Based off the comments on this post, I'm just now realizing that my experience has been pretty atypical. I've always had a better time working for local businesses, but I guess I've just been lucky.

For example, I'm working at a pizzeria right now and the owner will deliver pizzas or work in the kitchen pretty frequently. He pays us above min wage (not very common for a pizza job here) and makes sure tips are split evenly between foh and boh. It's a much better environment than when I worked corporate fast food stuff. I find that working for a well liked local businesses can make working feel a bit less alienating. But again, I guess I've just been lucky with the jobs I've managed to land.