Experience the Luxury of Dining at IHOP with the Elite

Churches, parks, and post offices are often seen as venues that bring people from different socioeconomic backgrounds together. However, a new study from MIT and California’s Naval Postgraduate School, reported by the Messenger, suggests that casual chain restaurants like IHOP, Chili’s, Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Olive Garden may be another type of place where people of all income levels interact.

In a working paper published on the Social Science Research Network, the researchers analyzed cellphone pings from across the country to determine the places where people of different income levels gather. According to Catherine Rampell’s opinion piece in the Washington Post, the geolocation data used in the study was anonymized, with neighborhood-level income serving as a proxy for individual income. The study found that casual chain restaurants were more likely to bring together people from different income brackets compared to other neighborhood venues.

The study did not provide a definitive reason why casual chain restaurants attract such a diverse socioeconimic population. However, the Messenger suggests that even higher-income individuals may be willing to travel outside their immediate neighborhood to visit these chain eateries. On the other hand, when visiting other types of venues like drugstores, libraries, and post offices, higher-income individuals tend to stay within their own affluent neighborhoods. The Messenger offers its own theory, speculating that chain restaurants manage to strike a balance between luxury and informality, making them appealing to both wealthier diners and lower-income families looking for an affordable meal. (Read more discoveries stories.)