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Frankie and Bennys - dissapointed |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 653
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Frankie and Bennys - dissapointed
Today my wife and I went to out to lunch on our own for the first time in a while and we went to Frankie and Bennys.
I read the history of the chain that is displayed on the menus and this started a conversation between us of how nice it must have been to live in New York in the early 1900's etc with all the new family run restaurants opening up, one of them being Frankie and Bennys. The story on the menu is as follows: "In 1924, at the age of 10, Frankie left Sicily with his parents and moved to Brooklyn’s “Little Italy” in New York. Within a year of moving, the family had opened a restaurant, which is now co-managed by Frankie's long-time friend Benny. The business was taken over by Frankie and Benny in 1953, and combines popular American food with traditional Italian dishes." I looked up F&B on Wikipedia only to find out that this is all fiction and it is actually a UK only business and opened up in 1995 in Leicester. I was bitterly dissapointed and felt I had been thrown a complete BullSh1t story that they want the public to believe. I was quite upset as it happens. All in all, quite clever marketing. What do you think to all this?? I feel as though as I have been deceived..
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: I AM FEMALE!
Posts: 3,027
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i really like f&b's. i believed that story! bit disappointed now, it gave it a real "family" feel.
what did you have to eat? |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 653
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Quote:
i really like f&b's. i believed that story! bit disappointed now, it gave it a real "family" feel.
what did you have to eat? YUM ! |
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Sunny Side Of The Street
Posts: 40,106
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My friend in New York had never heard of Franky and Benny's! That is how I got suspicious about it.
The music is far too loud and the food was awful. Went there once and did not like it! |
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,745
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I like the barbeque flavoured pizza. Nothing else interests me.
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Pimlico, central London, UK
Posts: 14,894
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Never been in one. Is it as bad and as expensive as TGI Fridays?
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,115
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you will like it there if you like garlic lol
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Gloucester
Posts: 1,778
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Wiki isn't the most reliable source of information on the net.
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#9 |
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Posts: n/a
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The only time i went i sat in shock as my starter, garlic mushrooms, arrived and there was 3 on the plate, i think it worked out not far off £2 a mushroom. And they were crap.
Better going to a proper restaurant that's not part of a chain as they rely on customer loyalty. |
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 8,447
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Quote:
Today my wife and I went to out to lunch on our own for the first time in a while and we went to Frankie and Bennys.
I read the history of the chain that is displayed on the menus and this started a conversation between us of how nice it must have been to live in New York in the early 1900's etc with all the new family run restaurants opening up, one of them being Frankie and Bennys. The story on the menu is as follows: "In 1924, at the age of 10, Frankie left Sicily with his parents and moved to Brooklyn’s “Little Italy” in New York. Within a year of moving, the family had opened a restaurant, which is now co-managed by Frankie's long-time friend Benny. The business was taken over by Frankie and Benny in 1953, and combines popular American food with traditional Italian dishes." I looked up F&B on Wikipedia only to find out that this is all fiction and it is actually a UK only business and opened up in 1995 in Leicester. I was bitterly dissapointed and felt I had been thrown a complete BullSh1t story that they want the public to believe. I was quite upset as it happens. All in all, quite clever marketing. What do you think to all this?? I feel as though as I have been deceived.. ![]() |
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,566
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With any 'chain' it's so dependant on the individual restaurant. Have had some great experiences and some dreadful ones too.
Never knew it started in Leicester!!! |
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#12 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: May 2008
Location: with Dr Kilmore
Posts: 2,276
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I went to F&B about six months ago with a friend. The food and service was excellent. The only downside was having to wait over 40 minutes for a table, but it was well worth the wait!
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#13 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Doing the conga in Spain
Posts: 6,736
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I agree the music is always too loud in F&B. Have had some great meals though.
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,566
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Quote:
I agree the music is always too loud in F&B. Have had some great meals though.
And the music is always 1950's 'mum' pop!! |
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Doing the conga in Spain
Posts: 6,736
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Quote:
Hello gmr!! Nice to bump into you in another forum!!
And the music is always 1950's 'mum' pop!! Yeah, some Godawful crooner or other.
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Wooler, Northumberlandiana
Posts: 21,728
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Oh come on!
It's so obvious Frankie and Bennys is a giant gimmick chain. Its so cliched! How can anyone think its actually American? Its like thinking the Italia Pizzeria down your high street is run by a top Italian Chef TGI's is the same, though its much cheaper at TGI's with its 2 courses for £9.99 deal, always found Franke and Benny a bit bland |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 23,456
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i went to frankie & bennys aaaages ago in teeeside and it was utter shite, i'll never set foot in one ever again.
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 223
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I must say I have been in a few times and not really paid too much attention to the story of the origins, however I never thought it was complete fiction!
I also feel quite deceived, other chain restaurants create the illusion of a different nationality but this is a new one to me! |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 653
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Quote:
Wiki isn't the most reliable source of information on the net.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 653
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Quote:
i went to frankie & bennys aaaages ago in teeeside and it was utter shite, i'll never set foot in one ever again.
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,322
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I've been to two Frankie and Bennys and have never had a good service.
When we have actually stayed for the meal (instead of walking out because they couldn't be a*rsed to serve us) it's been very disappointing. Not a patch on certain competitors, and nothing like the excellent food or service you get in the US. |
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#22 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 16,886
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Quote:
Never been in one. Is it as bad and as expensive as TGI Fridays?
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#23 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 16,886
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Quote:
Wiki isn't the most reliable source of information on the net.
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: St. Albans, UK, Team Wagner
Posts: 42,878
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I've been to Frankie and Benny's a couple of times and enjoyed it
I had the Garlic/Tomato Pizza Bread and the Classic BLT ![]() The only annoying thing was our group had one of the "2 meals for £7.50" deals or whatever it is, so they pratically bring you both courses at once ![]() I think my friend was disappointed with his desert though, it was £3.95 I think and a piddly little thing, f*cking mini size if you ask me. I went to the one in Watford, it does have the air of a family NY diner to me and the classic 50's/60's tunes add to the atmosphere ![]() I have been to America twice. last time I went the best food I had was actually non American food (I went to TGI Friday's as well), and have been to places such as The Last Waltz and Deano's (Colorado), Shoney's and TGI's (Florida)
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: UK Garage, GoT, Brasil & steak
Posts: 10,505
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I went to F&B's in Bexleyheath once for a lunchtime deal. My friend had a veggie pizza and I had hot dog and chips. I think we had a mushroom thing for starters. I asked for a cocktail but the waiter didn't know how to make it so I had a hot chocolate instead. The food was ok, nothing special. The decor was nice. I went to the one at Broadway Plaza in Birmingham and had the mixed grill. It was bloody awful. I won't go back to F&B's again. It's overpriced and very average quality.
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I had the Garlic/Tomato Pizza Bread and the Classic BLT 