tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption

CHAIN -- Checkers/Rallys
Owner -- Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc (CHKR)
Primary Operating Region -- Midwest and to the south in both directions
Number of Locations -- 509 (Checkers), 364 (Rally's) (2006)

Slogan on bag:  “You gotta eat!”  That’s true, but I don’t gotta eat HERE.

Checkers is one of those double-drive-thru discount joints that became such a craze for about one summer in the late 1980’s...1985 in this case, founded in Mobile, AL.  The company is based in Clearwater, FL now.  Rally's merged with Checkers in 1999.  The two brands combined are the largest survivor of the double-drive-thru concept.  

The menu is standard fast-food fare…burgers, chicken, and hot dogs with fries, drink, or a shake.  If anything stands out as significant, it’s the use of red onions across the board.  Sister chain Rally’s shares an identical menu.

So what’s going to make me eat at Checkers?  Is it the burgers?  No.  Is it the chili dogs?  No.  Is it the chicken?  No.  Is it the fries?  Yes.

I’m not a big fry fan.  I’m not a big fan of fried starchy potato-based products in general.  I have exceptions, such as Taco John’s spicy Mexi-Fries and occasionally a morning order of Hardee’s Hash Rounds.  As far as French fries go, my exception is Checkers.

The Checkers fries are more like steak fries.  Orange-to-brown in color, coated with a spicy seasoning, they are crisp, flaky, and very tasty.  You won’t find anything like them at McDonald’s.

So what do you have to go with your fries?  The “Champ” burger line is good and has kind of a homemade taste to it., but it isn't that unusual short of having red onions. 

The Checkers chili dog is topped with a chili dog sauce and red onions.  The sauce will be a favorite for those who like a more “green pepper”-tasting chili.  This does not include me.  The frankfurter was unremarkable, typical of any cheapo store brand dog.

Then there’s the “Big Chicken”, the menu item most often mentioned to me by others who have had Checkers.  The fried breaded chicken patty is a spicy one that actually tastes better if you discard the bun, lettuce, mayo, and tomato.  Everything else just gets in the way.  But again, ultimately, nothing special or unique.

Finally there’s the chicken snack.  Spicy chicken breast strips in a container that includes the fabulous fries.  You can get ranch sauce to dip the strips in.  Dip the fries in it too.  But even here, the spiciness of the strips affects the flavor of the fries.

Nuts.

But I do have another menu item endorsement for Checkers…their milkshakes.  The shakes have an unusual old-fashioned “real” sense to them.  You can actually taste the chocolate syrup.  They’re still not good enough to be called the best, but they’re right up there.

So go with a Champ, fries, and a shake.  Or a Coke.  Whatever. 

Checkers has been somewhat stagnant in the growth department in recent years.  But Checkers has a new look coming soon to new locales.  The new building is a modular pre-fab design that not only is delivered and assembled, it can be easily removed and relocated.  So if Checkers/Rally's fails near you, the company or franchisee can pick up and move elsewhere.

Checkers claims to cook to order (nothing I’ve had suggests otherwise…it’s always been hot and fresh) and price-wise are generally a little cheaper than average.  Between that and the fries, maybe that’s enough for Checkers to survive.  Probably not THRIVE, but survive.

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