2 hours ago, PP1 said:

Geez, I went there Thursday morning. Now I 'm worried, well, its been 6 days and I'm still alive.

I don't think you have to worry about getting sick from eating there. That's not why they are closing, and it wasn't the health department that shut them down. 

As I've said before, they occupy a weird space in the restaurant industry. Not truly fast food, but not really a good sit down place either. The food is good but not great, not expensive, but not cheap either. They just don't stand out as great in any aspect of their business. And with so many choices, you have to really stand out somewhere in order to attract and keep customers. Just too many places that do too many things better than Frisch's. 

To be honest, I don't see how any of those businesses on dixie highway survive. I rarely go to US 25 to shop or eat (except Greek to Me).  

I don't see how the one in Park Hills stays open, was in there along back at 5pm, there was just no one there. Hope things turn around for them, I'm sure us older folks remember the days of car hops and cruising frischs on Friday nights after the ball games. The one in Latonia was a Holmes and Holy Cross hang out.

It's all about the drive thru now. How many people do you see sitting in a McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's or other fast food place?

Frisch's is stuck a little in sit down mode. They need to market to the youngsters, build the app, get them their free French fry and staff up the drive thru.

2 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

It's all about the drive thru now. How many people do you see sitting in a McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's or other fast food place?

Frisch's is stuck a little in sit down mode. They need to market to the youngsters, build the app, get them their free French fry and staff up the drive thru.

It's clear that sit down places can and still do well. The problem with Frisch's is that they are in between fast and sit down food. I don't think the quality is good or unique enough for a sit down environment, and the speed of service and price prevents them from being truly fast food. They are kind of straddling the fence. I don't think a drive through is a necessity to survive in the food space.

15 minutes ago, rjs4470 said:

It's clear that sit down places can and still do well. The problem with Frisch's is that they are in between fast and sit down food. I don't think the quality is good or unique enough for a sit down environment, and the speed of service and price prevents them from being truly fast food. They are kind of straddling the fence. I don't think a drive through is a necessity to survive in the food space.

Exactly this.  Frisch's is glorified fast food for sit-down restaurant pricing.

4 hours ago, rjs4470 said:

It's clear that sit down places can and still do well. The problem with Frisch's is that they are in between fast and sit down food. I don't think the quality is good or unique enough for a sit down environment, and the speed of service and price prevents them from being truly fast food. They are kind of straddling the fence. I don't think a drive through is a necessity to survive in the food space.

There is truth here. Big Boy meal is probably a couple dollars more.

However I do think the tartar sauce is unique. Hot fudge cake. Fish sandwich. All unique and delicious. The quality is as good as any other fast food burger place.

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

There is truth here. Big Boy meal is probably a couple dollars more.

However I do think the tartar sauce is unique. Hot fudge cake. Fish sandwich. All unique and delicious. The quality is as good as any other fast food burger place.

You aren't wrong. And that's the problem. Tarter sauce is an accessory/condiment, not something that drives people in the door, no matter how great it is. Especially when you can just buy it at Kroger. Hot fudge cake is dessert...again, an accessory, and something that people don't typically look for when they are thinking fast food, and not something that will drive traffic...the main course does that. And while the burger quality is "as good as" any other fast food burger place, for a sit down style restaurant that provides slower service and higher prices (or a fast food place that is more expensive and not all that fast), it better not be just as good, it needs to be better. All of the things you mention might be unique and tasty, but you can get something almost as good (or as you said, just as good)faster and for cheaper, or you can get something better for just a little more.

Ultimately, I think the chain lacks an identity. No real signature item, no real atmosphere or experience when dining in, and nothing they can really hang their hat on as being great at...except maybe tarter sauce or a fish sandwich which carries them for 6 weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

From Fox 19 there were three local closures:

4016 Dixie Highway, Erlanger
1575 W. Galbraith Road in North College Hill
4645 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village

Here is something from the article and something I believe is an overarching negative factor for most businesses and that is if your business was not on solid footing when COVID hit you are either out of business or probably struggling to stay in business.  From the article:

In 2022, Frisch’s hired a new CEO James Walker to steady operations after the company was rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Walnut Hills-based company still boasted more than 100 locations at the time. The company’s website shows 79 restaurants now.

https://www.fox19.com/2024/04/03/frischs-big-boy-closes-3-tri-state-locations-cutting-third-restaurants-9-years/

10 minutes ago, theguru said:

Here is something from the article and something I believe is an overarching negative factor for most businesses and that is if your business was not on solid footing when COVID hit you are either out of business or probably struggling to stay in business.  From the article:

In 2022, Frisch’s hired a new CEO James Walker to steady operations after the company was rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Walnut Hills-based company still boasted more than 100 locations at the time. The company’s website shows 79 restaurants now.

https://www.fox19.com/2024/04/03/frischs-big-boy-closes-3-tri-state-locations-cutting-third-restaurants-9-years/

Covid certainly didn't help and probably sped up the decline, although the decline started well before Covid. The exact same scenarios discussed and seen around here are also happening at the other regional Big Boy locations (like Bob's Big Boy where I'm from in the Mid Atlantic States), and have been going on for a long time.

4 minutes ago, rjs4470 said:

Covid certainly didn't help and probably sped up the decline, although the decline started well before Covid. The exact same scenarios discussed and seen around here are also happening at the other regional Big Boy locations (like Bob's Big Boy where I'm from in the Mid Atlantic States), and have been going on for a long time.

For sure!!

And this thread is proof of that, it was started in the summer of 2019. 

Headline from fox19.com:

Frisch’s Big Boy in Covington shuts down

==============

The Covington location was a local icon. Sad day for sure. 

2 minutes ago, theguru said:

Headline from fox19.com:

Frisch’s Big Boy in Covington shuts down

==============

The Covington location was a local icon. Sad day for sure. 

If that location closes, they may as well shut it down. 

3 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

If that location closes, they may as well shut it down. 

I think Dream Street in Florence will survive.