If you live in a midsize American city, you’ve probably noticed that an increasing share of local services are provided by chain establishments such as the Cheesecake Factory and Wegmans. It’s because the industrial revolution that transformed U.S. manufacturing more than a century ago is finally reaching many local services, which had long resisted standardization. Consider how the Cheesecake Factory brought “chain production” to complicated sit-down meals. It has invested in technology that determines optimal staffing...

Source: Wall Street Journal February 06, 2020 00:11 UTC