It's barely 1:00pm and I've already ordered two iced teas from two different establishments today. The dichotomy of the two struck me so profoundly I figured I'd take a stab at writing about it. This morning seven of us theatre moms went across the street to the local coffee shop to make candygrams for this weekend's shows. Candygrams are little bundles of candy that can be sent back to the kids in the show during intermission, it's 5 cents worth of candy sold for $1 that make the young actors feel priceless. Anyway, we have the very nice little coffee shop/ restaurant in a prime location to do this. The food and drinks are yummy and they have various tables and comfy couches to sit at. Sounds great right? Here's the catch... they are mean there! The owner and namesake has always been mean in a quirky sort of way, but today, even the usually nice waitress was terrible. Here we are seven people buying drinks and at least 3 people ordered a full breakfast as well, but they showed us in no uncertain terms that our presence was not wanted today. The theatre kids who frequent this place all the time are used to this treatment, and it's just not right. It's not just us young people who feel this way either (I'm young..ha!), a few weeks ago I got into a conversation with some of the geriatric volunteers at the theatre and they feel strongly that the owner/ namesake is a "not nice woman". It's annoying because this place is so convenient and pretty yummy. I gently made my opinion known today, the theatre supplies this place with tons of business, and it would be wise for them to show us a little respect. I left a tip larger than the cost of my dumb drink and didn't even use my 10% off discount card because I had already felt so put off by them. I don't feel like going there anymore.
Fast forward a couple of hours, while out running errands I realize that today is the last day of the month, ie the last day of a free large soda at everyone's favorite fast food restaurant. (I use the term everyone loosely because we all know about the controversy, but this is not about that!) Never one to pass up free stuff, I pulled into the drivethru where a smiling young girl tells me it will be her pleasure to serve me. This is not through the machine, the smiling young girl is actually standing outside in 95* weather waiting to relay my order to the people inside. I ask if I can substitute my free soda for an unsweetened iced tea, of course it would be their pleasure. In no seconds flat, my free drink is ready at the window and the people inside thank me again for letting them give me a free drink. I can bash corporate America with the best of them, and love to be able to give business to the small town locals, but sometimes big business is a little nicer than regular people, and other times, as in this case it is A LOT NICER!! Interestingly enough Jonathan just turned in his first big project for college. It is a five page essay on the positive side of the fast food industry. He will be happy to hear this story.
If I were smart and eloquent I could turn this into a whole thing about the teenagers (who so often get a bad rap in our society) at the fast food franchise who were so smiley and friendly versus the middle aged crabs at the other place. Or perhaps I could point out the Christian business practices of said fast food place as compared to the very unChristlike behavior of the mean people, but my time and braincells are running low, so you'll just have to think about those things for yourself.
1 comment:
Soooo true!! I was at both places today but only got food at one. At the first I was treated horribly as well and at the second I was treated very nicely. I went into the second place to ask them to pass out fliers for our upcoming show. Fliers advertising a show for the theatre that has chosen to quit performing at their restaurant, and has chosen to quit taking the money they so generously gave to us...yet they happily let us advertise there. Very big difference!!
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