JAS_OH1
Forum GOD!
The only thing about Panera is that it isn't really fast food, not the same way that McD's, BK, or the chicken places mentioned. The same with Chipotle. They both follow a fast casual (quick serve) concept rather than that of fast food.If a person can't make better food than a fast food restaurant. then some cooking classes are in order. I've never been to a Popeye's either. I'm not much of a fan of fast food with Panera being the major exception. Despite being a national chain they make very good food. I go there on purpose. I only go to Arby's when I am out and about alone. It is hard to get sandwiches there that aren't soggy. They have good ingredients and good recipes and bad cooks.
I work freelance for a few market research companies and I get paid to evaluate some restaurants (from fast food to fast casual to fine dining). I opted out of completing a lot of the fast food restaurants because it's unhealthy and I can make it better at home. During the pandemic, many of those chains halted the programs but some are beginning to start back up again. They can't pay me enough to eat at McDonald's! I did some Arby's evaluations several years ago and really enjoyed some of their salads and sandwiches, but like many chains, it can vary vastly from location to location.