Expensive Chain Restaurants - Should be an oxymoron

I was invited to a lunch at Roy's today. Roy's is an expensive chain restaurant, I think based out of Hawaii. Main courses were in the 20 to 35 range. I went to the one in San Francisco and considering you could eat next door at Salt House for the same price or Bong Su around the corner for half the price, I am amazed that they can stay in business. Out of towners, the types that come to SF and eat at Olive Garden and Chevy's like it. I equate the food quality to the Cheesecake Factory or something similar. There are no chefs in the restaurant, just cooks. The servers are also lower quality. People who go like the food basically because it is one big desert. Everything has honey, sugar, or some sweet condoment. OK, I am a SF city food snob.