The Chain Gang

Could dinner at a chain stack up to an independent restaurant meal? There is no simple answer.

My sister’s favorite restaurant is Maggiano’s, a chain eatery with locations in more than twenty states. It is her dinner spot of choice whenever we meet up in the King of Prussia area.

I have never been a fan. I chafe at the idea of spending money at a chain that is too big, too glossy, and too corporate in feel. I’d much rather get my Italian food from a guy born and raised in Italy who runs a small restaurant in Collingswood than from some menu created in a central office.

So how did I end up at the Maggiano’s in the Cherry Hill Mall on a recent Friday night? Curiosity.

The Cherry Hill Mall is the mall of my childhood. It’s where the cool kids went on a Saturday night. It fell out of style when shopping strips like the Promenade at Sagemore opened up in Marlton, and its corridor of stores couldn’t match the luxury brands sold at the King of Prussia mall in Pennsylvania.

Now the mall is enjoying a makeover. Crate and Barrel, the Container Store, and Bahama Breeze are new additions. There’s also a parking deck. And coming this spring, Nordstrom will open its first South Jersey location at the former home of Strawbridges.

Maggiano’s is part of that expansion. I can’t say they served me a bad meal. I had a wonderful time catching up with friends over fried zucchini and cheese ravioli, and the eggplant lasagna I re-heated for lunch the next day was serviceable.

But I couldn’t shake the chain feel and the idea that these meals were being served all over the country. I also felt like I was cheating on the Collingswood dining scene and not supporting independent restaurants that always fight an uphill battle against chains, partly because of brand power, and also because liquor licenses are so expensive. (Swanky Bubbles in Cherry Hill reportedly paid $1.6 million for its liquor license in 2007.)

Independent restaurants are more than just places to eat. They and the people who own them are part of the community. I wouldn’t see the chef/owner of Maggiano’s playing with his kids (as I do the owner of Sapori), or wave hello to him at the gym (the Pop Shop). The chain restaurant’s chef/owner didn’t shop alongside me at the farmer’s market (Tortilla Press), and certainly didn’t wave as she bopped by on her Vespa (Painted Cottage). That lack of community connection can’t be overcome by Maggiano’s liquor license or its bright shiny new feel.

I don’t think that Maggiano’s will have any problem booking up on a Friday or Saturday night. Combined with the new stores, it will bring more people to the Cherry Hill Mall. When my sister wants to go to Maggiano’s, I’ll take her. But given my choice, I’ll always go BYOB and walk to downtown Collingswood, where the chef really does know my name.

Tags: Food | Restaurant | Pop Shop | Cherry Hill | Painted Cottage | Collingswood | Swanky Bubbles | Maggiano's | Tortilla Press | Sapori