Then I learned I was wrong; Brother’s Grill was indeed an independent restaurant.

And wow — the food was good. And I thought to myself, “Why aren’t more East Lansing restaurants like this?”

There are some obvious, sensible answers to that question.

First, name recognition for food is as important to anybody as it is for clothing and cars. Second, chain restaurants are cheaper because their costs are lower as a result of economies of scale, and price cannot go unnoticed in a town full of college students. Third, such restaurants usually make food more quickly, and it’s common knowledge college students are impatient (you probably won’t even read this entire column).

But who can honestly say a chain restaurant offers the intangibles of a dining experience?

Where else can one feel like they’ve teleported into some crazy Japanese arcade, such as at Udon Sushi Bakery, 134 N. Harrison Ave.? And doesn’t it feel great to be treated like a guest in somebody’s home, such as at Gumbo and Jazz, 1133 E. Grand River Ave.? How comforting is it to know that Joe Conrad, owner of Conrad’s Corner at 228 Abbot Road, knows you so well he’s putting a slice of cheese pizza in a to-go box as soon as you walk in the door? And what satisfaction can be gained from witnessing the cook peel fresh potatoes to make delicious seasoned french fries, such as at Brother’s Grill?

It’s possible this is all a bit dramatic for food. But what people fail to realize is to these restaurateurs, this is more than just food. It’s their income, their savings, their lives. Hours are spent crafting a menu, mixing and matching spices and ingredients, deciding on presentation and designing the restaurant. The food is created, not produced.

I’m not asking people to like the food at every restaurant. When I was growing up, I was so opposed to trying new foods that my parents took me to a therapist, who urged me to “try a mouse nibble” of everything. But there are plenty of East Lansing restaurants that, for good reason, have seen an early grave (No Moe, I will not go back to your Firehouse Grill until you learn to spell at least a quarter of the menu correctly) or will never receive my money again (Dear Green River Cafe, 211 M.A.C. Ave., if I wanted my outrageously organic, trendy and expensive lentil soup cold, I would have asked for it that way). But there are plenty of independent restaurants people aren’t trying because they’re so locked into chains.

Independent restaurants have to rely on a sort of cult following to remain in business. One of my friends frequents Teriyaki and Gyro, 1139 E. Grand River Ave., so often that I think they’re putting a picture of him on the building’s awning. But they know him, he tells people to eat there, and they get more customers. The cycle continues.

Unfortunately, the chance at success for start-up restaurants is very slim, and it’s a reality with which all entrepreneurial restaurateurs must cope. But East Lansing restaurant-goers are unique in that they don’t often seem to give new restaurants a chance, let alone a second chance. And it’s not because this is a city dominated by students. Although the college town is a niche market, Ann Arbor is rife with independent eateries.

It’s not that chain restaurants put bad food on the table or are evil cogs in a capitalistic machine (sarcasm, people). They started out as independent restaurants and people enjoyed their food so much that they were able to expand. And truthfully, I enjoy a Hot-N-Ready from Little Caesars Pizza, 1203 E. Grand River Ave., as much as anybody else. But there are many other options people haven’t explored. And I’m not asking for much, either.

Just a mouse nibble.

Zach Colman is the State News opinion writer. Reach him at colmanz1@msu.edu.