Document Type

Thesis

Comments

This Honors Thesis was completed by Valeria Ortiz as a requirement for the Bryant University Honors Program, under the supervision of faculty advisor Robert Massoud and editorial reviewer Lori Coakley, and was submitted in April 2025. It was developed in the context of growing awareness over the survival of small, family-owned restaurants in the face of the expansion of national chains, with data generated through qualitative interviews conducted in both Puerto Rico and the United States.

First Faculty Advisor

Robert Massoud

Second Faculty Advisor

Lori Coakley

Keywords

impact of chain restaurants on locals

Publisher

Bryant University

Rights Management

CC - BY - NC - ND

Abstract

This Honors Thesis discusses the impact of national chain restaurants on small family-owned restaurants, emphasizing how the expansion of chain restaurants has negatively impacted small family-owned businesses. National chain restaurants are managed and owned by large corporations, which can potentially overpower traditional establishments, putting pressure on smaller restaurants to remain profitable and face the risk of closing. Despite the reduced pricing and greater convenience provided by chain restaurants, family-owned restaurants provide a sense of local community, a better dining experience, higher food quality, and a wider variety of food. In addition, this thesis also emphasizes the significance of customer satisfaction, the advantages of local restaurants, including personalized service, as well as the conveniency of fast-food chains. There is also discussion of the pricing and food quality differences between local restaurants and large national chains. For this Thesis, digital surveys, interviews, and focus groups will be held to prove my statement. Overall, this study highlights the necessity of supporting regional agriculture, local job growth, community development, and why supporting family-owned restaurants is essential for the local community.

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