Bethany wrote:
I just heard an ad on the radio for applebee's. They were advertising a $7.99 lunch, includes a soft drink, guaranteed to be at your table within 12 minutes or it's free.
Joe wrote:
- You were listening to the radio at work? Like AM/FM..not even pandora?
- Guaranteed to be at your table in 12 mins lol. They must have some heavy duty microwaves back in that kitchen!
- So that after tax is $8.48. That's a tough one. Plus, you have to leave a tip. Knowing the Applebees clientele, that's a $10 lunch, max. Similar to Olive Garden soup/salad/breadsticks for $6.99.
- On the other hand, if you were to get lunch at say Jimmy Johns/5 Guys/Chipotle and were so inclined to tip the people behind the counter, as people do now for some reason, you're probably spending $9-10 anyways.
- So basically I have no idea. Fast Casual i suppose.
Bethany wrote:
They must have some powerful microwaves, lol. I had a friend who worked at Applebee's in athens and she said just about everything that came in there, came in frozen and then they microwaved it. Like for the pasta dishes, they didn't actually boil water. They just microwaved them. Kind of like a marie calendar's dish you would pick up in the freezer aisle. I'm going with Applebees is fast food. Sure you have a server but you also have a server at Steak and Shake and Steak and Shake has a drive thru window, therefore it's fast food. Also, their lunch special comes with a soft drink. You can't tell me that's not a combo meal!
I can't imagine how terrible it would be to work the soup, salad and bread stick lunch at Olive Garden. Not only is it cheap but it's unlimited. So there's no telling how many trips you'll make to the table to refill soup, salads and bread sticks for your tip that most likely will be change. I went there for lunch with some coworkers from the rehab. They got that deal. Each paid on separate tickets and gave the server ten dollar bills and then asked for their change when she didn't bring it back. I'm pretty sure one of my coworkers left a quarter for the tip. Like it's 1950.
Yes I was listening to the radio. Like the old fashioned AM/FM kind. At least it doesn't have an antenna.
I understand today is signing day. Looks like we can talk about college football again!
Joe wrote:
GREAT comparison with the Steak and Shake. However, if a place has a bar, can it be considered fast food? I'm not ready to make this judgement.
As a former Olive Garden server, let me just say if you know what you're doing (i.e. SAVE ALL OLD RECEIPTS) and the clientele is right (i.e. PAYING CASH), the Soup/Salad/Breadstick lunch can be very, very, profitable.
(At this point the conversation steered to college football.)
HOLY SHIT THAT WAS RIVETING.
Is Applebees fast food?
Final Conclusion: Inconclusive
The only reason your judgement is inconclusive - other than the utter pointlessness of such a mental exercise - is because you have no foundation for a true separative variable.
ReplyDeleteOf course you should add to this, but I propose a primary factor should be whether, upon ordering your "food," you are asked whether you would like to dine in or take your meal with you To Go. If you are likely to have this question posited after making your menu selection, you are most assuredly purchasing Fast Food.
FYI Steak 'N Shake is not Fast Food. It's casual dining with a garnish of Southern charm.
You make some decent points, Osama.
ReplyDeleteHowever, your criteria for fast food is still faulty, as several places in the "fast casual" genre ask the question you posited, and yet would not necessarily be considered fast food.
Places that fall in this genre include Chipotle, Jimmy John's, Subway, 5 Guys, etc. etc. Surely you wouldn't be crazy enough to lump these eateries in with McDonalds, BK, Wendy's, etc., would you???