With chain restaurants, she says, "you have aformula, it works, but you could go to [Pizzeria]Uno's anywhere. A place like Charlie's [Kitchen]is more Harvard Square."

"There are places that have well-establishedmenus and reputations and formulas that workeverywhere but didn't float here," agrees CindyMiller.

The Future

But as of late, chains have been faring alittle better, and analysts say they will continueto take hold.

"In the last couple years, we've seen achange," says Bruce L. Potter, director ofmembership services for the MassachusettsRestaurant Association. "Many chains are cominginto the area."

"People are just more comfortable with themnow," he says. "When they get past a certainpoint, people say, `I want a dining experiencethat I'm used to, that I've had in the past.'"

But restaurateurs are confident that the Squarewill retain a unique quality.

"Harvard Square is still independent, a bigdraw for people who are entrepreneurs or have bigideas," Cindy Miller says. "It's a great testingand proving ground."

And, she says, according to the businessassociation's research, "it will constantly be agood mix. That's what the square can hold, andthat's what the market has told us it will do.