People spend a lot of money going to fast food chains and they have many choices. But
customers aren't always happy with these restaurants, and they aren't shy about sharing their feelings
about which ones are a little less than desirable. Here are the top 10 worst fast food chains.
Popeye’s
In 2016, after years of decline and unwelcome customer reviews, the Popeye Chicken fast
food chain admitted it had to do better. The management agreed with its clientele that
its customer service had become shoddy and needed to be addressed. Strangely, Popeye's
sales have not declined, in fact its sales have increased even though its marks on customer
service continue to sink. Customers must really enjoy the fried chicken and other tasty choices
as they seem willing to put up with slow and even rude employees. Customer criticism has
to be taken with a grain of salt because of course, there are some people who just like
to complain and service varies from location to location. With that being said, Popeye's
has really taken strides forward with their customer service over the past couple years.
They've really turned things around to the point where they'll be falling off this list
in the near future.
Cinnabon
There are more than 1,300 Cinnabon locations around the world so the fast chain must be
doing something right. Most people who enjoy Cinnabon's gooey sweet pastries know they
are loaded with sugar, fat and of course, a diet-busting amount of calories. People
are willing to put up with this unfortunate reality because the sweet rolls taste so good.
However, when the quality starts to waver, then there is a problem; it's like breaking
a contract with a customer. Making a delicious cinnamon bun shouldn't be too hard, but attention
to detail is key. Perhaps Cinnabon has lost its focus on its core product because it expanded
into paninis and the now defunct Pizzabon. Not only has the fast food chain lost focus
on its signature item, it has compounded the problem with frivolous merchandising endeavors.
Do you really need Cinnabon Chapstick or Cinnabon flavored vodka? Cinnabon thinks you do, but
maybe the company would do well to refocus its efforts on the quality of its core products
and service. Although not flashy, these measures would be improvements that would speak for
themselves.
Dominos
Pizza and fast food are very popular so a fast food pizza chain seems like a no brainer.
The problem is, you still have to execute, and Domino's has had some issues with this
part. A pizza restaurant can't afford to be accused of putting out mediocre pies that
skimp on toppings, but Dominos has found itself in this very spot. In 2009, Domino's put out
a commercial where the company essentially admitted it had been putting out weak pizza
for a while, but it was committed to listening to customers and making real improvements.
Eleven years later, is Domino's pizza a lot better than it used to be? Taste in pizza
is pretty subjective like any taste in food, but a case has been made by some that Domino's
is just convenient to order, and this is what accounts for a lot of its success - the convenience
factor and not necessarily a great pizza. This is a pretty bold charge, but is the company
just better at marketing? In one online poll, Domino's has been smacked pretty hard with
62% of respondents calling the fast food chain "bad," and only 16% giving the company a grade
of "excellent." While most of these online polls aren't scientific, they should at least
give the fast food chain some food for thought.
Burger King
You have to give Burger King some credit because the fast food chain does offer some interesting
items that McDonald's doesn’t - such as onion rings and their Hershey's sundae pie.
Burger King also goes a step further than McDonald's with its flame broiled cooking
instead of frying. With advantages like these, you'd think the king would be laughing at
that clown by now. The McDonald's golden arches are a world wide icon, recognized by billions
of people. Burger King has a creepy looking king mascot that looks like an android from
a cheesy science fiction show; McDonald's has Ronald McDonald who is one of the most
beloved clowns in history. Many have speculated that Burger King began going downhill after
the fast food chain was bought by an investment firm. All kinds of people can run a successful
business, but perhaps the firm just hasn't been giving Burger King the proper attention
it deserves and the details are slipping through the cracks. Customers tend to think Burger
King's rival, McDonald's is the cleaner chain. McDonald's has a reputation for consistency
that Burger King simply can't match.
Long John Silver’s
What would Long John Silver the pirate think of what has become of his namesake fast food
chain? If he were a real person instead of a fictional character, he might be disappointed
by the current state of affairs. Long John Silver's was conceived as a way to bring a
casual seafood dining experience to people who don't live near any seaside fish eateries.
This sounds like a good idea, but the execution of this vision has been less than successful.
Many Long John Silver's have been paired with other fast food chains. Some of the seafood
restaurants share space with chains like A&W. Perhaps customers could look the other way
on all these issues if Long John Silver's was offering excellent seafood, but this is
sadly not the case. Doughy hush puppies and fishy fish won't make customers happy. Think
how troubled a seafood chain must be if people complain about the fish smelling too fishy.
In recent years the chain has tried to address the issues with its menu and in 2018 began
offering some healthier grilled options, but it remains to be seen if Long John Silver's
will stop taking on water anytime soon.
Boston Market
This fast food chain was known as Boston Chicken when it was founded in 1984 in Newton, Massachusetts.
That name was considered too limiting however, so in 1995 it was changed to Boston Market.
Maybe less focus on the name and more focus on the chicken? It seems they didn't focus
very well at all because the fast food chain went into bankruptcy in the year 2000 and
was bought by McDonald's. Though McDonald's treated this more like a real estate deal
and closed down or rebuilt many locations before eventually re-selling the franchise
themselves in 2007. Even if Boston Market can consistently put out great tasting rotisserie
chicken, the company finds itself beset by a lot of competition. Unlike when Boston Market
first opened, today many supermarkets sell fresh rotisserie chicken of their own at a
decent price. This fast food chain features a mostly traditional menu with comfort food
like chicken pot pies, macaroni, and cheese cornbread. Customer complaints often focus
on the food or the service, but at least one reviewer was surprised and disappointed Boston
Market only provided plastic utensils and plates. This customer intends to bring their
own silverware on their next visit.
Sbarro Pizza
Who doesn't love a hot slice of New York Style Pizza? With it's large hand-tossed thin crust,
savory tomato sauce and perfectly melted cheese. These New York Style pizzas are often sold
in large slices, to go. That is also the idea behind Sbarro, offering pizza slices for on-the-go
shoppers at food courts in malls and shopping centers everywhere. The problem lies within
the pizza itself however, it's just not that good. Their pizza slices have been described
as too-sweet and too-doughy. Compounding the problem is the fact that the pizza often gets
left out for long periods of time. Even though they will re-heat the slice for you, it's
still often served at room temperature, or has that unpleasant re-heated texture and
taste. The pizzas are just not cooked fresh to order, therefore they will always be a
let down to anyone expecting a fresh out of the oven pizza pie. But don't take our word
for it, in the past 15 years, Sbarro has closed hundreds of stores, cutting their total locations
to half of what it was in the mid-2000s. Unfortunately, their lower quality of pizza was always going
to be too much to overcome, what was once acceptable in food courts, just doesn't cut
it anymore with so many newer, better options popping up.
Einstein Brothers Bagels
New Yorkers like to claim bagels as their own and can be pretty discerning about them,
but the rest of us tend to be more open about getting a decent bagel outside the Big Apple.
The Einstein brothers have expanded their menu far beyond bagels by offering sandwiches,
muffins, breakfast burritos and chocolate chip cookie kits. The fast food chain also
offers croissants, coffee cake, strudel and hash browns. Sounds like a great place to
get yourself a nice breakfast or lunch right? It might be, at certain locations, but Einstein
Brothers Bagels stores have failed inspections due to thing like roaches, flies, food left
uncovered, you get the picture... Digging further there's claims from past workers essentially
saying the company does not care about it's employees, and that the bottom line and profits
are all that matter. When you start to hear things like managers at Einstein Brothers
Bagels locations training employees to save food items that they should be throwing out,
or 25 year old half-working ovens that are injury hazards, you can see this Bagel Chain
needs to shape up if they want to actually compete with the top dogs.
Quiznos
Sandwiches are not very hard to make so if someone is going to pay a fast food chain
to make one for them, it better be good. This means a generous amount of decent ingredients
and fresh bread. Quiznos likes to toast the sandwiches but the point remains that the
product has to go above and beyond what we could easily make without leaving home. Subway
is the more popular brand and Quiznos’ top competition. Subway has been around a while
and is a well known fast food chain when it comes to making sandwiches. This is why Quiznos
tried to carve out a niche as a somewhat higher end restaurant, but sometimes this just means
they are more expensive than the competition - not necessarily better. The plan that Quiznos
pursued did not work and here’s the proof. Between 2007 and 2018 the fast food chain
went from operating 4,500 stores down to about 400 stores. This is a 90% decline and an indication
of serious issues that the company still needs to address.
Taco Bell
The popularity of Mexican food has surged over the last few decades challenging the
classic fast foods like burgers and pizza. Mexican fast food items such as tacos and
burritos are easy to make and convenient to eat. Fast food chains like Taco Bell have
helped fuel this popularity and have profited from it. However, popularity can work against
a business sometimes. There is a Facebook page that provides evidence that the fast
food chain has failed to maintain its quality, and customers have noticed. The restaurant’s
calorie counts have also come under fire. Just four of Taco Bell's Cinnabon Delights
are a hefty 1000 calories. What about Taco Bell's "Fourth Meal" campaign that implies
you'll crave the chain's food if you're drunk enough? Seems like the company is making fun
of itself or worse - its customers. Either way it's not really a good look and it's part
of the reason Taco Bell is one of the worst fast food chains.
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