patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1
2 edits | name asking by upscale retail quick service restaurants Around you, do quick service/fast food/to-go restaurants ask for your name, which can be anything you give them (no ID), to separate orders, or do they use numbers or receipts? I am more interested in "upscale" fast food places than in "downscale" or traditional fast food places.
background: When Starbucks first came to the northeast/NYC area in the late 1990s, the used names to separate orders, by 2005 the name system was replaced by just saying the item being served. In 2010, I went to 3 different upstate NY near-rural Starbuckses. They all used the name system. I was shocked. Now a Cosi around me that opened 3 years ago in the NYC area, suddenly switch to reused order number tags (I guess their register can't do large font order numbers). The manager said "customers complained". He wouldn't elaborate.
How do chain restaurants handle it in your area?
I would think all traditional fast food places either use order numbers on receipts, or the cashier that took your $ must hand you what you bought. Some traditional fast food places around me (burger king yes, taco bell no) require you give in the receipt or they won't release your order to you. If you "want" a receipt, at these places you must ask the cashier for a duplicate, that says the words duplicate, and you wont get your order if you show one. Hobos will find or dig through the garbage and reuse the receipts. The order numbers are 2 digits and loop over every 15 to 40 minutes.
Edit: I assume an or some customers complained over the "privacy" of their name at the above Cosi. What do you think of a chained restaurant asking your first name for order matching, no govt ID, no last name? An invasion of privacy? none of their business? or perfectly fine since you give a fake name? or your fine with everyone knowing your name?
Also is the whole "my name is none of your business" just a northeast/NYC/east coast thing of all new yorkers/urbanites being cold, defensive and anti-social and chain stores change their policies (no asking of names) for the local market? |
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Reviews:
 ·Choice Cable TV
| You can find a bit of everything around here. Some places will hand you the receipt that has an order number and then will serve with the order number. Other places just tell what the order is and you go pick yours when it is out. Other places ask for your name and the cashier writes it down in the order ticket and then when the order is out they call your name. Upscale restaurants don't do anything of this of course because you are served at the table. But places like Bonanza and such where you order at a cashier on a line simply give you the receipt attached to a ticket that the waiter/waitress takes when you sit down. Some places that are carry-out only and take orders by telephone use your name or phone number to identify the order.
Can you explain what is an "upscale" fast food place? |
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 thegeekPremium
join:2008-02-21
right here
kudos:2
·Suddenlink
| reply to patcat88
Panera Bread here asks for your name but I never hear them call out names. They give you one of those buzzers that indicates when your order is ready. I usually just give an ethnic name that is unlikely to be the actual real name of a white male.
I'm hungry for Panera Bread now. Their french onion and chicken & rice soups are fantastic for a fast food place. |
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 GbcueP.E.Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8 | reply to patcat88
Both. |
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KearnstdElf WizardPremium
join:2002-01-22
Mullica Hill, NJ | reply to patcat88
I have never heard of up scale fast food, I go to fast food when I dont have the time for up scale. though some Chinese places even when they are up scale(ie they have a dining room) still do takeout.
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 WarzauPremium
join:2000-10-26
Naperville, IL
kudos:1 | reply to thegeek
Panera is getting rid of them. All the one by my location have gotten rid of those pagers. They call out names again. |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1
4 edits | reply to printscreen
said by printscreen:Can you explain what is an "upscale" fast food place? Non-waitered chain restaurant with "premium" prices and "premium" Bourgeoisie interior styling with "art" on the walls, often spin their menus with a so called green or organic or health or natural feeling. "Soy" is an automatic upscale restaurant. There is atleast a small amount of "haute cuisine" (food as art, exotic sounding ingredients) to their food. They usually rant about the "experience" and if you have your membership card today.
Non-waitered mom and pop upscale restaurants are less cheesy, no membership cards, but follow the same formula.
Chained stores, Starbucks, Panera Bread, Cosi, for sure.
Pret A Manger, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Jamba Juice come to mind but I dont remember what their ordering/food prep style is. Price and the "art" ness of the food are the 2 biggest criteria for what separates Chipotle (upscale) from Taco Bell (downscale).
Quiznos has some attributes of being "upscale" compared to Subway, but in my opinion I wouldn't put it next to Starbucks or Panera Bread, its somewhere between. Maybe I'm not aware enough with its stereotype. Au Bon Pain is another I don't know enough about to classify. |
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 KilroyPremium,MVM
join:2002-11-21
Ann Arbor, MI | reply to patcat88
Red Robin, last I was there, gave you a name like James Dean, Elvis, Betty Davis, etc.
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 CheesePremium
join:2003-10-26
Naples, FL
kudos:1 | reply to thegeek
Re: name asking by upscale retail quick service restaurants said by thegeek:Panera Bread here asks for your name but I never hear them call out names. They give you one of those buzzers that indicates when your order is ready. I usually just give an ethnic name that is unlikely to be the actual real name of a white male. I'm hungry for Panera Bread now. Their french onion and chicken & rice soups are fantastic for a fast food place. Fast Food? I really wouldn't lump Panera into the fast food category. |
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| reply to patcat88
we used names because it was hard enough for people to remeber there own name much less a random order or wtf they ordered..
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thegeekPremium
join:2008-02-21
right here
kudos:2 Reviews:
·Suddenlink
| reply to Cheese
said by Cheese:Fast Food? I really wouldn't lump Panera into the fast food category. Why not? You order at the counter. There is no wait staff. You have to go to the counter to get your order. It rarely takes no more than 5 minutes to get your food even during peek lunch times. They may not have a drive thru but several other fast food joints don't either. |
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 nokken
join:2001-02-07
Memphis, TN | reply to patcat88
Starbucks is actually an interesting example.
They started out using names and moved away from it.
Because customer's complained that their coffee experience was no longer "personal", they re-adopted orders by name.
There's a Harvard Business Case about this...
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 PhilRojo SolPremium
join:2001-06-11
Downers Grove, IL
kudos:2
·Comcast
| reply to Warzau
said by Warzau:Panera is getting rid of them. All the one by my location have gotten rid of those pagers. They call out names again. Good. Baja Fresh tried the pager system out some time back and it was terrible. I even complained to the manager about it and he told me it was being tested out to avoid having to call out order numbers over the intercom. Calling out names/order numbers is a positive part of the ambiance in my opinion. |
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| reply to patcat88
Re: name asking by upscale retail quick service restaurants I love it When they ask for my name I always reply
"Bond, James Bond" never fails to get a chuckle. |
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 YippzPremium
join:2005-05-04
Fort Walton Beach, FL | reply to thegeek
said by thegeek:said by Cheese:Fast Food? I really wouldn't lump Panera into the fast food category. They may not have a drive thru but several other fast food joints don't either. I'm not sure if Panera is statistically considered fast food, but here in NW Florida all 3 Panera locations near me have a drive-thru window. Yeah, I'd guess it'd be considered upscale... All 3 locations still ask for your name and give you a pager.
So then would you consider Whataburger to be upscale since it's a basic fast food restaurant but they also give you a pager while they make your order -- but they don't ask for you name.
Hmm... Good question...
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ak3883
join:2005-08-20
Portsmouth, RI | reply to patcat88
"Number 67... family feast"
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