Category Archives: Restaurants

Why Always the Diet Cola

Posted in Adam Schiff, Restaurants by

I know it is a conspiracy. I can prove it, well at least as well as what’s his name proved the Russia, Russia, Russia conspiracy. I’m still waiting for that liar to present his proof. Regardless, that’s off the subject. I walk into a restaurant and ask for Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi and they say they are out.

Three things immediately come to mind. First, is it intentional. Do they see me coming and turn off the diet spigot. Then too, they have a lot of other flavors. I wonder if they ever run out of Diet Dr. Pepper? Who drinks that stuff anyway? Someone gave it to me one time and they immediately received my ire. Can they even give that horrible stuff away?

Third, are they rationing the diet colas? For that matter, are they trying to get me to switch to tea. I do like tea but I much prefer diet cola. By the way, I am paying for it. I ought to get what I pay for, right?

One day I went to the “down under” outfit. I figured my wife deserves a break. Actually, she always does, but I figured I could really go for a steak too. As we took our places, the waiter asked what we wanted to drink. I said, Diet Coke. They said they had none. I couldn’t believe it. A nice place like that running out of their only diet soda. The waiter replied, “I mean we have no soft drinks at all.”

The wife and I immediately looked at each other. We stood and walked out the door. It wasn’t just aggravating but it was also aggravating. I know. That sounds like I am repeating myself, but I’m not. I was aggravated that there were no soft drinks but I was also aggravated they didn’t bother telling me. I mean, we might have settled for tea, but they were trying a fast one. They figured we’d stay if they waited to break the news.

Well, you will be happy to know that all was not lost. We went over to Huey’s and had a nice dinner there. The food is just about equally good there. Not only that, every time we went in there, they had Diet Coke.

I understand, they might have been having problems with their fountain machine. That sort of thing does happen. However, I am a person who believes in little things such as signs. They really should have told us before we settled in. It does sort of make me wonder if they were out of diet tea and were hiding that from us too.

Automated Restaurants

Posted in Customer complaints, Customer No-Service, Drive-throughs, experience, Fast Food, Food, Restaurants by

Those that report the first automatic restaurants must not have had their eyes open. I have seen automation at some level since 1975. You put the the raw burger in one end and it comes out the other fully cooked in less than 3 minutes. I saw them firsthand. This is more than twice the speed as a regular grill because the burger is cooked on both sides at once.

There is a place in Southaven that has done much to automate cooking of pizzas. I also saw on TV a machine that totally automatically pancakes. This was, I guess decades ago.

Here’s the thing. None of the machines I discibed has any real computerization. It would take very little to fully automate them. It is not that new. Building the more automated equipment is simply a matter of an increase in the demand.

As an aside, I remember seeing a McDonald’s with fry machines totally automatic. I remember watching in fastenation. The potatoes went through a peeling station then sliced. There they fell into fryer baskets.

Whenever needed, the baskets were transported to the fryers and into the oil. They were dumped under a warm light and salted. The only thing a person did was bag them.

I have no idea if any McDonald’s still does this, perhaps at busier stores. Even though the machine could take place of a couple of people, I am sure the machine would need cleaning from time to time.

Thing is, right now the automation is possible. The question is, how much business does it take to justify buying machines that must be cleaned and repaired.

Another point that I have noticed, far more important, how much time do the employees stand around talking as apposed to being productive. I guess this is a question to be resolved by management and customers. So far I have seen a significant tolerance by McDonald’s & Wendy’s management. Automated or not, making customers wait 15 to 20 minutes in a store with 2 customers is unsatisfactory from the customer’s point of view. It should not be tolerated by management either.

Going Green, Really

Posted in Abuse of Power, Going Green, Keeping Car Interiors Cool, Restaurants by

Landed on public TV the other day. I try not to do that. They try to warp my mind. Every now and then they have something that catches my my attention.

They had a story about red lights, aka traffic lights. At any rate, the woman suggested regulation of traffic lights to decrease the long times that autos must wait at red lights.

Oddly, sounds like a really good idea. Oddly, sounds familiar. Come to think of it, I am sure I have heard of it a time or two or three before. Those of you who are approaching my age might have heard of the concept.

I suppose, to some degree, it is already done with various degree of success. Actually, to some degree, it is the logic behind Interstates, expressways and such. Barring traffic jams, it works good.

The one thing that keeps coming to mind are the tons of fuel used in drive throughs. Just how many cars sit at restaurants awaiting to order, then awaiting to pickup the orders.

Of course, those who are in the cars stay nice and cool as their SUVs spew their waste into the atmosphere.

Ironically, I never hear the going green folks complaining about any of it. Do you suppose it’s cause they are the ones in the drive throughs waiting for the processed foods they don’t like the rest of us eating.

It’s a Puzzlement

Posted in CEO Princeple, Customer complaints, Customer No-Service, Fast Food, Food, Restaurants by

The title comes from “The King and I”, though it is not quite a song. Still, Yul Brenner does an outstanding job of it. Sort of makes one think. Well, at least I did consider it over the years.

Maybe they won’t mind me borrowing the title, maybe for just a while. I doubt my post will be nearly as long lasting as the King and I.

The point is this. I drive by restaurants. In Southaven, we have a bunch of them. Moreover they are very much varied. The wife and I generally go out 6 days out of the week and rarely go to the same place twice in one week. Tonight, it was Burger King. Love their fish sandwiches almost as much as the Whopper. Tonight, the wife and I had fish sandwiches. McDonald’s used to be my favorite fish sandwich, but Burger King has them beat by a mile, maybe a mile and a quarter.

Besides, Burger Kings has onion rings so hot you have to cool them a while or burn your tongue on them. The wait was just about 3 minutes. I would have expected 5 so that was a plus.

Nonetheless as I drove home, the traffic was such that I had to go slowly. As I drove past each restaurant, I realized I could tell which ones were good by the number of cars parked in the parking lot. Wendy’s had none. Just before I passed, one car entered the drive through. When we passed I Hop, there were but a few cars. Last time I visited there, I gave up after waiting 30 minutes… and I was the only one there. It was easy for me to leave as they had not yet taken my order. It’s no wonder parking lot had the look of abandonment. That is a real shame. I really liked that place.

On the other hand, even on a Monday, the Chick Fillet was packed. When we go there, we usually park across the little street and walk over. Easier to get in and out.

Well, rather than go through them all, I’ll get to my point, you know, the puzzlement. Why can’t the owners of these places drive by as I did. Perhaps they would be able to see what I saw. What has stopped them from doing the visual evaluation and realize that they are doing something wrong.

As swamped as McDonald’s used to be, it is no longer difficult to find a place to park there anymore. It’s usually a quick walk to the door. My puzzlement is simple and I puzzle just why it is that they don’t understand why they are making less money.

Then again, maybe they don’t care, as long as they can keep the customers going through the drive throughs. However, there are restaurants closing. One was recently replaced by a bank. I found that interesting. They usually had a full parking lot. I guess my method is not totally perfect. Then again, maybe the owner of the restaurant gave up and decided to close down and visit Tahiti. That sort of thing does happen.

Still, it is one more thing to add to the puzzlement.