[quote name=\'Modor\' post=\'127652\' date=\'Aug 16 2006, 10:40 AM\']
I'm talking about things such as "Waffle House", "In-N-Out", "7-11", and "Popeye's".
Most, if not all of those, to my knowldge are very well known chains. The common excuse I get is "We don't have one of those in our town" or "I've never heard of it".
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Okay. Of those four, I'd say the first two are questionable. It's not fair to expect a New Yorker to know what an In-N-Out is, and the only reason I know Waffle House, never having been close to the South, much less lived there, is because I'm a foodie.
The other two, being nationwide chains, are fair game. "We didn't have one in our town" is not a good excuse. "The nearest one to me is at least fifteen hundred miles away" is somewhat better.
Depends on what you're asking, too. "What regional chicken chain has a spinach-loving sailor for their mascot?" is reasonable, because the answer can still be gotten without knowing the place exists. "Name two side dishes you can purchase at a Popeye's Chicken" is not. Even if they know of In-N-Out, I would never expect someone from Florida who has never been inside of one to know what Jungle Style was.