Wanted: 10 Chain Restaurants that Should Open in Manhattan

It’s no secret that the Big Apple is a restaurant mecca. But I never realized that so many of the nation’s largest and most successful fast-food and casual dining chains have yet to open even one outpost in Manhattan until I came across this list on ny.eater.com:

1. In-N-Out Burger (A poor man’s Shake Shack but with better burgers, according to some fans.)
   
2. Chick Fil-A (A mall classic. And amazingly good value for the money.)
   
3. Chili’s (Americanized-Mexican and Southwestern fare.)
4. P.F. Chang’s (Lettuce Rolls and The Great Wall of Chocolate -- enough said.)
5. Cracker Barrel (But the company’s signature rocking chairs outside the front door wouldn’t last a day, even if they were chained down.)
6. Denny’s (Its new Value Menu goes down easy.
   
7. Dairy Queen (Of the entire group, this is my personal favorite. Expensive artisinal ice cream and gelato pales next to a Blizzard.)
8. Krispy Kreme (Actually, I don’t think Krispy Kreme qualifies for this list in that it has already been here. But it shuttered its stores due to poor sales.)
9. Waffle House (Not too exciting, but always consistent.)
10. Sonic Drive-In (Of course, those roller-skating waiters would have to be brought in indoors.)