Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

I think only a national chain can stay in business while being bad.  A local place cannot for long unless they are cleaning money.

National chains don't have to be good, as McDonalds has shown us.  It merely needs to be consistent and available.  I'd argue against that they're "bad," as they're almost scientifically not "bad."  They hit more taste notes than normal with infinite taste-testing - putting sugar in things that don't need it or salt in things that don't need it.  But however "bad" you deem it, to your brain, it's not bad at all.

It's hard to demonstrate consistency with only one local location, unless you have a bunch of customers who try different things often.  Most people find something they like and stick with it. 
If I get a burger from the same chain in Phoenix, Little Rock, and Daytona Beach, and they're all basically consistent, then that checks both boxes..

anybody knocking McDonalds has never taken kids on a driving vacation

Quarter-pounder with cheese isn't the best burger on earth, but it's not the worst either.  And as far as nutrition, it's no worse nor better than a cheeseburger of similar size from any other place.  

We rarely eat fast food, but on roadtrips it's pretty common for us, and McDonald's are ubiquitous.

anybody knocking McDonalds has never taken kids on a driving vacation

This is true, or close to it.  My wife and I will do breakfast at McDs when on the road now.  It's OK.  We actually had lunch in a small town in NC a few days back because options were limited.  It's edible.  The fries were decent enough.

Their coffee is not very good IMHO.  I prefer the Whopper.

There is a Farmburger near us that has a pretty good burger and a beer for $10 right now.  Killer Burger is better but we drive there.  They just opened a new place nearer us also, Shake Shack it's called, burger was decent, pricey though, like $7.

A things I hear on TV fairly often that annoys me way more than it should is calling "grilling out" a "barbecue".  They are effectively opposite things.

This is why I don't watch TV much.

A things I hear on TV fairly often that annoys me way more than it should is calling "grilling out" a "barbecue".  They are effectively opposite things.

This is why I don't watch TV much.

Amen, brutha.  And they use BBQ as a noun, like an event.  

"Honey, Brad and Karen invited us over to a BBQ in their backyard.  What should we take?  Potato salad?"