I read some bad news about chains of Italian restaurants abroad. What I actually got is quite sad.
After the problems had by Jamie Oliver, some papers made an analisys of the current situation and it seems to be quite negative.
I can sometimes make some ironic comments about the interpretation of Italian recipes abroad, but it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the efforts, idea and invesments that these brave chefs have done.
If for a long time their strategies have worked, it means they had the right idea.
I guess the point is that people are changing. There are different needs, a deeper food education and more awareness. There are wider opportunities of travelling around the world.
It looks that chains match more with cheap food. In Italy we’ve never had restaurant chains for expensive food. They are mostly dedicated to fast food. When we have time (and money) we don’t want to find some standard food. It’s the same for pizza, even if it’s not expensive at all. We want to taste the differences. It’s a difficult concept to explain. Can this be the same reason of the difficulties that Italian chains are facing in UK?
Maybe taste is changing abroad, due even to the reasons I indicated before. Restaurant chains are not dynamic. They look stucked to a menu you can find anywhere, to a taste that’s anywhere the same, to a layout because you can recognise the place everywhere you go. They mean consistency. You exactly know what to expect. No thrill.
That’s good, but – I guess – for a fast food. If I don’t have time, I want to go where I already know what to order, how it tastes and where to seat. In this case I just want to be sure I’ll have my (good) lunch or supper. I’m not looking for an extra taste experience.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48393912
The journalist is giving the option that also food deliveries are hitting this market but I personally don’t agree. I would think it’s more about the evolution of taste, as I’ve said before. People have always less time for themselves, so they look for different food experiences when they can.
What do you think about this topic? I’d like to hear your opinions.
