What I'm really enjoying about the new merchant data is the fact that I can now do zip-code specific searches in areas that I'm familiar with, and play a little game with myself, trying to predict which merchants will be on the list.
Here we're looking at Johnson County, the suburb of Kansas City where I grew up. Some really interesting stuff here, if you know the area.
First of all, Panera is a Kansas City company, so it's nice to see it at the top. First Watch is a local chain of breakfast-only establishments. Last time I was in KC, I made a point of eating there, and they served Eggs Florentine with fresh spinach. That was interesting (in a good way).
About McDonald's. One was built a couple miles from my parents house, around 1984, in the upscale outdoor mall area known as Corinth Square. It was a big scandal. Would McDonalds bring down the value of nearby homes? Reduce the perceived quality of adjacent businesses? In the end, the powers that be decided to allow construction to continue, so long as no golden arches were visible on the outside of the building.
Here we're looking at Johnson County, the suburb of Kansas City where I grew up. Some really interesting stuff here, if you know the area.
First of all, Panera is a Kansas City company, so it's nice to see it at the top. First Watch is a local chain of breakfast-only establishments. Last time I was in KC, I made a point of eating there, and they served Eggs Florentine with fresh spinach. That was interesting (in a good way).
About McDonald's. One was built a couple miles from my parents house, around 1984, in the upscale outdoor mall area known as Corinth Square. It was a big scandal. Would McDonalds bring down the value of nearby homes? Reduce the perceived quality of adjacent businesses? In the end, the powers that be decided to allow construction to continue, so long as no golden arches were visible on the outside of the building.
