Around here I avoid the chain owned restaurants and support independents and will give them a try out which normally ends with I won't be coming back.
It's funny you would say that because me and some friends were talking the other day and they kind of pick on me because I frequently order from chains. The reason for this is quite simple in my mind though and that is because the chain food is the same every single time. I want to support small businesses but when I order something that was awesome on Monday and then go back for the same thing on Thursday and it is totally different than it was 3 days ago and also not good at all, I have a hard time continuing to support a business like that.
Unfortunately we are spoiled for choice here as there are hundreds of restaurants around here. It's just a damn shame that 90% of them are horrible.