I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It • Hacker News Board

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#41

Post by jt2190 » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:47 PM UTC

JPKab wrote: post #19

People are lemmings. Franklin's BBQ in Austin has hours long lines. It's very good brisket. The hill country of Texas is FILLED with equally good brisket joints that don't have lines. People who wait in line for 4 hours won't admit this. Cognitive dissonance kicks in, and Franklin's is unique and better than everyone else in their minds. Try telling a person that their Bose headphones are overpriced and overrated, an…

> The hill country of Texas is FILLED with equally good brisket joints that don't have lines.

Yep. Even The Salt Lick at AUS is decent.

For those coming in from out of state, take a look at Texas Monthly's BBQ section to get some ideas: https://www.texasmonthly.com/bbq-home/

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#42

Post by tessi3r » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:47 PM UTC

mr_ndrsn wrote: post #39

JPKab wrote: post #19

People are lemmings. Franklin's BBQ in Austin has hours long lines. It's very good brisket. The hill country of Texas is FILLED with equally good brisket joints that don't have lines. People who wait in line for 4 hours won't admit this. Cognitive dissonance kicks in, and Franklin's is unique and better than everyone else in their minds. Try telling a person that their Bose headphones are overpriced and overrated, an…

Holy crap, Salt Lick BBQ was a let down when I was in Austin. We would have been better served going anywhere else, and will be sure to do so the next time I'm down there!

I grew up in Austin and I honestly never found the OG Salt Like to be that great...

Franklins is good - but I sure as hell wouldn't wait hours in line for their brisket...

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#43

Post by stagger87 » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:47 PM UTC

I eat at a few other particularly popular Portland restaurants where they don't take reservations and the wait can be several hours. Fortunately they will put your name on a list so you can go do something else in the meantime. It's easy to say this sitting behind my computer, but I think the only thing I would change if I were in the owners shoes, is to handle the crowds at the door better. Just because you have a long line doesn't mean you have to change anything about your business, go faster, be more stressed, etc. You would have to convey that to your employees as well.

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#44

Post by gerbilly » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:48 PM UTC

This reminds me of the first thing everyone asks when you tell them you just got back from Maui: "Did you go see the sunrise on Haleakalā?"

And, no I have not, because I don't want to wake up at 5:00am while on vacation and drive to a crowded parking lot to watch the sunrise in the cold with 80-100 strangers.

Why is it that we all have to have the same experiences?

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#45

Post by jacobsenscott » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:49 PM UTC

Altaer wrote: post #25

There is a local barbershop I have been going to for the past 4 years or so. Recently, they wanted to increase some business, so they were asking customers to leave a review. Loving the place and wanting to give back, I left a good review on Google. Fast forward a few weeks, and received emails from google saying my review has been viewed 100s of times. I used to be able to call and get an appointment the same day, o…

That happened to me. Now I just scheduled my next appointment when I finish the current appointment. Every 5 weeks. And you get the same barber every time which is nice - you don't need to tell them what cut you want every single time. And it is good for the business because the have a somewhat predictable revenue source.

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#46

Post by mujoco » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:49 PM UTC

narrator wrote: post #22

There's an easy solution to having too much business : raise prices. I think this is one of A16Z's big insights into most businesses[1]: they don't charge enough. If you look at the best restaurants in America like the French Laundry in Napa, they charge astronomical ridiculous prices and they still have reservations for months ahead of time. The oldest restaurant in Paris requires you put down a 400 euro deposit jus…

Raising prices would reduce the volume of customers, so the restaurant could maintain its quality standard, but Stanich felt his mission was to give back to the local community of regular diners. He didn't want to price out regular, repeat customers from the neighborhood and have only tourists eating there.

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#47

Post by gerbilly » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:50 PM UTC

comis wrote: post #35

JPKab wrote: post #19

People are lemmings. Franklin's BBQ in Austin has hours long lines. It's very good brisket. The hill country of Texas is FILLED with equally good brisket joints that don't have lines. People who wait in line for 4 hours won't admit this. Cognitive dissonance kicks in, and Franklin's is unique and better than everyone else in their minds. Try telling a person that their Bose headphones are overpriced and overrated, an…

The most confusing thing about the line at Franklin's is you can just order it to go and skip the line entirely. Granted, you have to plan ahead a bit, but who's deciding at the spur of the moment to go eat lunch at Franklin's anyway?

I believe there is such a thing as "queuing culture."

I don't know if it's driven by Disney resorts and cruises, but it seems as if people like standing in line for some reason.

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#48

Post by LargeWu » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:50 PM UTC

narrator wrote: post #22

There's an easy solution to having too much business : raise prices. I think this is one of A16Z's big insights into most businesses[1]: they don't charge enough. If you look at the best restaurants in America like the French Laundry in Napa, they charge astronomical ridiculous prices and they still have reservations for months ahead of time. The oldest restaurant in Paris requires you put down a 400 euro deposit jus…

Then this prices out the neighborhood locals who made the place successful in the first place. These are people that the owner and workers know and care about. I think he could care less about the tourists that come in once just to Instagram their "best burger in America".

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#49

Post by andybak » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:50 PM UTC

harbie wrote: post #40

Reminds me of a Nathan For You episode that lampoons the idea of ranking something as subjective as a burger. Nathan convinces the owner of a burger joint in LA to go on a popular local radio station and promise that he has the best burger in LA, and offer $100 to anyone who eats there and disagrees. The comedy in this is apparent to pretty much anyone, but people will still refer to different restaurants as 'the bes…

My mood has more effect on the pleasure I get from many things than their intrinsic nature. The first beer on holiday in a new country is the best beer you've ever tasted. A meal eaten in silence when you've been looking forward to it tastes divine.

Hell - my own narcissism even overrides most things. My own cooking is often my favourite thing in the world.

And on the other side of things - high expectations or rote habit often kill pleasures for me. If I try too hard to enjoy something it blows away like dust.

Re: I Found the Best Burger Place in America, Then I Killed It

#50

Post by Yhippa » Fri, Nov 16, 2018, 6:50 PM UTC

narrator wrote: post #22

There's an easy solution to having too much business : raise prices. I think this is one of A16Z's big insights into most businesses[1]: they don't charge enough. If you look at the best restaurants in America like the French Laundry in Napa, they charge astronomical ridiculous prices and they still have reservations for months ahead of time. The oldest restaurant in Paris requires you put down a 400 euro deposit jus…

It seems to me that Steve was serving a ton of one-time customers and if he did that he would turn off the regulars that helped him get to where he was. You're right in that the technically correct solution would be to raise prices but I can empathize with the owner about how he would probably feel about that.