I think the reason that big chains are starting to fail is because the small places have gotten a lot better and cleaner.
It is what I call the "McDonald's syndrome". When people go out to eat they want to know what they are getting into. Yes, McDs and Subway are not great food, but they are clean, controlled, and consistent. In other words, you will not get a great meal, but you will most likely not get the runs either. The internet has changed the way people search for a restaurant. There are ratings, facebook posts from friends, twitter, etc. People will find the good and bad about a local place without the risk of having to actually eating there.
