Actually, it may not be new but it has been many years since I was last in a Micky Dee's. I used to work in one back in High School. It was a great place to work actually; I learned a lot about breaking a big task down into its constituent parts and then compartmentalize those tasks in an efficient manner to replicate many times the process of building the item. What they call today the "Lean Process". Micky Dee had them beat by 30 years easily.
Back in my day Micky Dee's made only four sandwiches: The Quarter Pounder, the Big Mac, the regular and that Fish thing they sell. I was there when they introduced the egg McMuffin, I actually watched the Micky Dee engineer's came in to modify the equipment in order to toast the muffins. And yes, they did have an actual group that went around the country modifying equipment. It was an eye opener.
I used to make a fifth sandwich, it was a Big Mac but I did not use the regular burger meat, I used two Quarter Pound burgers in there instead. The meat overflowed the roll and having two of them in there, well it was a sloppy meal. We had to buy our own food at this franchise, they did not give it to us like in some places, you had to actually clock out and go around and get in line like any customer. So, I would cook this sandwich and put it up on the counter and then head on around to buy it. Peoople would see it there, waiting for wrapping or while I was trying to eat the thing and they would ask where I got it and many would actually go up and try and buy one. I was finally asked to make it and wrap it out of public view.
Like I said, it was good experience for a 16/17 year old male that had his own car. Then you add Becky, and Barbra, the two Debra's and Shelly. There were more, this place was staffed mainly with high school aged girls, there was a high ratio. More importantly, a high school other than the one I went too. Another kid named Pete and I both went to West Mesa and this store was in Valley High Territory. There was a lot of friendly wagering between us. And I do mean Friendly!
Can you say, "target rich enviornment"! Closing the store on Firday and Saturday nights was, well lets just say it was fun.
Anyway there is this promo for this sandwich, you get a coke glass with every meal you buy (collect all 4), so I may actually go buy one and take a taste of this Angus Beef thing.
This got me interested in my old employer and I found the following: From an article named "Where the Buffalo Roam" over at "Weathersealed", here is the link in case you want the whole story. It is a fun read!.
Here is an exerpt:
So I set out to determine the farthest point from a Micky Dee's – in the lower 48 states, at least. This endeavor required information, and the nice folks at AggData were kind enough to provide it to me: a complete list of all 13,000 –or-so U.S. restaurants, in CSV format, geolocated for maximum convenience. From there, a bit of software engineering gymnastics, and …..
Behold a visualization of the contiguous United States, colored by distance to the nearest domestic McDonald's!
Between the tiny Dakotan hamlets of Meadow and Glad Valley lies the McFarthest Spot: 107 miles distance from the nearest McDonald's, as the crow flies and 145 miles by car!
In my day, there were only 5 Micky Dee's in all of New Mexico. Those Engineers have been really busy!!
BT: Jimmy T sends.
6 comments:
My first taste of McD's was in Dallas - probably 40 years ago. It was not impressive. Now, I cannot imagine life without McDs everywhere. They make a pretty good cup of coffee these days - just right for watching the grand-kids play in the indoor playground during the winter months - big treat for us Okies.
Heh. This post is a "target rich environment," all by itself. I worked at Mickey Dee's in high school, too... back in '62, in LA's South Bay. As such, we only "did" hamburgers and cheeseburgers... until the Filet O' Fish came along towards the end of my McD career. We got all the free food we could eat, and there were ONLY guys employed at my outlet... "diversity" had yet to hit the workplace.
As for the "farthest point"... back when I was stationed at Fortuna AFS on the intersection of the NoDak/Montana/Saskatchewan borders (in '77) the closest McD's to us was either in Regina, Sask or Minot, ND... both were about 150 miles away. We didn't get too many Big Macs, so they were a rare treat. And I mean that.
We've had the Angus 1/3 pounders here in P-Ville for quite a while, so there's no promo in effect locally. They're not bad, actually.
Lou, while we were bringing up the kids that was always a treat for them, the happy meals. We could get two days of good behavior out of them when we promised them a Micky Dee's run. When we moved here it was the boonies and the nearest was a good 30 minute drive, but one moved in down the road and things have been good since. Progress!!
Buck, I was TAD once to NAS Fallon in Nevada and the nearest fast food of any kind was a good 100 miles. It was an In/Out burger stand in Las Vegas, that was some good eats there. What was funny, that was the only place I was ever stationed where the 'treats' in the community included a Guest Ranch where the Ladies were Pro's and it was only a few miles from the base, but food was really far away. I guess it all depended on what you were hungry for.
BT:Jimmy T sends.
Valley. West Mesa. West SIIEEDE!
That visual is really cool. I've not been to the link yet, but I hope there's a world version and that it corelates well with the famous "World at Night" satellite photo-- both indicators of freedom and commerce, contrasted with oppression.
Technical quibble that maybe is addressed at the link. One McDonald's is very far out there, yet in the USA proper. It's on Adak Island in the Alleutians (sp?) and the _USS California_ visited it ca. 1985.
Five McDs in New Mexico? I'm a little younger than you, but one was at Lomas and San Pedro (by fairgrounds, very old). I'd assume Barrelas around Bridge and Fourth Street (yours I'd think-- I used to work at Mallory Vending at Five Points so I know that one is pretty old). One each in Cruces and Santa Fe. Maybe the last of the first five in Farmington.
I moved back here in '89, though not to Albuquerque exactly, but near Escabosa, 15 miles SW of Edgewood. At the time there was no "fast food" until Moriarty or Tramway. Now there are two McDonald's in Edgewood, one stand-alone and one in the Walmart.
Bobby R sends.
Bobby, you nailed them and all but the one in Farmington were owned by the same Man. His company was called Conquistadors. That was a good outfit, they paid minimum wage back then which was $1.60 per hour even though as a restaurant he did not have too, I started working at that Valley store having left a 90cents an hour job at the Pony Express up on Coors road.
The place has grown some. I was out there in April and got lost trying to drive home from the Airport.
BT: Jimmy T sends.
Yes, sirree. I'm lost west of Coors these days. Or north of Montgomery Blvd. Amazing growth.
Conquistadors, eh? Good outfit, you say. Spanish bastages (to hear the rhetoric around here).
Post a Comment