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Waffle House's Magic Marker System

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Re: Waffle House's Magic Marker System

#61

Post by giraffe_lady »

Closi wrote: post #31

While I sort-of-love-it, it does seem very complicated for new starters. I'm sure this system is great once you know it, but it is a high learning curve and I do struggle to imagine a world where ePOS with a ticket system doesn't work better (both for the 'caller' and for the chef).

I've learned similarly complex food signaling systems and the thing is that you're seeing dozens if not hundreds per shift, and training already takes a couple weeks for other reasons. So by the time you're on your own and needing to know it confidently you've had plenty of practice.

Re: Waffle House's Magic Marker System

#63

Post by lastofthemojito »

PopAlongKid wrote: post #47
wannacboatmovie wrote: post #4

Eating at a Waffle House (preferably at 1am following a night out) is a unique American cultural experience that especially those confined to the Bay Area have been denied. It's a place where those from all walks of life come together.

I have never lived near a Waffle House, but did eat lunch at one in Mobile AL about ten years ago. I found nothing particularly unique about it.

I think it's the affordable, approachable 24/7 always-welcome aspect more than the food.

People have fond memories of going to Waffle House after partying, or going with their tween friends as the only place they could afford to go out to eat, or going after softball games in their still-dirty uniforms.

Another commenter mentioned that Anthony Bourdain said Waffle House was better than The French Laundry (while eating Waffle House drunk, late at night).

To eat at The French Laundry you need to plan ahead and try hard to get a reservation. You have to act and dress appropriately and show up in maybe a 15 minute window for the hostess to deign to grant you the privilege of being seated.

You can eat at Waffle House on a whim, with anyone you like, in (just about) any state you like.

Having had both I wouldn't say that the food at Waffle House is actually better than the food at The French Laundry. But there is something that people appreciate about Waffle House being the reliable place you can always show up for comfort food, at minimum cost with minimum judgement.

Re: Waffle House's Magic Marker System

#64

Post by fckgw »

keane wrote: post #27

This reminds me of the simple substitution cipher that coin, diamond, and antique dealers use on their price tags to encode the lowest price their staff are allowed to take during bartering: https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/760945/how-do-deale... https://puzzling.stackexchange.com/questions/109089/cracking... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Substitution_cipher#:~:text=In... Also related, only very tangentially,…

Oh wow, this brought up an old memory. Fry's Electronics used to have a code like this in their old "green screen" quote system. There was a group of letters at the bottom of every screen that listed the true cost of the item. The cipher word was "Pathfinder". This was used to help sales managers determine discounts and markdowns on used/damaged/clearance product.

Re: Waffle House's Magic Marker System

#65

Post by IncreasePosts »

js2 wrote: post #15
wannacboatmovie wrote: post #4

Eating at a Waffle House (preferably at 1am following a night out) is a unique American cultural experience that especially those confined to the Bay Area have been denied. It's a place where those from all walks of life come together.

Anthony Bourdain, upon visiting his first Waffle House, remarked "This is better than the French Laundry": https://youtu.be/bct8stbZafI?si=ru9hL8xH_a_75J5I

Yes, but it isn't.

Re: Waffle House's Magic Marker System

#66

Post by madcaptenor »

notaustinpowers wrote: post #57
nerdjon wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think Waffle House has locations in any major Urban location. I really wish we had them in Boston also. It is an experience that even other diners don't really replicate. Especially the price, I am always shocked when I go to visit parents just how much you get at Waffle House for multiple people for what I am used to spending on just myself. But it is more than that. The size, the layout, the code words for…

Come to Atlanta, down the street from me are two completely separate Waffle Houses built right next to each other that share the same parking lot.

This sounds possible, but where is it?

Re: Waffle House's Magic Marker System

#67

Post by brodouevencode »

nerdjon wrote: post #32
wannacboatmovie wrote: post #4

Eating at a Waffle House (preferably at 1am following a night out) is a unique American cultural experience that especially those confined to the Bay Area have been denied. It's a place where those from all walks of life come together.

I don't think Waffle House has locations in any major Urban location. I really wish we had them in Boston also. It is an experience that even other diners don't really replicate. Especially the price, I am always shocked when I go to visit parents just how much you get at Waffle House for multiple people for what I am used to spending on just myself. But it is more than that. The size, the layout, the code words for…

Every large city in the southeast.

Re: Waffle House's Magic Marker System

#68

Post by madcaptenor »

skyyler wrote: post #40
nerdjon wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think Waffle House has locations in any major Urban location. I really wish we had them in Boston also. It is an experience that even other diners don't really replicate. Especially the price, I am always shocked when I go to visit parents just how much you get at Waffle House for multiple people for what I am used to spending on just myself. But it is more than that. The size, the layout, the code words for…

>I don't think Waffle House has locations in any major Urban location. Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia both have Waffle Houses. I don't think it's universally a rule that they stay out of cities.

Here's their map: https://locations.wafflehouse.com

Waffle House started just outside of Atlanta, and you can still see that. In other big cities they seem to stay outside of the core - I suspect they don't want to have locations without parking. (But off the top of my head I can name two Atlanta-area Waffle Houses that don't have their own parking, namely the one right off Centennial Olympic Park and the one in downtown Decatur.)

Re: Waffle House's Magic Marker System

#70

Post by [deleted] »

frankus wrote: post #18

As a regular customer of the onboard dining on BC Ferries, I was always a bit mystified about how the cashier (maybe 20 m from the counter where you order) seemed to have some kind of clairvoyance regarding which type burger(s) to charge for, as they all use the same kind of wrapper. It turns out the wrapper (that's printed with patches of stripes and crosshatches in different colo(u)rs), can be wrapped in a way that…

[deleted]
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