There are many reasons why I like it here in the U.S. This weird place in the Wisconsin of long ago is one of them. Not sure if it still exists, but it would be fantastic if it did.
http//www.lileks.com/institute/motel/index.html
In the meantime I'll continue to explore the weird stuff, and WI sure has enough of that, let alone the rest of the country grin
Happy Eating!
That was a great article - I went and looked it up and it was still around in 2001.
See here:
Gobbler
Figures - seems its days were numbered a while ago.
Shame though - youd' think there might have been some use and now it's just a slab of concrete.
Welcome to cookie cutter America.
There's a few streets around us that are the old highways before the Interstates were built. One lane each way, undivided roads. Motels, drive-in restaurants, unique gas stations, a lot of 50s and 60s signage. Rotting away, dying.
Meanwhile at every Interstate exit there is a McDonalds, a Shell, etc etc. And of course every 10 or 20 miles a gaggle of your Days Inns, Holiday Inns, Best Westerns etc.
What a boring country this has become. I can imagine it was cool driving around in the late 50s and 60s with all this uniqueness in every town.
I just hope the UK doesn't go that way. It was one thing I noticed more than anything else when I went back last, the amount of privately owned shops and restaurants along every High Street, flourishing as much as anyone else. Here in the US, unless a company advertises during primetime they may as well pack up and go home.
I do my bit to support local fast food restaurants (too much possibly). There's a privately owned Greek place just up the road. We go there much more often than all the other franchises put together. They are doing well, their business is blessed. The owner has even taken us on as guinea pigs for new menu items. It's just a shame no-one else can come up with a unique idea like that (at least it's unique in our town) rather than selling the same ol' same ol' under some billion dollar branding.
Good work, East17,
I do the same, I pay more for medications, to use a locally owned pharmacy, and I get my cheese steaks and pizza from a local Greek owned place. I shop at what was a locally owned supermarket chain. Unfortunately, they sold to Safeway and the place is going downhill. When it was Genuardis, the baggers were trained, there were always enough cashiers on the tills, and a good selection of low volume specialties. The specialties are bring replaced with Safeway and high volume stuff. The baggers dump the apples on top of the tomatos and there are less smiles all round. I have to change my habits and go to the smaller chains.
I post on a board for a small town in the UK, and they just lost a small, not very good, shop. This may have been due to them having a second supermarket, they had a Tesco and recently, an Aldi opened. That started a move by the forum owner to shop locally. She was pleased and surprised to find she spent less and was able to buy things in small amounts. She was further pleased to find that it took no longer, even with chats with friends along the way.Some others are going to follow, but I'll bet they go to the supermarket when the weather gets bad.
We have taken this one restaurant on in particular as a "seed". Planting a seed that will grow later on in one's favour is a big part of our faith. Not on a mere investment level, but as a show of faith. We give generous tips to the serving staff and tell everyone about this little gem in the middle of a street full of fast food franchises, pizza take-outs and sports bars.
The naming of this "seed" is our future in England. We will run a unique fast food joint, which will remain a business secret until we start it up, and use it to spread God's word. If you don't want to hear it or read it, that's your choice, come and eat if you like the food. But for those that need it, we'll be there.
We've both worked for corporate America. We love the movie Office Space because it is SO real. And we want to give people a chance to work for a small company whose only Employee Handbook is the best selling book in the world.
I buy all my gasoline at the local gas station/feed store. I could get it cheaper in a few other places and Costco undercuts everyone but I like the convenience and the thought of supporting the local business.
In fairness, they have contributed things to local needs, like vouchers for our Residents Association picnic.
I also made a point of getting my new mower from the local agricultural machinery store - paid the same as Home Depot but got free delivery and a tank of gas with it. We only have one bar and one restaurant though - the restaurant is a rather basic Mexican but I guess I will have to try it out soon.
We will run a unique fast food joint, which will remain a business secret until we start it up, and use it to spread God's word. If you don't want to hear it or read it, that's your choice, come and eat if you like the food.
You ever eaten at In-N-Out Burger? It's a strictly West Coast place but they have the best burgers and they have assorted Biblical quotes on the wrappers.
/their fries are freaking terrible though
You ever eaten at In-N-Out Burger? It's a strictly West Coast place but they have the best burgers and they have assorted Biblical quotes on the wrappers.
/their fries are freaking terrible though
Heard of it - never tried one.
Dairy Queen has the best fries I've tried but their burgers are mostly blah! Burger King were not bad either but it could have just been that one of the servers liked to mother me and would always put a fresh batch on when she saw me in the line. Sadly they got outbid for the franchise on campus by rubbish Carl's Junior so that was the end of that.
McDonalds need to go back to catering school and study up on what a fry actually is.
I did some wiki on In-N-Out, we will definitely stop there if we are ever in the west.
You ever eaten at In-N-Out Burger?
You said . . . :grin: