kungfuzu
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Post by kungfuzu on Jul 26, 2022 18:10:21 GMT -8
To the best of my recollection, the first time I came across Whataburger must have been almost fifty years ago. There was a typical A-Frame Whataburger restaurant, which stood out like a sore thumb, a mile or two from my parents's home. Of course, I had to try one of their burgers and was pleasantly surprised. The company has no restaurants overseas so it was only upon my return to the States that I encountered them again. Since that time, I have not been a regular customer, but did occasionally visit a nearby Whataburger for a quick lunch or supper. They always served up a good product. It was my experience that their quality was always superior to McDonald's, Burger King or Jack In The Box. In 2019, the family which owned the company sold it to an investment firm. I don't recall clearly, but I probably ate there once or twice after this purchase, but before the advent of the KFF fraud. I do not remember the food having changed at that time. With the advent of the KFF fraud, Whataburger, like most everyone else stopped serving in-store. One could only order through the Drive-Through lane or call and pick up an order. I refused to give trade to any restaurant which practiced such a policy, and Whataburger held to it longer than most in Plano. That being the case, it has probably been close to three years since I visited a Whataburger. Tonight, on a whim, I decided to drive over and give my local Whataburger a try. In all honestly, I wish I had not. Instead of the quality sandwich which I remember, the Whataburger I ate tonight was rubbish. It had almost no resemblance to the past product. The bun was different and the meat was different. There was almost no taste except of the condiments. To put things in some context, I find the hamburgers at Burger King, Jack In The Box and Braums, not to mention those at a number of privately-owned burger joints, are all much better than the Whataburger I ate tonight. What a disappointment. In my opinion, Whataburger tasted little better than paper and should be avoided if one wishes to eat half-way decent junk food. Sad. Another one bites the dust |
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jul 26, 2022 19:47:55 GMT -8
I'd never heard of Whataburger.
McDonald's is okayish but small and over-priced. Burger King's whopper is theoretically good. But rarely is it served both hot and fresh. And if you need to clog your arteries, I've never found a greasier burger than the ones found at Jack in the Box.
There's a franchise called Red Robin (you may have them too) that used to (haven't been there in years) serve a consistently good burger. There's a couple of locally-owned small mom-and-pop restaurants I sometimes go to that make a good burger, although I usually have their French dip.
My advice these days is to avoid like a plaque any franchise. And not because they are "big business." But because I don't at all trust the yutes they hire to comply to even the basics of hygiene. Kids are into and out of those places in a revolving door. And, these days, most of them really don't give a shit. You have to find a smaller, more personal place where the owner has a more personal stake in hiring good people and being choosy about it in rational, non-woke ways. I want the yute waiting on me to be polite, cheerful, well-dressed, non-tattooed, clean, and prompt. I want these employees chosen for their ability and character, not because they check-off some "woke" checkbox.
Truly, there was a saying "Never trust anyone over 30." Now I think it's completely obvious that you cannot trust your health (or anything else) to anyone under 30. You could draw that line higher, but the point is that the younger generations are being raised without good standards. And, of course, they are all being replaced either by Chinese workers or by robots. And that will continue. America may start to resemble a vast "Escape from New York" fenced-off, god-forsaken area where no one but the dregs live. Good movie, by the way. A little campy, but I love Snake Plissken.
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Post by artraveler on Jul 26, 2022 19:55:40 GMT -8
Whataburger My first experience with Whataburger was in 1966. My brother had returned from deployment in Nam and was getting married. His bride lived in San Antonio. I recall the A frame building and what I thought was a pretty good berger. I don't recall visiting one again until 2007. The company I worked for sent me TDY back to SA this time I was working at UTSA and had occasion to visit Whataburger a few times. I was not thrilled, I found the meat overcooked, and the dressing on the burger over done. About 5 years ago they opened the first Fayetteville restaurant to a lot of hoopla in the media and long Lins in the drive thru. I think a lot of the initial traffic was Texans at the university seeking "a taste of home". About 3 years ago a second store opened in north Fayetteville. My wife's daughter lives near this one and when we visit we occasionally bring burgers. On the whole my experience has been, at best, neutral. If you want a good burger you have to special order it and insist no sauce of any kind, otherwise you get a tasteless mess. Taking the time to demand it be done the way you like it is the only secret at all fast foods. Burger King is the lest bothered by special orders and, It seems, better prepared to handle it. MacDonald's is well, MacDonalds a slew of special orders will trip their production system into chaos. Order a Big Mac without the sponge in the middle and the whole place comes to a stop. It can be a fun experience. For kicks go to Mac wearing a lab coat, carry a clip board, stopwatch and a briefcase. Order a regular burger, fries, and a small coke. When you get to your table take a scale out of the briefcase and weight every item. I guarantee a visit from the store manager or owner within 5 minutes. The best approach when confronted is ignore their efforts at communication put everything in a plastic bag, seal it and leave. For last least the next 72 hours food, service, cleanliness and customer courtesy will be top of the line. |
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kungfuzu
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Post by kungfuzu on Jul 26, 2022 19:57:05 GMT -8
I regularly hear nightmarish stories about younger people as employees. When I say "younger" I mean 40 and under, but they get worse the closer to 20 they get. I have made the observation that they are none too bright, but in Mrs. Flu's opinion/experience the fault lies in the fact that they simply don't care about anything they do. They don't listen to or follow instructions. They screw up the simplest of assignments, are too familiar (to the point of rudeness) and they are unreliable. And frankly, I still say many are none too bright.
I have noticed these characteristics more often and am rapidly coming to the conclusion that there truly is little hope of America, as we know it, lasting more than 10, 20 years at the max. Those coming behind us as completely incompetent or oblivious.
Very good point.
I have heard of Red Robin, but I don't believe there are any around here.
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Post by artraveler on Jul 26, 2022 20:15:59 GMT -8
the point is that the younger generations are being raised without good standards In my time I have hired at least 1000 probably more. The one standard that can be depended on and is necessary to stress to the young people seeking employment in eatery level jobs is the importance of actually showing up for work. I know it seems incredible that someone looking for work, interviewing, getting hired would not show their first day, but it happens all too regularly. Before I retired I told every new employee, "this is an easy job. I expect you to be at your station ready to work when your shift Sid scheduled to start. If you are unavoidably detained I expect a phone call ASAP. You will apologies to any staff who are required to cover your shift due to tardiness." I will grant you one unexcused absence. The second time don't bother to even call. You can pick up your final check in cash within 72 hours. I can't begin to tell how many fired themselves. Those that take promptness as a necessary curtsey get along fine. Learn the job and progress to other more responsible work. They are also the ones who finish university, get good jobs, and pay taxes. Those who don't spend their lives telling themselves and others of their "bad luck". |
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Post by kungfuzu on Jul 26, 2022 20:18:48 GMT -8
To hell with the 72 hours of food, service, cleanliness and customer courtesy. It would be worth doing just to annoy and excite some of the pricks who work in these places.  As to the quality of hamburgers in general: I have noticed that in the last 10-15 years, there have been some outbreaks of E-Coli and since that time, every burger joint cooks their burgers until the are as dead and tough as shoe leather. The quality of hamburgers has suffered as a result. There are a couple of good burger joints in Plano and when we go to one of these, we ask them to cook the burgers medium. This normally means that you will generally get a medium-well done piece of meat, which is much better than the normal burger you will get. Thankfully, we have been going to our burger restaurants for some time and they know we mean medium, therefore we normally get that. |
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Post by kungfuzu on Jul 26, 2022 20:25:31 GMT -8
I have heard of some who work for a few days, then stop showing up and don't even bother to pick up their paychecks.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jul 27, 2022 8:22:22 GMT -8
"Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special order don't upset us. All we ask is that you let us have it your way." Why can't I remember where I put my car keys five minutes ago but I still have that in my brain?
MacDonald's is a slow-motion exercise in fucking up something that used to be good. Their menu used to be focused, inexpensive, and family-friendly. Now there is (in my opinion) little that is special about them.
Frankly, eating out has gotten so expensive (for all the usual reasons...you know them) that this is a great impetus to do your own "specialty" cooking. Not that I do a lot of cooking. But, geez, given the prices and mediocre quality, could I really do worse? And, actually, I've been making 5-star salads of late for lunch. So, yes, you can bypass the restaurants (and the snot-nosed workers) and "have it your way," and for a lot less. Screw fast food.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jul 27, 2022 8:30:56 GMT -8
Even from afar, I have learned not to argue with Mrs. Flu. When not encumbered by grievance or jealousy, women can be the most perceptive creatures.
Again, I had a customer ask me if I knew of anyone who needed a job. It is getting very difficult to find warm bodies to do work. And the "Yankee work ethic" that Made America Great is all but missing in most yutes. They are so narcissistic and self-centered that the idea of "service" is foreign to them.
Okay, maybe there is a "Dixie Work Ethic" as well. But in either case, I see little of it happening. It's pretty basic: When the government, in any form, rewards someone for not working, this causes a contagion of slothfullness. Is that a word? Should be.
America as a pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps is over and done. There's no going back. We just don't know what the structure will be that replaces it. Money will still be made. I suspect there will be a continued gap between rich and poor (and, yes, I know this has been exaggerated for Leftist reasons). This will leave a wide chasm between producers and, well, bums. I think "the homeless" are the vanguard of this kind of separation between haves and have-nots. As workers (unwilling to work) are replaced by technology and robots, we'll have more and more "bums"on the street and more and more gated communities to keep the rabble away from the producers. It is dystopia coming. But that doesn't mean it still won't be good for some.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jul 27, 2022 8:38:54 GMT -8
This is 100% consistent from what I hear through the grapevine of my various business clients. Although hiring competent yutes is still a challenge, it is apparently all the tougher to actually get them to show up and do the work that you hired them for.
This is outside my ken. I don't get this. I don't comprehend this. This is not how I am. I can't imagine being hired for a job and then not showing up, let alone not trying to do a good job. I (we) are becoming foreigners inside our own country.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jul 27, 2022 8:42:04 GMT -8
Food is another thing that "safetyism" (and lawyers) are ruining.
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Post by kungfuzu on Jul 27, 2022 12:13:03 GMT -8
I've been do a fair amount of that myself. I usually include some cold cuts and bread along with my salads. Today, I made my own hamburgers. I took good ground beef, mixed in chopped white unions, a little Kikkoman soy sauce, (I generally prefer Japanese soy sauce to Chinese) a lot more Worcestershire Sauce and freshly ground pepper. I cooked these on a grill skillet like this one. The salad was very simple. Romaine lettuce, chopped raw carrots, chopped raw red and white onions, diced yellow and red heirloom tomatoes, salt, pepper and a bit of Caesar's dressing. Put it all on a slice of toast and you have a very nice lunch. I have to admit that my son is fascinated with coupons so most of the time we visit a fast food joint it is when we have a coupon for one free burger with the purchase of another, or something like that. Fast food is certainly no longer cheap. In any case, if I am going to eat out, I prefer to support locally owned restaurants. |
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jul 27, 2022 13:51:57 GMT -8
From the bottom up, this is the contents of the current salads I am making: Romaine lettuce, red onion, radishes, sunflower seeds, cauliflower, sliced black olives, cucumber, thin strips of sharp cheddar cheese, avocado, tomato, a few croutons, pepper, blue cheese dressing, and finish off with a few more sunflower seeds.
Yes, it's a bit of a chore to put that all together but it's worth it.
I like the fun and ease of fast food. But it just seems to be more hit-and-miss these days. I do know that the people running the McDonald's franchises in town are known for being slackers. If you're lucky, the fries might be hot. The milkshake machines are out half the time. Service is slow. I've stopped going to Burger King because the hygiene there looks very poor. You can tell that the kids working there don't give a shit.
But, yes, like you, I tend to support smaller, mom-and-pop non-franchise restaurants. There's a decent place just down the hill from us called Brother Don's that makes good stuff. I love their Caesar chicken salad among other things. And the 19th Hole Bar & Grill makes a very good French dip as well as salads. I don't get there very often though. But it's really fairly close by. And in Silverdale I go to a place called Chung's where I get halfway decent chicken fried rice. I'm sure it's not real, as in what Asians would cook for themselves. But it's not too bad.
I'll have to make some kind of deluxe burger for lunch or dinner soon. Not sure where I can get good buns. But you have to start with good buns.
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Post by artraveler on Jul 27, 2022 14:44:03 GMT -8
I can't imagine being hired for a job and then not showing up I don't think anyone over 50 can imagine this kind of behavior. We grew up with stories of the depression and WWII central in the minds of our parents and teachers. People who had experienced the trauma of no jobs and a real definable threat to our way of life and in many cases life itself. We were taught that getting employment was a contract, a moral one not a legal one, and that being faithful to that contract was the way to success. Like all kids we rebelled against these ideals, but they were completely ingrained in our psyche and by early 20s if not sooner we had turned from rebellion to conformity. In my case it was a bad marriage and the Marine Corp. By 21 I had realized the fruitlessness of trying to live outside the system. Additionally, by 21 I had work experience going back to 14. I understood the necessity of employment and that moral contract although I could not voice it. High school sports also played a part, especially football. If any member of the team is a slacker the team suffers. I managed to be a team player and maintain myself as a loner. Mostly by just listening to the locker room BS and not participating. The system that I rebelled and later joined was not sexist, homophobic, or even oppressive. It was designed by a few guys who were themselves trained in the words of Locke, Smith and Montesque. Is it perfect? In no way is it perfect, but it is so much better then any other that it sets an example for the world. My best girl and I went to dinner at the Elks Club last night. It is one of the places with a kitchen that makes a good burger. It was also dance night. Most of the people there were 50+. It does take a commitment to pay the dues, about $200 year. However, the club is clean, the waitstaff friendly, the food good and not overpriced and the bar pours a quality drink. They bring in an assortment of bands mostly local and best distinguished by being loud and playing rock-a-billy. That is ok but my preference would be Goodman, Shaw, Al Hirt, Miller and even Tijuana Brass but no-one asked me. |
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jul 27, 2022 18:48:23 GMT -8
Very well said. Recently I read a comment online. The basic shtick was that employers were only ever out to exploit workers. I commented back something like, "Employers regularly have to deal with employees who steal from them (actual items or just time), show up late, and/or don't apply themselves to doing the work."
I would have said 40 years ago that most employers were not monsters. Some are. And some employees do things that even bad employers would never dare do. But today, I honestly don't know. Given that stupid and immoral has driven itself up through the ranks these past decades, I can't be sure that a large percentage of today's employers aren't assholes who show little to no loyalty to good employees.
There's a superficiality and glitz that pervades most bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. A lot of people I know go to the VFW or one of the Navy League clubs. These places are dives but they are filled with people who know that there are only two sexes. That counts for a lot these days. Places like this can be an oasis from crazy. And some of the food is obviously pretty good too.
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Post by Brad Nelson on Jul 27, 2022 19:15:48 GMT -8
One of my first formal jobs was at a fancy local restaurant called The Hearthstone. It overlooked (past tense...it's not in business any longer) Oyster Bay. Their fare was fairly high-priced for the time. This wasn't Seattle snobbery. But you could get a good steak and lobster meal.
I never joined the Marines. But I had the experience of a drill sergeant working under the old-school waitresses who expected perfection. Any errors you made would reflect on the tips they got. And we "bus boys" were anything but. We were practically butlers with all the things we did at the tables, including not only cutting and opening the baked potatoes for people, but also topping those potatoes with whatever the customer wanted.
And, of course, we did plenty of grunt work as well. But high standards were maintained and the maître d' there (Keith) would figuratively kick you in the ass for the slightest infringement on decorum (or for slacking). The shifts were grueling. Unless it was an early weeknight, you were constantly on the move all night.
I say that was my first "formal" job because I'd had dozens of them working under my dad. Maybe selling programs in the stands at the fair and rodeo. Maybe making political signs for one of his political buddies. Maybe selling fireworks at a fireworks stand. All kinds of odd jobs. And the point was always doing a good job and serving the customer...and having a rip-roaring time in between.
I'm not an entrepreneur by nature. (My father was, big-time.) But I was never a slacker. I don't have the slacker gene, although as I get older, I can feel it kicking in a little. But some people are slackers. And when the government hands out free money, they create more slackers. And when the media, movies, and Democrats demonize business, they poison the atmosphere for people doing an honest day's work.
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Post by kungfuzu on Jul 28, 2022 9:50:32 GMT -8
Madam Flu and I were having a discussion last week, which touched upon on this area. Privately owned corporations will often take on the character of their owners. While businessmen are out to make money, my experience has been that when a company is run by its founder, founder's family or individual owner, it is more likely to take into consideration the humanity of its employees.
Once a corporation passes out of the hands of the founding family or, just as importantly, goes public things change. Accountants and lawyers take over. One group only looks at numbers, the other wants to avoid all risk. Business killers. This situation worsens the larger a corporation becomes. Corporations become bureaucracies and as I say, if you are looking for morals in a bureaucracy, you will look a long time without achieving any notable degree of success. By-in-large, those who work in bureaucracies become corrupted or they leave.
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Post by kungfuzu on May 21, 2024 11:26:19 GMT -8
Although Whataburger is not one of the fast-food chains mentioned in this piece, I decided to post this article here. What the piece does not mention is that the quality of food has often gone down while prices have gone up. Fast food inflation |
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Post by Brad Nelson on May 22, 2024 7:08:44 GMT -8
I read the other day that Red Lobster is going under. Inflation, increased minimum wage (incredibly so in some states such as Washington), cost of gasoline, etc., is apparently steering people to stay home and make it themselves.
Contributing factors may be the reduced quality of the food and service. Frankly, I don't like how they're trying to steer everybody to using their "app" to order. Screw their app. I want to talk to a human being. I don't want to fiddle with an app. It's my convenience we're talking about here in regards to "fast food," not yours.
One wonders if the KFF hysteria also left people more sensitive to hygiene matters. And if you're dealing with the average yutes of today, you can't feel real confident about that.
Oh...and it's not so "fast" anymore. I was at Wendy's the other day. There were just a few people inside the restaurant and maybe five cars in the drive-thru. It took forever to get a burger and fries. So along with all these other things, I'm pretty sure that "fast" isn't what it used to be. How can it take so long when I see right before me a kitchen staff of at least ten?
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Post by kungfuzu on May 22, 2024 11:30:47 GMT -8
I have noticed this a few times. As I have no handphone, I could not use an app in any case. But I wonder how long it will be before people, such as I, will not be able to order a meal in a restaurant. These big corporations do their best to force people into doing what makes the corp. the most money and hopes to weed out those who don't follow.
I see a steady degradation going on in this country. It seems that the KFF damaged everything.
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