Top 10 Limited Service Chains

And yet another list!
This time from "Restaurant News", The official news pub of the National Restaurant Association.
The results of a consumer survey conducted by them. Interestingly enough, 3 of them are Ice Cream Shops!
10. Jason's Deli
9.  Cold Stone Creamery
8.  Pandera Bakery
7. Chick - Fil - A
6  Pot Belly sandwich Shops
5.  Haagen Dazs
4.  McAlisters Deli
3. Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shops
2.  In & Out Burger
AND #1 (Drum Roll Pease)--------- Papa Murphys Take & Bake!
There you are folks, argue away!

Chick-Fil-A could probably pull off a place like Boston Market if they wanted to.

 
What is meant by "limited service" chain?
 
 
Thanks!
 
 
Glenn
 
 

Glenn1234
 
What is meant by "limited service" chain?
Thanks!
Glenn

According to the NAICS it's:  
722211 Limited-Service Restaurants
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing food services (except snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars) where patrons generally order or select items and pay before eating. Food and drink may be consumed on premises, taken out, or delivered to the customer's location. Some establishments in this industry may provide these food services in combination with selling alcoholic beverages

Interesting. All of the Stone Cold Creamerys around me closed over a year ago.

7 out of the 10 chains listed do not exist in the Hudson Valley, to my knowledge.  Who the Hell ever heard of Pappa Murphy's Take N Bake?  But, it doesn't matter, I'll never willingly visit any of those places ...
 
Cheers, John 

seafarer john

7 out of the 10 chains listed do not exist in the Hudson Valley, to my knowledge.  Who the Hell ever heard of Pappa Murphy's Take N Bake?  But, it doesn't matter, I'll never willingly visit any of those places ...
Cheers, John 

They have 1250 Outlets.
Never say Never John!
What an opportunity you have!
Since there's none near you, you have an opportunity of a lifetime to buy a Franchise! 
Zagat Rates them the #1 Rated Pizza Chain!! as well as consumer panels!
I've had them and they're pretty good!

Pappa MURPHY makes pizza?
 
OMG
 
Cheers, John 

seafarer john

Pappa MURPHY makes pizza?
OMG
Cheers, John 

Yep, Irish Soda Bread Crust coming soon!

Foodbme

Glenn1234
 
What is meant by "limited service" chain?
Thanks!
Glenn

According to the NAICS it's:  
722211 Limited-Service Restaurants
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing food services (except snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars) where patrons generally order or select items and pay before eating. Food and drink may be consumed on premises, taken out, or delivered to the customer's location. Some establishments in this industry may provide these food services in combination with selling alcoholic beverages

 
Thanks, Foodbeme!
 
 
 
Glenn
 
 

Papa Murphy....oh come on,,,,,at least Papa John doesn't sound Irish...If I were starting a crummy chain pizzajoint (what else is there?)..I'd at least fake it, and give it an Italian name,,,it'd still be crummy, but at least I'd lure some folks in....but then I guess that if you're a chain,it doesn't matter...the sub heading for all chains should be, "I'm a chain. Our food is what it is!!"

We've had a couple Cold Stone Creamery places open around here lately, coupled with Tim Horton's. Too bad I don't eat ice cream or drink coffee.
 
I'd go to Papa Murphy's when I lived in Seattle (Renton), and found it to be decent pizza for a fair price. No, it's not an amazing NY style thin crust cooked in a 1000 degree brick oven like I would rather have, but it sure beats out most other pizza chains. I had the misfortune to eat Pizza Hut "pizza" last week (only place open that was delivering on Labor Day, my back was out and I didn't want to hobble around a grocery store), and wish I'd saved my money and gone hungry instead.

I agree with Seamus about Papa Murphys.To me it beats out all pizza chains, and is a decent, fair priced bake at home pie.

I've been to the Jason's Deli in Naperville, Ill. and it's pretty good with a big menu and a lot of healthy options that made my vegetarian partner happy. Many things are organic, some gluten free, vegetarian options but a lot of good old fashioned deli selections as well as a nice salad bar.
 
http://www.jasonsdeli.com/

Hello All! first post on this great web site for me. Usually hang out around the hod dog vendor section. Two Papa Murphys here. Kids go nuts for the cookie dough. Never heard of Jason's Deli , Pandera Bakery , Pot Belly sandwich Shops or  McAlisters Deli
but we did have a cold stone ice cream joint for a while, but no one here wants to pay that much for an ice cream cone!

I never have understood the thing with Chick-Fil-A. Not very good at all to me.

I don't think we have In and Out Burger in San Antonio.We also don't have McAlister's Deli Pot Belly Sandwich,Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream shops either.There was a Hagen Das on Broadway in Alamo Heights,and we have Panera Bread.Might have Pappa Murphy's not  sure. The nearest jason's Deli is in new Braunfels.They were supposedly going to put one in Schertz some years ago but it never happend.They just got a Jimmy John's in Live Oak, right across from the Regal Cinema.

Jason's Deli has gluten free bread, which makes it the only place around here I can get a sandwhich. They list the options and you can design your own sandwhich. I think it is pretty good. They also have a couple of gluten free sups.

Yeah, Jason's Deli is good.Wish it was closer to me.The new Cheddars in Selma has a banner saying Training in Progress on the building. I like Chic Fila.Wish we would get a Pollo Loco out this way.

Jason's Deli is excellent, and what a salad bar.  Not surprised to see Haagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry's, Chick-Fil-A, and In-N-Out on the list, each one a great selection.

I think McAlisters deli is a Mississippi based chain. We had one in Kingsport, Tn and I enjoyed the soups. They crow a lot about their sweet tea and I do agree it's good.

Foodbme:
First off, the article is from "Nation's Restaurant News," not "Restaurant News" (a different site).
It would have been helpful if you had provided a link.

http://www.nrn.com/articl...10-qsr-chains?page=0,0
 
These "results" are from a self-administered, self-selected online poll and therefore have no statistical validity.  The fact that these "winners" are from small chains with limited geographic coverage, alone, makes the "results" questionable. 
Two of the three "ice cream shops" were ice cream brands mostly sold in supermarkets and convenience stores.  Were respondents actually rating the shop (or ice cream bought in a food store)?
Any store in places like Texas and Mississippi that calls itself a "deli" should be prosecuted for false advertising. 
Cold Stone Creamery's ice cream, based in Scottsdale, is OK but way over-priced.  Mostly you pay for watching somebody mix in stuff. 
The restaurants on the this list show a strong sun-belt tilt, although none serves the kinds of food associated with the regions in which they are based. 
Chick-fil-A is owned by fundamentalists, based in Atlanta, and closes on Sundays. 

Who cares who owns Chick-Fil-A? They routinely excel in customer satisfaction surveys/polls. Their 6-day week sales volume is extraordinary, outstrips most competition and continues to rise.  I'm not sure why the term "fundamentalist" is relevant, but since the food is fundamentally excellent, the customer service fundamentally superior, and their business model fundamentally successful, I would agree that founder Truett Cathy must be a fundamentalist.  Ever notice the throngs camping out at a store opening?

Foodbme

Glenn1234
 
What is meant by "limited service" chain?
Thanks!
Glenn

According to the NAICS it's:  
722211 Limited-Service Restaurants
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing food services (except snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars) where patrons generally order or select items and pay before eating. Food and drink may be consumed on premises, taken out, or delivered to the customer's location. Some establishments in this industry may provide these food services in combination with selling alcoholic beverages

By this definition, Papa Murphy's is not "limited service."  Their food may NOT "be consumed on premises," unless the patron enjoys uncooked pizza.
 
Although, consuming it uncooked may be an improvement to cooking it.  I've eaten a lot of Papa Murphy's pizza and there was always something 'off' about its taste. But they sell it so cheap, I kept buying it.

JRPfeff

Foodbme

Glenn1234
 
What is meant by "limited service" chain?
Thanks!
Glenn

According to the NAICS it's:  
722211 Limited-Service Restaurants
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing food services (except snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars) where patrons generally order or select items and pay before eating. Food and drink may be consumed on premises, taken out, or delivered to the customer's location. Some establishments in this industry may provide these food services in combination with selling alcoholic beverages

By this definition, Papa Murphy's is not "limited service."  Their food may NOT "be consumed on premises," unless the patron enjoys uncooked pizza.
Although, consuming it uncooked may be an improvement to cooking it.  I've eaten a lot of Papa Murphy's pizza and there was always something 'off' about its taste. But they sell it so cheap, I kept buying it.

Read the WHOLE sentence:
"Food and drink may be consumed on premises, taken out, or delivered to the customer's location."
I assume you're just foolin' with me.

Yes I read it and to my reading  it means that all 3 options are available.
 
There is a name for a place where the patrons buy prepared food and take it home to cook.  It is called a grocery store.

First, I think we should all give Foodbme a round of applause for spending the $10 to purchase the September 5th, 2011 print edition of Nation's Restaurant News from this page:
https://www.pubservice.com/backissue/subbi.aspx?PC=RN&AN=&Zp=&PK=
I look forward to the other results he posts after he receives the magazine in the mail.
 
If you place the search terms < wd partners consumer picks surveys > in Google,  you will find 1) press releases by NRN and WD Partners pimping the survey, and 2) press releases by restaurants on that NRN "top ten" list. The trouble with the pimp article is that it just gives the "top line" results.
 
I think the quality of the market research is higher than what michaelcarraher thinks of it. NRN announced the project in April, 2011:
http://nrn.com/article/nrn-wd-partners-team-new-consumer-survey
 
I think they got the respondents from this site:
http://www.surveyspot.com/
or one like it. They pay consumers a small amount to take surveys. Then, the research company is offering to sell differenct versions of the same survey to other companies in the foodservice field.
Of course McDonald's and Burger King and Pizza Hut, etc. etc. etc. are going to be on that list. But where? Subscribe and find out.
 

Papa Murphy's remeinds me of the prepared but unbaked pizzas available at the Costco Deli section. Buy them, take them home and bake them  to obtain hot, fresh and sometimes fairly decent pizza (under those limitations) Since Pizza in any form is not high on my request lists anytime, this will fill my needs for the dish.
We have Pandera and chick-fil-a use the latter now and then, never tried Pandera.
 

Chiik a Filelet... I completely agree, the success is a complete mystery to me.

Chick-Fil-A is something I really WANT to like, but I don't.  We have one of only two Minnesota Chick-Fil-As -- it is at the student union at the U of Minnesota (the other is on a college campus in Mankato).  It isn't open for breakfast, so they don't sell everything on the "master menu." I've tried their version of chicken nuggets several times, and they always leave me feeling slightly sick. I'm sure there's nothing wrong with them, per se, but they just don't agree with me.
 
I bought a Papa Murphy's pizza once.  (There's a store just a few blocks from my house.)  It was one of their "lite" versions. I was underwhelmed and have never gone back.