Why do certain fast food chains only operate in certain parts of the country?

Question

For instance, McDonald's and Burger King can be found just about everywhere, but you can only find Roy Rogers in the northeast and Krystal in the southeast. I haven't done much traveling out west, so I've never even seen a Jack in the Box.

Answer 1

they could be family owned chains or like in-n-out, they get their meat freshly made and shipped from somewhere.

Answer 2

I would attribute this to two causes

1) the companies aren't big enough to be everywhere but they are slowly growing.

2) People in California do not have the same diet as someone in Texas or someone in New York. For example: Waffle houses are a southern thing. I just can't imagine them doing well up north. Though maybe they would cause who doesn't like some waffle house every now and then?