to
several enquiries about whether or not she had ever frequented
the current assortment of amazing culinary delights already run
by her neighbors. In short, not many others wanted an Olive Garden
there.
The
Olive Garden story raises two interesting points.
One
heads back to my thoughts about the media coverage of a Pizza
Hut opening and a lion walking over a parking lot. Communities
and planners do get excited about the possibilities of new businesses.
And that excitement can multiply when a national chain is involved,
bringing established companies to the neighborhood setting.
That’s
kind of a celebration level that hits (my words): “A new Starbucks
and a new Shake Shack? We might need to add a traffic light on
Main Street.”
Big
doings in little village, exciting things are happening now. It’s
read as a sign of accomplishment, in a way. The population is
strong enough to support the operations of a recognized brand.
Which, in part, brings on the other point.
Some
places don’t want the chains. Hate them. Put regulations and requirements
in place as roadblocks to keep them away. They like the charm
and feel of things the way they are, want to keep things organized
in a sort of our-town-only-treasure atmosphere.
Whether
you want an Olive Garden (or a Starbucks or a Shake Shack) or
prefer a unique and only here feel, there really isn’t a wrong
answer on which way to move forward. Both can have their advantages.
Both can work to tremendous success. There are examples all across
the country of each.
And
yet, there are times when a small town celebrated a big day. Probably
felt like things were moving in the right direction. Only a day
arrived where the Pizza Hut letters and logos have been taken
down, the lights turned off, and the doors locked. The signs may
be gone, but the outline of the building gives away that plans
didn’t continue exactly as expected.
Some
towns have it made. And some don’t move ahead with quite the same
results.