Some restaurant chains change so much over the years that they become almost unrecognizable. The Old Spaghetti Factory is different. Decades later, it still manages to deliver much of the charm, hospitality, and comfort food that made it memorable in the first place. Full disclosure: We have been going to The Old Spaghetti Factory since the 1980s. So, when we walk into one today, we're not just judging it as another restaurant. We have decades of memories to compare it to. And we're happy to say that The Old Spaghetti Factory still has its old-school charm. Outside a Spaghetti Factory Location - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net One of the things we've always enjoyed about The Old Spaghetti Factory is the atmosphere. There is something refreshingly traditional about it. In an era when many restaurant chains seem determined to modernize themselves into generic-looking spaces, The Old Spaghetti Factory still feels like a place with history and personality. That nostalgia is part of the experience, especially for those of us who remember eating there decades ago. But nostalgia alone won't keep us coming back. The food and service still have to deliver. On our recent visit, they did. Inside a Spaghetti Factory Location - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net The customer service was awesome. The staff was friendly, accommodating, and welcoming throughout our visit. That's exactly how we remember The Old Spaghetti Factory from decades ago. Good customer service can completely change the perception of a restaurant. You can have great food, but if customers don't feel welcome, they may not return. The Old Spaghetti Factory got this part right. Before our meal arrived, we were served French bread, and it was delicious. If our memory serves us correctly, The Old Spaghetti Factory served sourdough bread back in the day. While we have fond memories of that, we thought the French bread was a good change. It was a simple but satisfying way to start the meal. Meals also come with a choice of salad or soup, giving the experience more of that traditional full-service Italian restaurant feel. It's somewhat reminiscent of the approach that has helped make Olive Garden popular over the years: you're getting more than simply an entrée dropped onto the table. Spaghetti Factory French Bread - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Of course, when you put "Spaghetti" in the name of your restaurant, the sauce had better be good. Thankfully, it is. The Old Spaghetti Factory makes its sauces from scratch, and you can taste the difference. The sauce we had was meaty with just a hint of sweetness. It wasn't overwhelmingly sweet, and it wasn't bland. For our taste, it was perfect. There's a richness to a good meat sauce that bottled or overly processed sauces simply don't replicate. When you're serving pasta, the sauce is the star of the show, and The Old Spaghetti Factory understands that. Spaghetti Dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Then came the lasagna. Simply put: the lasagna was perfect. Lasagna can go wrong surprisingly easily. Too dry, too watery, too much cheese, not enough sauce, or simply lacking flavor. This one hit the right balance. Combined with the bread, salad or soup, homemade-style sauce, and good service, it reminded us why we've continued to have a soft spot for this restaurant after all these years. The Old Spaghetti Factory has never grown into a massive restaurant chain with locations on seemingly every corner, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. It has built a recognizable brand while maintaining something distinctive about the experience. The chain has closed some locations in recent years, and we always hate seeing long-running restaurant locations disappear. Restaurants face enormous competition today, and customers have more choices than ever. The answer isn't necessarily to reinvent everything that made a restaurant successful in the first place. Sometimes the answer is much simpler: serve good food, maintain quality, keep the restaurant inviting, and treat customers well. That's what we experienced at The Old Spaghetti Factory. After going since the 1980s, there's something pretty remarkable about being able to return decades later and still recognize the experience. If The Old Spaghetti Factory continues providing quality food, friendly service, and the old-school charm that has made it unique for generations, we expect — and certainly hope — that it will be around for decades to come. Find an Old Spaghetti Factory location near you at their official website.

America, and the world, lost a beloved icon on August 25, 2026, with the passing of Dolly Rebecca Parton at the age of 80. Dolly was far more than a country music superstar. She was a songwriter, actress, entertainer, philanthropist and savvy businesswoman whose influence reached well beyond the music industry. Perhaps most importantly, she was someone who seemed to connect with just about everybody. In an increasingly divided world, Dolly Parton was one of those rare public figures who appeared to be almost universally loved. Her warmth, humor, generosity and unmistakable personality crossed generations, geographic boundaries and political divides. For us at RoadTour.Net, there is another part of Dolly's story that stands out: travel, tourism and entertainment. She just opened a travel center in Tennessee a few weeks ago. Concept Rendering © 2026 RoadTour.Net. Created with AI. Dolly never forgot where she came from. Her connection to East Tennessee became a major part of her legacy, particularly through Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. What grew around Dolly's vision became far more than a theme park. Dollywood helped make the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Great Smoky Mountains region an even bigger national tourism destination. Dollywood opened under its current name in 1986, and Dolly's involvement helped transform both the attraction and the surrounding tourism economy. Today, the Dollywood operation is one of Tennessee's signature destinations and a major economic force in Sevier County. That's something we can especially appreciate at Road Tour. We love traveling America, exploring destinations and documenting the places that make different parts of this country special. If you've never experienced Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains, check out our Road Tour videos from the area. It's one of America's great road trip destinations, and Dolly Parton's fingerprints can be found throughout the region. As enormous as Dolly's entertainment career was, her humanitarian work may ultimately be an equally important part of her legacy. When devastating wildfires struck Sevier County in 2016, Dolly helped establish the My People Fund, which provided financial assistance to families whose homes were destroyed or left uninhabitable. She later contributed to other disaster-relief efforts, including assistance following Hurricane Helene. Then there is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. What began in East Tennessee in 1995 grew into an international literacy program providing free books to young children. More than 300 million books have been distributed through the program over its lifetime. Think about the impact of that. Millions of children have grown up with books in their homes because Dolly Parton decided she wanted to do something to help. That's a legacy considerably bigger than record sales, awards or celebrity. Following Dolly's death, a movement to rename Nashville International Airport (BNA) in her honor has exploded in popularity. The Change.org petition to rename the airport Dolly Parton International Airport actually dates back to January 2025. Following her passing, however, support surged. When Road Tour checked the petition at approximately 3:21 p.m. ET on August 25, it had 54,268 signatures. Just two days later, when we checked again at approximately 10:07 a.m. ET on August 27, the number displayed had climbed to 128,292. That's an extraordinary increase in roughly 43 hours. And this may not remain simply an online petition. Tennessee State Representative Todd Warner has publicly indicated his intention to pursue the idea legislatively. In a comment posted to the petition, Warner wrote: “Yes I will definitely introduce legislation to rename the BNA airport Dolly Parton International Airport! Thanks, TW” Having an elected member of the Tennessee House of Representatives publicly state that he intends to introduce legislation gives the movement another level of significance. What began as an online campaign could potentially become a real proposal before Tennessee lawmakers. RoadTour.Net strongly supports naming BNA in honor of Dolly Parton. However, we think there's an even better name: Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport. Keeping Nashville in the name matters. Nashville is an internationally recognized city and one of America's most important tourism and entertainment destinations. Travelers around the world immediately associate Nashville with Tennessee, country music, entertainment and American culture. Removing the city's name entirely from its airport would unnecessarily weaken that geographic connection. Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport accomplishes both goals. It honors one of Tennessee's most beloved and internationally recognized figures while preserving Nashville's identity in the name of its primary commercial airport. And frankly, it has a nice to ring to it. Downtown Nashville - Photo: © RoadTour.Net Dolly represented Tennessee around the world. She helped build tourism in her home state. She created jobs and businesses. She entertained generations. She helped families recover from disasters. She put books into the hands of millions of children. And perhaps most importantly, she represented Tennessee with kindness. Airports are gateways to cities and regions. For millions of visitors, BNA is their first introduction to Middle Tennessee and their last glimpse of it before flying home. Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport would tell travelers exactly where they are while simultaneously honoring someone whose name is recognized around the world. The name would also create a symbolic connection between two of Tennessee's greatest tourism regions. Nashville represents the state's enormous music and entertainment industry, while Dolly's legacy is forever intertwined with East Tennessee, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville and the Great Smoky Mountains. She belonged to Tennessee, but her influence belonged to the world. There will never be another Dolly Parton. Her music will continue playing. Dollywood will continue welcoming families. Children will continue opening books from the Imagination Library. Travelers will continue visiting the Tennessee mountains she loved so much. Dolly spent a lifetime entertaining people, building businesses, helping others and giving back to the place she called home. Renaming BNA to Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport wouldn't encompass everything she accomplished. No airport name possibly could. But imagine generations from now. Someone books a flight to Tennessee and sees Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport on the itinerary. A pilot welcomes passengers to Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport. A child asks a parent, “Who was Dolly Parton?” And another generation gets to hear her story. For someone whose life inspired millions to dream bigger, that's a pretty fitting way to keep her name traveling. Dolly Parton-Nashville International Airport (BNA). We think Tennessee should make it happen sooner than later!

Arby’s has been around for decades. It has thousands of locations, a recognizable name, and one of the most distinctive menus in fast food. People absolutely still go to Arby’s. But there’s a bigger question the company should be asking: How often is Arby’s actually someone’s first choice? That’s where we think the brand has a problem. Arby’s doesn’t suffer from a lack of locations or brand awareness. Most people know exactly what Arby’s is. The issue is creating enough excitement and delivering a consistently good enough experience to make customers want to choose it over Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Culver’s, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, or dozens of other options. And some relatively simple problems aren’t helping. Outside an Arby's Location - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Arby’s curly fries should be one of the chain’s biggest strengths, but it's their weakness. They’re distinctive, recognizable, and something you can’t get at every fast-food restaurant. So why does it seem so difficult to get a good order of them? Too often, our experience has been cold curly fries or a container filled with small broken bits and pieces instead of actual curly fries. That might sound like a minor complaint, but it matters. When a restaurant has a signature item, that item should be consistently excellent. Customers shouldn’t have to wonder whether their fries are going to be hot and crispy or whether they’re getting whatever was left sitting at the bottom of the fry station. Fresh, hot curly fries could actually be a reason to visit Arby’s. Cold scraps can be a reason not to return. Another recurring issue in our experiences has been lackluster customer service. Fast food doesn’t require white-tablecloth hospitality, but customers should still feel welcomed. Employees should be friendly, orders should be handled accurately, and the overall experience should make you feel like the restaurant actually wants your business. When customers aren’t already excited about visiting a brand, mediocre service makes the problem even worse. Arby’s needs to put more emphasis on hiring, training, retaining, and rewarding employees who provide good customer service. A restaurant can spend millions advertising its food, but the person behind the counter or at the drive-thru window ultimately represents the brand. If that interaction isn’t good, the advertising doesn’t mean much. Closed Arby's Location - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Then there’s something seemingly small that can leave a surprisingly big impression: drink sizes. Order a large strawberry lemonade at Arby’s and it can feel surprisingly small compared with what customers may expect from competing fast-food restaurants. For comparison, a large strawberry lemonade at Wendy’s appears substantially larger. Based on our estimates, Wendy’s large is around 32 ounces while the Arby’s version appears closer to 21 ounces. Exact sizes can vary by product and location, but the larger issue is customer perception of value. When someone orders a large, they expect it to feel large. When it doesn’t, customers can walk away feeling like they didn’t receive much for their money. That’s especially dangerous in an era when fast-food prices have risen and consumers are paying much closer attention to value. You don’t want customers leaving your restaurant wondering, “That’s the large?” Another issue Arby’s needs to address is freshness — or at least the perception of freshness. When you look at many of Arby’s signature sandwiches, they can come across as heavy and processed rather than fresh and inviting. You see plenty of meat, cheese, sauces, and buns, but you don’t necessarily see much that gives the sandwich a fresh appearance. Where’s the lettuce? Where are the tomatoes? Where’s the color? Of course, not every sandwich needs lettuce and tomato. A classic roast beef sandwich is a classic for a reason. But across the broader menu, it would be nice to see more options that actually look fresh. Fresh lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and other vegetables add more than flavor. They add color, texture, and visual appeal. They can make a sandwich look like something that was freshly assembled rather than simply meat, cheese, and sauce piled onto a bun. And perception matters. If customers look at the menu and the food doesn’t appear particularly fresh, that can influence whether they choose Arby’s in the first place. This also ties directly into the company’s marketing. Instead of constantly emphasizing how much meat can be stacked onto a sandwich, Arby’s could show more food that looks fresh, colorful, balanced, and appetizing. Freshness should be something customers can see. Arby’s built its identity around roast beef, and there’s nothing wrong with keeping that heritage. But let’s face it: roast beef isn’t exactly the hottest product in fast food today. Sometimes you might crave an Arby’s roast beef sandwich. But how often is roast beef the first thing the average person thinks about when deciding where to grab lunch or dinner? That’s the challenge. Arby’s has expanded well beyond roast beef over the years, and that’s smart. The company needs to continue developing menu items that can attract people who aren’t specifically looking for a roast beef sandwich. The roast beef sandwich can remain an Arby’s classic without having to carry the entire identity of the company. Arby’s famous “We Have the Meats” campaign certainly gave the company a memorable identity. There’s no question about that. But we think Arby’s sometimes pushes the meat-heavy image too aggressively. Look at promotional images for some of the chain’s sandwiches and you’ll often see enormous piles of meat practically spilling out of the bun. The intention is obvious: abundance. Arby’s wants customers to see a substantial sandwich loaded with meat. But bigger doesn’t automatically mean more appetizing. Sometimes the photos cross the line from generous to excessive. A giant mound of meat overflowing from a sandwich can actually make the food look less appealing. There’s nothing wrong with having plenty of meat. That’s part of Arby’s identity. But the presentation could be more balanced. Show the roast beef alongside fresh lettuce and tomato. Show a sandwich that someone can comfortably pick up and eat. Show crispy, hot curly fries next to it. Show a cold drink that actually looks like a large. In other words, sell the entire meal instead of just the pile of meat. Arby’s might benefit from more modest food photography: neatly constructed sandwiches, balanced portions, fresh-looking ingredients, and presentations that make you think, “That looks delicious,” rather than simply, “That’s a lot of meat.” There’s a difference. They leaned into this way too hard. Arby's Marketing at an Arby's Drive Thru - Photo: © RoadTour.Net The frustrating thing is that Arby’s has many of the ingredients needed to be a stronger fast-food brand. It has name recognition. It has locations across the country. It has signature products. It has curly fries. It has decades of history. And it occupies a somewhat unique position in an industry dominated by hamburgers and chicken. The opportunity is there. But Arby’s needs to concentrate more heavily on the complete customer experience: hot and fresh food, better customer service, stronger perceived value, more fresh-looking menu choices, appealing new products, and marketing that makes the food look delicious instead of excessive. Most importantly, Arby’s needs to ask why someone driving down a commercial strip filled with fast-food restaurants would turn into an Arby’s instead of passing it for the next restaurant. The biggest problem facing Arby’s may not be convincing people to try it. Most of us have already tried it. The challenge is making us think of Arby’s first the next time we’re hungry. And right now, for too many customers, it simply isn’t the first choice. You can do much better Arby's!

Self-checkout can be convenient. If you have only a few items, want to get in and out quickly, and prefer handling the transaction yourself, it can make sense. But somewhere along the way, self-checkout stopped being just a convenience and started becoming a staffing strategy. Walk into many grocery stores or big-box retailers and look at the checkout lanes. You may see one or two traditional cashiers working while a much larger area is dedicated to self-checkout. And when those few staffed lanes have long lines, customers can feel as though they are being pushed toward the self-checkout machines. That raises a simple question: Why are customers doing the work? Self Checkout Photo - Stock Photo When you shop for a cart full of groceries, you're already spending your money with the store. You shouldn't also have to become the cashier, scan every item, bag your groceries, deal with produce codes, resolve unexpected prompts, and wait for an employee when the machine inevitably decides something needs assistance. That's work. And if the store is saving payroll because customers are performing tasks that used to be handled by employees, shouldn't customers receive some of that savings? Exterior of a Charlotte NC Area Walmart - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net This may sound controversial, but there is something backwards about a retail model where the customer is increasingly responsible for completing the retailer's side of the transaction. Imagine going to a restaurant and being told to cook your own meal because the restaurant wanted to reduce its kitchen staff. Or going to a car dealership and being expected to complete the paperwork, inspect the vehicle, and process the financing yourself while the dealership charged you the same price. We would question that immediately. So why have we accepted the idea that checking out our own groceries is simply something customers are expected to do? Self-checkout itself isn't the problem. The problem is when it stops being an option and becomes the expectation. If a customer wants to use self-checkout, great. Give them that choice. But stores should also maintain enough staffed checkout lanes to provide genuine customer service — especially during busy periods. And if retailers truly believe self-checkout provides customers with a faster, more convenient experience, then let the customer choose it voluntarily. Better yet, consider offering an incentive. If I'm scanning and bagging my own groceries, perhaps I should receive a small discount. Even a modest percentage off the transaction would acknowledge that I am performing a task that previously required an employee. That wouldn't be unreasonable. Exterior of an Indiana Kroger - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Retailers benefit from automation. They reduce labor costs, increase the number of transactions that can potentially be processed, and shift some responsibilities from employees to customers. There is nothing inherently wrong with using technology to improve efficiency. But efficiency for whom? That's the question customers should be asking. Because from the customer's perspective, walking into a store, buying a large number of groceries, standing in a long line, and then being expected to scan and bag everything ourselves doesn't necessarily feel like improved customer service. It feels like we're doing a job we didn't apply for. Exterior of a Charlotte NC Target - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net The retail industry needs to remember something fundamental: customers are not just transactions. Customer service matters. Having an employee available to help matters. Having enough staffed lanes during busy periods matters. And giving customers a genuine choice matters. Self-checkout should be a convenience—not a way to quietly transfer labor from the company's payroll onto the customer's shoulders. It's time to rethink the model. If stores want customers to do the work, they should at least acknowledge the value of that work. And if they don't want to compensate customers for it, then perhaps they should start putting more employees back at the registers. Because when a customer walks into a store to spend their hard-earned money, the least they should be able to expect is that the store will actually provide the service they're paying for.

Some restaurants are memorable because of a single meal. Others become memorable because they consistently deliver an experience that keeps you coming back. For us at RoadTour.Net, Ted’s Montana Grill falls into the second category. And before we even get to the food, we have to mention the man behind the name: Ted Turner. We are big fans of Ted Turner and what he accomplished as an entrepreneur and media pioneer. Turner helped create CNN, changing television news forever with the concept of a 24-hour cable news network. His media empire would also launch Cartoon Network, TNT, TBS, and numerous other influential television properties. He has always been someone willing to think differently, take chances and build things that didn't necessarily follow the conventional formula. That entrepreneurial spirit is one of the reasons we've always appreciated Ted’s Montana Grill. The restaurant has its own personality. It doesn't feel like a concept created simply to imitate every other casual-dining chain in America. Ted’s is Ted’s. And that's a good thing. Our memories of Ted’s Montana Grill go all the way back to 2006, when we visited a location in the northern suburbs of Chicago. From those early visits, one thing immediately stood out: the customer service. And nearly two decades later, that is still what we remember most. Ted's Montana Grill Exterior Signage - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net There are plenty of restaurants with good burgers and steaks. There are far fewer that consistently make you feel genuinely welcome. Ted’s Montana Grill has had some of the friendliest restaurant employees we have encountered over the years. It wasn't something we experienced at just one lucky location, either. We've visited Ted’s in several markets over the years, including its former locations in the Chicago area, including Schaumburg, as well as locations in the Charlotte, North Carolina area and elsewhere. Again and again, the service stood out. Friendly. Welcoming. Attentive. Professional. That kind of consistency across different locations says something about a restaurant company. Great customer service doesn't happen by accident. It comes from hiring the right people, training them properly and creating a culture where hospitality actually matters. In an era when customer service seems to be slipping at too many businesses, Ted’s Montana Grill deserves recognition for getting it right. Our experience at the Indianapolis-area Ted’s was no exception. We received good customer service there as well, continuing the positive experiences we've associated with the brand for years. But there was one thing we noticed that we weren't nearly as enthusiastic about. Ted’s, we have a request: Can we go back to the old buns? Changing a hamburger bun might seem like a minor adjustment on paper. It isn't. A bun is more than a convenient way to hold the ingredients together. The bun is part of the burger. Change the bun and you change the entire experience. The texture matters. The flavor matters. The thickness matters. The way it absorbs the juices from the burger matters. Even the bun-to-meat ratio can completely change how a hamburger tastes. A great burger is a combination of ingredients working together. You can have excellent beef, fresh toppings and good cheese, but put everything on the wrong bun and suddenly the burger isn't quite the same. Restaurants sometimes seem tempted to change things simply because they can. New recipes. New suppliers. New buns. New packaging. Sometimes those changes are improvements. Other times, customers are left asking a simple question: Why change something that was already working? When customers have been eating a particular burger for years, the bun becomes part of what they expect when they return. Consistency matters. The burger was delicious as well as the steak. The steak was very juicy and cooked to perfection. The mashed potatoes taste like what grandma would make at home. Ted's Bacon Cheeseburger - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Something else we want to add. There was something else missing from our burger. Where was the little American flag toothpick sticking out of it? It may seem like a tiny detail, but that's exactly the point. Little details help give a restaurant its identity. Ted’s Montana Grill has long embraced a distinctly American identity. Its Western-inspired atmosphere, bison offerings and classic American menu have helped make the restaurant feel different from the countless interchangeable casual-dining chains across the country. That little American flag sticking out of the burger fit the restaurant. Did it make the burger taste better? Of course not. Did it add a little personality to the experience? Absolutely. Sometimes businesses underestimate how much customers notice these small touches. Individually, they may seem insignificant. Together, they create the experience people remember. And after visiting Ted’s Montana Grill for roughly 20 years, we remember those details. We hope Ted’s Montana Grill remains successful for many years to come because there really isn't another restaurant brand quite like it. The bison. This speciific style of a Western-inspired atmosphere. The classic American food. The hospitality. The history behind the name. Even small touches such as that American flag on the burger contribute to an identity that is uniquely Ted’s. That's something worth protecting. Restaurant companies sometimes make the mistake of chasing trends until they slowly remove the very things that made customers love them in the first place. Modernization can be good, but a strong brand should never modernize away its personality. Ted’s Montana Grill already has something valuable: a distinctive brand and a loyal customer experience. Build on it rather than changing what already works. Interior Ted's Montana Grill Exterior Dining Room - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Despite our complaint about the bun—and our search for that missing American flag—there should be no confusion about how we feel about Ted’s Montana Grill. We will keep coming back. We've been visiting Ted’s since 2006, across different cities and different locations, and the consistently friendly customer service has given us plenty of reasons to return. We want Ted’s Montana Grill to succeed. We hope the company continues growing, remains a strong restaurant brand and preserves the characteristics that have made it memorable. Keep hiring friendly people. Keep delivering great customer service. Keep the bison. Keep the distinctive atmosphere. Keep the personality. And while we're at it, Ted’s, bring back that little American flag. Some traditions—and some restaurant brands—are worth rooting for.

Remember when you could walk into a grocery store at 1:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., or 5:00 a.m. and actually buy groceries? We do. Before the pandemic, 24-hour grocery stores were common in many American cities. Walmart, Meijer, Kroger and other major retailers operated numerous locations around the clock. If you worked overnight, got off work late, had an early-morning schedule, were traveling, or simply needed something unexpectedly, there was usually somewhere to go. Then the pandemic happened. We understood why 24-hour operations disappeared. Stores were dealing with staffing shortages, supply-chain problems, cleaning requirements, unpredictable customer traffic and an unprecedented disruption to normal business. But the pandemic is over. So we have a simple question: Where is the 24-hour grocery store? Neon 24 Hours Store Sign - Photo Credit: Erik Mclean What are we waiting for? Walmart was once practically synonymous with being open 24 hours. Many Meijer locations also provided around-the-clock shopping. Kroger operated numerous 24-hour stores as well. Today, finding a major grocery store open at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning can be surprisingly difficult. Why? The emergency circumstances that originally helped justify eliminating 24-hour operations are long behind us. Yet the reduced hours have largely remained. From a customer's perspective, it feels like retailers discovered during the pandemic that they could reduce their operating hours — and simply never brought them back. That may be convenient for the companies, but it isn't necessarily convenient for their customers. Not everyone lives on a normal daytime schedule. There seems to be an assumption that everyone can conveniently shop during the daytime or early evening. That simply isn't reality. Millions of Americans work second shift, third shift and other unconventional schedules. Nurses, police officers, firefighters, factory employees, truck drivers, warehouse workers, airport employees, hospitality workers, people traveling, and countless others may be working while everyone else is doing their grocery shopping. Then there are travelers. Someone arriving in a city late at night may need groceries, toiletries, medicine, diapers, bottled water or other basic necessities. A family can discover at midnight that it needs something for the next morning. A 24-hour grocery store wasn't merely a novelty. It provided a useful service. Inside a Kroger - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Retailers constantly talk about improving the customer experience. Well, accessibility is part of the customer experience. Closing at 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. might make operations easier, but it removes an option customers had for years. When companies reduce a service and never restore it, customers have every right to ask why. And no, we haven't forgotten. We remember pulling into Walmart or Meijer in the middle of the night and knowing the doors would be open. We remember being able to make a late-night grocery run without checking closing times first. That convenience mattered. Bring back the 24 hour store. We're not suggesting that every grocery store in America needs to operate around the clock. Obviously, some locations may not generate enough overnight business to justify it. But major metropolitan areas should have options. Walmart, Meijer, Kroger and other large retailers could designate certain high-volume locations as 24-hour stores. Even having one strategically located 24-hour supermarket in a market would provide an important service for customers who don't live according to a traditional schedule. If staffing is the concern, companies have had years to develop new staffing models. If overnight demand is the concern, test selected locations and see what happens. But simply accepting that the 24-hour grocery store disappeared during the pandemic and should never return isn't good enough. Customers lost a valuable convenience, and years later, it still hasn't been restored. Walmart, Meijer, Kroger — where are the 24-hour stores? You may have moved on from 24-hour shopping. Your customers have not. Not having 24-hour stores is unacceptable. Fix this.

Road Tour recently made a visit to BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, a chain we’re certainly no stranger to. Unfortunately, this particular visit fell short of what we’ve experienced from BJ’s in the past. The first thing that stood out wasn’t the food — it was the noise. The restaurant was loud. Instead of feeling like a comfortable casual restaurant, the atmosphere reminded us more of a crowded cafeteria. Conversations, dishes, voices and general restaurant noise seemed to bounce throughout the dining room. Some people may enjoy a busy, energetic atmosphere, but we don’t. There’s a difference between a restaurant having energy and a restaurant being so noisy that the ambience suffers. Hopefully they can take this into consideration in future location building designs (the exterior design is pretty good). Outside a BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net One thing BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse does have going for it is a decent selection of American favorites. The menu is extensive enough that most people should be able to find something they like, whether they’re looking for burgers, pizza, pasta, sandwiches or other casual American dishes. For this visit, we ordered the Spaghetti and Meatballs. Unfortunately, it was disappointing. The meatballs had a mushy texture that we didn’t particularly care for, while the spaghetti itself arrived cold. Pasta and meatballs is a pretty straightforward dish, and serving the spaghetti cold simply shouldn’t happen. It also left us wondering about how some of the food is being prepared and reheated. We certainly hope BJ’s isn’t going down the heavy microwave-reheating road that chains such as Applebee’s have long been associated with. Whatever happened with our pasta, it wasn’t the quality we expected, though the sauce is pretty good. Thankfully, everything wasn’t disappointing. The pepperoni pizza was delicious and easily one of the highlights of the visit. It was the kind of item we would absolutely order again. Our waitress was also friendly and pleasant, which deserves recognition. Even when there are problems with the food or atmosphere, good customer service can make a significant difference in the overall experience. Spaghetti & Meatballs Dinner - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net For the record, Road Tour has visited BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse locations in several markets, including Charlotte, Seattle/Tukwila, Indianapolis/Noblesville, Dayton/Miamisburg and Fort Worth. Our experiences have generally been better than this particular visit. That history matters when reviewing a restaurant chain. One disappointing meal doesn’t necessarily mean every location is bad, nor does it erase better experiences we’ve had elsewhere. That’s why we’re not writing BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse off. This visit had some obvious problems. The cafeteria-like noise level hurt the atmosphere a bit, the spaghetti was cold (warm in places), and the meatballs had an unpleasant mushy texture. On the other hand, the waitress was friendly, the menu remains appealing, and the pepperoni pizza was genuinely delicious. Most importantly, we’ve had better experiences with BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in the past. So yes, we will return. We want to see whether this was simply an off visit or whether something has changed. Every restaurant can have a bad day, and based on our previous experiences with BJ’s, they’ve earned another opportunity. Next time, though, we’re hoping for hot food, better meatballs.

Chicago's Navy Pier is one of the city's premier tourist destinations, attracting millions of visitors every year. With that kind of location comes an expectation that restaurants will deliver memorable experiences worthy of the prices they charge. Unfortunately, our visit to Margaritaville at Navy Pier fell well short of that standard. This wasn't our first experience with the brand, either. A few years ago, we visited a Margaritaville location in San Antonio and left disappointed by the quality of the food. We hoped our Chicago visit would be different. Instead, it reinforced many of the same concerns. It was a hot day in Chicago, and after filming around Navy Pier we decided to stop in for lunch. The restaurant didn't appear particularly busy, making it seem like a perfect opportunity to cool off and relax. Instead, the experience got off to a disappointing start. We were escorted through the bar area to our table, but the inside of the bar was extremely hot. On a day when customers are looking to escape the summer heat, the last thing they should encounter is an indoor dining area that feels nearly as warm as the outdoors. Then came the menu frustrations. Several of the items we were interested in simply weren't available. We couldn't order the chicken quesadilla or the tacos because the restaurant was out of chicken. We then considered the jambalaya, only to be told they were missing ingredients for that as well. Running out of one menu item can happen. Running out of multiple popular entrees during normal business hours is another matter entirely. Customers shouldn't have to play a guessing game to figure out what the kitchen can actually prepare. The pricing only made the experience more difficult to justify. The Cheddar BBQ Burger was priced around $21.99, while chicken strips cost even more. We understand that restaurants located in major tourist destinations have higher operating costs, but there is still a limit to what customers should reasonably be expected to pay. What arrived certainly didn't justify the premium. The burger looked like something that could have come from a standard food-service supplier (we like to call it Sysco food) rather than a restaurant charging upscale tourist prices. There was nothing distinctive, creative, or memorable about the way it tasted. If you're asking customers to spend more than twenty dollars for a burger, the quality needs to stand out. This one simply didn't. Unfortunately, cleanliness also raised concerns. The floors throughout the indoor dining area were noticeably sticky, something we noticed immediately. A restaurant's atmosphere is just as important as its food, and sticky floors leave the impression that cleanliness isn't receiving the attention it deserves. Service wasn't poor, but it also wasn't memorable. The staff handled the basics, but there was nothing that elevated the experience or made us feel like valued guests. When restaurants charge premium prices, customers naturally expect premium hospitality to accompany the meal. After now visiting two different Margaritaville locations in two different cities, we are left with the same conclusion: the brand appears to rely more on its name and location than on delivering a quality dining experience. Two visits years apart have produced similar disappointments, particularly when it comes to food quality and overall value. I simply do not see this chain lasting into future decades. They really need to look into how they operate. In the end, our visit felt like paying luxury prices for an ordinary restaurant experience. Margaritaville benefits from one of Chicago's best waterfront locations, but location alone shouldn't be the selling point. Guests should leave talking about outstanding food, excellent service, and an enjoyable atmosphere — not unavailable menu items, sticky floors, and a burger that failed to justify its price tag. For what we paid, this visit was simply unacceptable. Restaurants in high-profile destinations can absolutely charge more, but they also have a responsibility to deliver an experience that matches those prices.

There was a time when businesses understood a simple concept: if you treated customers well, they would come back. Today, too many companies seem to be following a different playbook — find as many opportunities as possible to charge customers for things that were once considered basic courtesy. Hotel Parking Sign - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Enough is enough. The nickel-and-diming of consumers has gone too far. Whether it's a fast-food restaurant like McDonald's or Dunkin Donuts charging for a cup of water (yeah, we mentioned them by name on purpose), a sandwich shop adding a fee for an extra mayonnaise, or a hotel charging paying guests to park at the very property they already paid to stay at, businesses are steadily chipping away at customer goodwill. None of these individual charges are likely to bankrupt anyone. That's not the point. The issue is the message they send. Customers increasingly feel like they're being viewed as revenue opportunities instead of valued guests. Every transaction becomes an exercise in asking, "What else can we charge for?" The hospitality industry is perhaps one of the biggest offenders. Imagine spending hundreds of dollars on a hotel room, only to discover you'll need to pay another $25, $40, or even $60 per night just to park your vehicle. Unless space is extremely limited in a dense urban environment, charging overnight guests to park on property often feels less like a necessity and more like another profit center. The restaurant industry isn't immune either. Charging for water, adding fees for condiments, or imposing surcharges for minor requests creates frustration out of what should be a simple customer experience. Businesses certainly have the right to recover legitimate costs, but they should also understand that every extra charge chips away at the perception of value. Companies often spend millions on advertising campaigns trying to convince people they care about customers. Sometimes the best marketing strategy isn't another commercial or social media campaign — it's simply stopping unnecessary fees. Customer loyalty isn't built through loyalty apps alone. It's built through positive experiences. One company that really gets under our skin is CenterPoint Energy. This major utility provider charges customers a fee simply to pay their bill unless they hand over their bank account and routing number for an ACH payment. That's unacceptable. Customers should not be pressured into providing direct access to their bank accounts just to avoid an extra fee. When you're a utility providing an essential service that people can't simply go without, the focus should be on making it easy for customers to pay—not creating financial penalties designed to push them toward one payment method. Consumers deserve reasonable, fee-free options to pay their bills without feeling coerced into giving up sensitive banking information. A customer who feels appreciated is more likely to return, recommend the business to friends, and overlook the occasional mistake. A customer who feels nickel-and-dimed walks away feeling taken advantage of, even if the total bill only increased by a few dollars. This trend extends beyond restaurants and hotels. Airlines charge for seat selection and checked bags. Ticket sellers tack on service fees. Subscription services quietly increase prices while offering less. Everywhere consumers look, another charge seems to appear. Businesses should ask themselves a simple question: Is this fee truly necessary, or are we risking long-term customer trust for short-term revenue? There is a balance between operating a profitable business and creating a positive customer experience. Successful companies understand that not every interaction needs to generate another dollar. Sometimes providing a complimentary cup of water, a packet of mayonnaise, or free parking for paying guests creates something much more valuable — customer loyalty. Consumers notice the difference. Companies that continue to pile on fees may see a temporary boost to the bottom line, but they also risk building a reputation for putting profits ahead of people. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, that reputation can be far more expensive than the revenue generated from a handful of extra charges. Businesses should remember a principle that has stood the test of time: treat customers fairly, and they'll often reward you with repeat business. Stop nickel-and-diming your customers! We will keep calling you out on this nonsense!

After more than 20 years, we decided to give BJ's Wholesale Club another try by visiting one of its newer locations. New stores often showcase a company's latest concepts, so we were curious to see how BJ's stacked up against today's warehouse club competition. The first impression was positive. The store was clean, organized, and well maintained. Employees appeared to be keeping the sales floor in good condition, and the overall shopping experience was pleasant from a cleanliness standpoint. That said, the visit left us feeling underwhelmed. One of the first things we noticed was that the store felt noticeably smaller than a typical Costco. Whether it actually occupies less square footage or simply has fewer departments and product offerings, the shopping experience felt more limited. We found ourselves reaching the end of aisles much quicker than expected. Perhaps one of the biggest disappointments was the food service area, known as the Snack Shop. For many Costco shoppers, the food court is almost part of the experience. It's common to grab a hot dog, pizza, chicken bake, or soft-serve ice cream before heading home. Costco has turned its food court into a destination of its own, offering an inexpensive meal that has become part of the brand's identity. Outside a BJ's Wholesale Club - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net BJ's Snack Shop, on the other hand, didn't offer that same appeal during our visit. We didn't see the same variety or excitement. There were no whole pizzas available to take home, no soft-serve ice cream, and none of the food court options that make Costco's offering stand out. It felt more like an afterthought than a feature. We also noticed fewer prepared foods available for customers looking for an easy dinner solution. One of the reasons we enjoy shopping at Costco is the large selection of ready-to-cook meals, fresh deli items, and prepared entrees that save time during the week. BJ's selection appeared much smaller, giving shoppers fewer convenient take-home options. Another observation was the apparent lack of departments compared to Costco. During our visit, we didn't notice a pharmacy, which is a major service many warehouse club members rely on. Costco locations often combine groceries with pharmacy services, optical centers, hearing aids, and other member conveniences that encourage shoppers to complete multiple errands in one stop. Whether this particular BJ's simply doesn't include all of those services or not, the overall experience felt less comprehensive. That raises the larger question: what is BJ's trying to be? A cheaper alternative to Costco? They were offering a $15 dollar first year membership deal. Inside a BJ's Wholesale Club - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Warehouse clubs compete on more than just bulk pricing. They compete on convenience, selection, exclusive products, prepared foods, member services, and the overall shopping experience. In our opinion, Costco continues to set the standard in nearly every one of those categories. That's not to say BJ's doesn't have loyal customers. Many shoppers appreciate its locations, membership promotions, digital coupons, and regional product selection. If there's a BJ's close to home and it carries the items you regularly buy, it may still provide good value. However, based on our visit, we struggled to find a compelling reason to choose BJ's over Costco. The store was clean, but it lacked the excitement, variety, food options, and overall scale that have made Costco the benchmark for warehouse retail. Inside a BJ's Wholesale Club - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Our takeaway is simple: BJ's felt like a more limited version of Costco rather than a true alternative. Costco remains the gold standard in the wholesale club industry, and after returning to BJ's for the first time in over two decades, we left believing that the gap between the two companies is still significant enough to clearly notice. BJ's should step up their game before continuing to expand West.

Anyone who has driven through Nashville, Tennessee in recent years has experienced the same thing: traffic that has become increasingly difficult, frustrating, and time-consuming. Congestion on the city's Interstate network is no longer limited to rush hour. It has become a daily reality for commuters, travelers, and the trucking industry alike. New Nissan Stadium seen from on I-24 - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net The problem isn't difficult to identify. Nashville has grown at an extraordinary pace, but its freeway system has not kept up. While there have been a handful of widening projects since the late 1990s, the overall Interstate network serving the region has changed very little. Meanwhile, the city itself has transformed. According to U.S. Census data, nearly 38,000 people have moved to the Nashville area from other countries since 2020 alone, adding to an already booming population. Domestic migration has also fueled continued growth, with new neighborhoods, commercial developments, and distribution centers spreading across Middle Tennessee. Perhaps nowhere is the city's growth more visible than downtown. Between roughly 2014 and 2025, Nashville experienced an unprecedented construction boom. Tower cranes became part of the skyline as hotels, apartments, office buildings, entertainment venues, and mixed-use developments reshaped the city's core. In many ways, it feels as though Nashville built an entirely new downtown over the past decade. Unfortunately, transportation infrastructure has not kept pace with that expansion. According to reporting by the Tennessean, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is studying long-term improvements for key Interstate corridors including I-24, I-40, I-440, and I-65. Studying transportation issues certainly has value, but at some point the discussion has to transition into construction. Nashville doesn't have a traffic mystery to solve. Many of the largest solutions are obvious. 1. Complete I-840 The most important project should be finishing Interstate 840. Today, I-840 functions as an outer bypass around the southern side of the Nashville metropolitan area. But the northern half of the beltway was never built, leaving through traffic with few options. Motorists traveling between cities such as Clarksville and Louisville—or many other destinations north of Nashville—are forced into the heart of the metropolitan Interstate system. The result is additional congestion on I-24, I-65, and I-40 from traffic that often has no destination within Nashville itself. A completed northern I-840 would create a true outer beltway, allowing long-distance travelers and commercial trucks to bypass downtown entirely. Similar full beltways have proven successful around other major metropolitan areas by removing regional through traffic from urban freeways. It is difficult to understand why this project has remained unfinished for so long. As Nashville continues to grow, completing the northern portion of I-840 becomes increasingly important. Nashville Traffic with Skyline View Seen from I-65/24 - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net 2. Think Vertically. Build Up. Nashville also needs to stop thinking only about widening highways and start thinking about stacking them. Urban areas eventually reach a point where adding one more lane in each direction becomes expensive, disruptive, and often impossible because surrounding development leaves little room to expand. The answer is to build upward. Major cities across the country have adopted multi-level freeway designs to move more traffic through constrained corridors. Atlanta's improvements along I-75 demonstrate how additional elevated lanes can significantly increase capacity. North of San Antonio, Texas, crews are constructing elevated managed lanes along I-35 to accommodate rapid population growth while minimizing impacts to surrounding development. Nashville should seriously consider similar solutions for its busiest Interstate corridors. Multi-level highway construction can add substantial capacity while preserving existing rights-of-way, making it one of the few realistic long-term options for a fast-growing metropolitan area. San Antonio Freeway Stacking Under Construction on I-35 - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Nashville is no longer a mid-sized city. It has become one of America's fastest-growing metropolitan areas, and i s transportation network must evolve accordingly. The longer major projects are delayed, the more expensive they become and the more severe congestion grows. Every year of inaction means more vehicles on the same highways, longer commute times, increased freight delays, and greater frustration for residents and visitors. The solutions are not impossible to identify. Complete the northern half of I-840 to create a true outer bypass. Invest in multi-level Interstate construction where expansion is constrained. Build infrastructure for the Nashville that exists today—and the even larger Nashville that will exist decades from now. Growth isn't slowing down. Transportation planning shouldn't either. Check out our drives through Nashville on ROAD TOUR here.

Kroger is up to no good. According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, Cincinnati-based Kroger is developing an overseas center where it can move certain jobs. Who in the heck came up with this idea? That raises an obvious question: Why is an American grocery chain, one that doesn't even operate stores overseas, looking to move work outside the United States? In our view, this is exactly the wrong direction. Companies often justify these decisions by pointing to lower labor costs and improved efficiency. That's the standard corporate playbook. Save money, improve margins, satisfy investors. But there comes a point where "cost savings" becomes an excuse for decisions that weaken the very communities that helped build the company in the first place. Kroger didn't become one of America's largest grocery chains because of overseas workers. It became successful because millions of American customers spent their money in Kroger stores and because American employees worked hard to build the business. That loyalty should matter. Instead, it appears Kroger believes the answer is to look thousands of miles away. We don't buy the argument that outsourcing is simply "how business works." Businesses make choices every day. They choose where to invest, where to hire, and what they prioritize. Kroger Corporate Headquarters in Cincinnati, OH - Photo: © 2024 RoadTour.Net It's easy to dismiss this as "just a Kroger issue," but Kroger is much larger than many people realize. The company operates numerous grocery store brands across the United States, meaning decisions made at Kroger's corporate headquarters can affect millions of customers and employees nationwide. According to Smith's website, the Kroger Co. family of stores includes: Baker's City Market Dillons Food 4 Less Foods Co Fred Meyer Fry's Gerbes Jay C Food Store King Soopers Kroger Mariano's Metro Market Pay-Less Super Markets Pick'n Save QFC Ralphs Ruler Smith's Food and Drug That could mean many Americans are shopping at a Kroger-owned store without even realizing it. And Kroger isn't stopping there. In our opinion, that's exactly why Kroger's business decisions deserve public scrutiny. What Kroger does doesn't affect just one grocery chain — it has implications across a significant portion of the supermarket industry. Decisions made by a company of this size can influence employment, competition, customer service, and the shopping experience for millions of Americans. The company has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Giant Eagle, a transaction that would add nearly 200 more supermarkets and expand Kroger's reach even further, subject to regulatory approval. Whether you shop at Kroger, King Soopers, Ralphs, Fred Meyer, Fry's, QFC, Smith's, Mariano's, or potentially Giant Eagle in the future, corporate decisions made in Cincinnati can have consequences far beyond a single grocery store. Outside a New Midwest Kroger Store - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net If there is money to be saved, perhaps management should first look inward. Improve operational efficiency. Reduce unnecessary spending. Streamline corporate bureaucracy. Find better ways to invest in technology without replacing American jobs. Those are leadership decisions. Even more frustrating is that customer service should arguably be a much higher priority. In our experience, Kroger already struggles with customer service in many locations. Long checkout lines, difficulty finding assistance, inconsistent staffing, and stores that vary widely in execution are issues customers frequently discuss. If those problems already exist, announcing plans to establish an overseas operation isn't exactly the kind of news likely to inspire confidence. Customers want to know their grocery chain is focused on making stores better, actionable efforts they can see. Kroger's potential actions could create an opportunity for competitors. We already think it has based on their crappy customer service alone. Companies like Publix have built strong reputations by emphasizing customer service, employee engagement, and community relationships. Every bad or unwise corporate decision creates an opening for competitors to win over dissatisfied customers. In our opinion, moving jobs overseas sends the wrong message. It tells employees and communities that cost-cutting comes before loyalty. It tells customers that corporate priorities may not align with the people who have supported the company for decades. Some will disagree with that assessment, and that's fine. But we believe American companies should be looking for ways to invest more in American workers and American communities — not fewer. Kroger has every right to make this decision. Customers have every right to decide what they think about it. And this is where consumers have the real power. Every dollar spent is effectively a vote for the kind of company people want to support. If customers believe Kroger is making decisions that don't reflect their values, they don't have to keep shopping there. They can take their business elsewhere. This is where the consumer has the power to help Kroger's competition grow. Companies that invest in their stores, their employees, and their communities should have the opportunity to earn those customers instead. Competition has always been one of the greatest forces in the marketplace, and consumers ultimately decide who wins. That is what makes capitalism great. We need more competition! So, instead of investing time and resources into shifting work overseas, Kroger should be launching a company-wide TRANSFORMATION focused on one thing: customer service. A TRUE RENEWEAL OF HOW THEY OPERATE FROM THE CUSTOMER VIEW POINT. The change shouldn't be cosmetic. It shouldn't be another corporate slogan or a few posters hanging in break rooms. Customers should feel the difference the moment they walk into a store. Employees should know exactly what is expected of them, and management should be held accountable for delivering a consistently positive shopping experience. That starts with comprehensive training, clear service standards, and leadership that makes customer satisfaction a top priority — not just another metric on a spreadsheet. Expectations should be high, and ACCOUNTABILITY SHOULD BE REAL. Employees who repeatedly fail to meet professional customer service standards after coaching and training should face consequences. If customer service truly matters, then it has to matter every day — not just when corporate executives are visiting a store. Inside a New Kroger Store - Photo: © 2026 RoadTour.Net Earning back customer trust won't happen through a press release. It happens one customer interaction at a time. Kroger should also launch a major public campaign centered on improving the shopping experience. Let customers know changes are being made. Showcase better service, cleaner stores, friendlier employees, and faster checkout times. Then make sure those promises are actually delivered. Just as importantly, Kroger should continue remodeling older stores and building new ones. The company should continue to be defending its existing markets while aggressively expanding into new ones, going head-to-head with the competition. Be bold. Strong stores, modern facilities, and excellent customer service are what win customers over — not simply reducing expenses and moving jobs overseas. Competition in the grocery business is fierce. Companies like Publix, H-E-B, Wegmans, Aldi, Costco, Walmart, and regional chains are constantly looking for opportunities to grow. Kroger's market share is up for the taking. Reputations can change faster than many people think when a company commits to meaningful action. Customers notice genuine improvements, and they also notice when promises amount to nothing more than marketing. Kroger has an opportunity to become known for outstanding customer service instead of a mediocre grocery store. But that requires leadership willing to invest in the customer experience. Winning back trust isn't complicated. It requires consistent execution, visible accountability, continued investment in stores and communities, and a commitment to putting customers first and always. Read more from the Cincinnati Business Courier.