There we were, driving through Cathedral Grove on our way to Tofino. It was around 12:30 and our next stop would be Port Alberni (birthplace of Kim Campbell) and lunch. Our stomaches were growling and we were looking forward to satiating them with something hearty and local. Driving along the main road there weren’t many options. There were the usual assortment of fast-food chains and a couple of run-down looking diners. Nothing that our tongues would be dragging us towards. That’s when I pulled out my new I-phone and pulled up my Urbanspoon app. In case you aren’t familiar, Urbanspoon is a compendium of restaurants around the world that are rated by diners. Each restaurant page features menus, directions and a host of reviews from people just like you and I, warning to stay away from the lobster or consider driving 200 km to sample their rib-eye steak. In no time we’d found the Clam Bucket, a small but classy joint facing the town’s river. It was buried a few blocks from the main drag and boy was it ever tasty. I ordered a carmelized onion Philly cheese steak with homemade clam chowder (it was the Clam Bucket after all) and my partner picked up big juicy chicken Donair. It was local lagers all the way. Home style cooking for a great price that we’d have never found without the help of Urbanspoon. Sitting in my comfy chair while waiting for the bill I realized that new apps like Urbanspoon could change the dining world. As they proliferate throughout the consumer world, these apps could mean the decline (if not outright destruction) of many chain’s restaurant and fast food businesses. Here’s my thinking:
Port Alberni
Chain restaurants operate on the premise of uniformity. A Big Mac purchased in Florida will taste the same as one bought in Port Alberni. This is critical because it allows consumers to rely on certainty. Certainty is a valuable commodity. Many people are willing to sacrifice their health and taste for the certainty that their cheap meal will not be A) horrible or B) unavailable on the menu. That’s one thing chain restaurants always had over Big Jim’s cafe on the side of the I-95. That and visibility, which, thanks to apps like mapquest, no longer matter as much.
However with all the sharing and open data orchestrated by apps like Urbanspoon, suddenly Big Jim’s cafe can now provide the same sort of certainty once enjoyed by chains like McDonalds. No longer do I need to roll the dice on whether I’m going to get food poising from that burger – the 28 reviews I read on Urbanspoon (or the easy rating that’s front and center) assure me that Big Jim’s is a keeper and I should not only go there, but detour 5 km out of my way to experience it.
The growing community of local foodies will only help to strengthen this trend. Watch out global crap food vendors – local cafes and restaurants are coming to get you!