A few months back I was on the 16th Street Mall waiting to meet a friend. I wandered into Peet’s Coffee and requested a bottled water. The nice girl rang up $3 on the register. I stared momentarily at the digital readout mentally processing this, then apologized, explaining that was over my price cap for a bottled water. She laughed and agreed with me that it was expensive.

I ambled over to the Corner Bakery where I grabbed a cup and helped myself to some tap water. Walking to the restroom I somehow ended up in Maggiano’s, a nice Italian chain also located in the Pavillions mall. “Why would Maggiano’s allow these coffee shop patrons to share their bathroom?” I wondered. Generally speaking chain restaurants are very controlling about their image and facilities, right down to the pea size amount of soap that’s automatically dispensed and the advertising above the dispensers.

A month later, sitting in that same Maggiano’s with family I was told me the Orange County location also has a Corner Bakery.  Then I got it: Since Maggiano’s is a dinner place why not take advantage of their real estate and incorporate a morning and lunch place? Pretty smart. And excellent branding by each as I never even realized the two were connected, (from an architectural or corporate aspect.)

Another oddity:  I was dining at this Maggiano’s thanks to a Christmas gift card. The gift card was good at Chili’s, Macaroni Grill, On The Border and Maggiano’s – all part of the Brinker restaurant family. Obviously I picked the highest caliber establishment, but it reminded me of that Sesame Street song “One of these things is not like the other…”

We had a good meal, and I wondered who would select any of the other restaurants over Maggiano’s relatively higher end atmosphere.  My question was answered three weeks later by my sister in Michigan, where unfortunately Maggiano’s doesn’t have any locations.   The other misfit collection does.  I told her to save it for her visit here.

photo from Maggianos.com