Monday, August 16, 2010

My Town Monday: What's Missing?

Little Ceasar's Pizza
Dunkin Donuts
Mr. Pita
Big Boy Resturant

What do these things have in common?

They each closed locations in Livingston County.  For years, this county had one or more of the above businesses in the local towns (including nearby but actually the edge of Oakland County's town of South Lyon.)  But in the last 10 years, many of the locations have shut down.  Sometime, pulling out of the area completely.  There is no longer a Dunkin Donuts-- though the shop previously known as Dunkin Donuts still makes Donuts, etc. under the name Brighton Donuts.

Little Ceasar's pulled out of most of it's locations, then brought a few back in new spots a few years later.
Mr. Pita lasted a few years in an odd, difficult to get to location before leaving.  Like Brighton Donuts, the shop operated a little longer under a generic name before giving it up all together.

Big Boy-- now this one I know-- was struggling financially as a company and shut some of it's least popular locations.

There are a good many places that have never made an appearance in Livingston County, for reasons I may never understand.  Sure, population is a little light out here, but not that light.  As a suburban area, I would expect to see a few more businesses take the opportunity to bring their wares into an area where they're not represented.  It was only in the last few years that Livingston County got a White Castle.  Still no Sonic or Krispy Kreme.  No California Pizza Kitchen.  I couldn't even list what we're 'missing.'

No Dominoes Pizza, even, which is a shocker since Ann Arbor-- home of the corporate HQ-- is just 20 mins south of here.

Being in the Metro Detroit area, I see a good many commercials for places that just don't exist out here.  It doesn't break my heart any, since I can't eat most places, but it's always struck me as curious how many businesses don't open a location out here.

I can't tell you how excited folks were for the White Castle to open.  I understand there were people camped out iPhone-release-style before the opening.

Tell me your favorite chain location and I'll tell you if we have one nearby.

3 comments:

Barrie said...

I was at the gym this morning. On the news (CNN??), coffee from Dunkin' Donuts was ranked #2 after Starbucks. My favorite chain is In 'n Out Burger. They haven't made to anywhere in Michigan. Yet. :)

Gabriele Goldstone said...

I had no idea Little Caesar's Pizza was so big - we have a few in my end of Winnipeg. No Dunkin' Donuts - but we have Tim Horton's everywhere. I don't really have a favorite chain store - maybe McDonald's, Pizza Hut - or A & W.

Clair D. said...

We have several McDs. We JUST got a Tim Horton's. We used to have an A&W (yum!) but they closed down before I was in high school and haven't been back. And we do have a Pizza Hut.

We have at least 3 Starbuck's locations around here-- 1 in Meijer, 1 in Target, and one stand-"alone" sharing a building with our new Olga's. There may be more. I won't pay minimum wage for a drink, so I don't really keep track.