Businesses You're Amazed Are Still Around

[1995hoo]

I don't normally like beers like Coors, Bud, or Bud Light, but they have their place sometimes. If it's 100°F or more and I've been outside, all that really matters is that the beer is cold. During the summer I spent working in Alabama, Bud Light hit the spot quite nicely after golf.

But nowadays, there are other mass-market beers that are considerably better that pretty much eliminate the need to drink stuff like Bud. Yuengling is one example–it's not my favorite, but I'll choose it over Bud or Bud Light every time if those are the only options.

Now, the WEIRDEST beer purchase I ever saw was when I was at a football game at the old Orange Bowl in Miami with some friends in November 2005. The beer vendors had 12-ounce Miller Lites for $5 each; they also had 24-ounce Heinekens and Presidentes for $10 each. Seems simple enough to me: You buy the Heineken. One of my friends from Danville bought two Miller Lites. Reason? "$10 is too much to pay for one beer." 

[slorydn1]

That seems to have been just exiting a market.  Around here, Speedway has been ubiquitous for a long time.  And they're usually the first mother fuckers (and that's not quite strong enough, IMHO) to raise prices.

Funny that you mention that. When I lived in the Chicagoland area (I moved in 1991) I had never seen a Speedway other than on trips south.


As for the raising (and slow to lower) gas prices its really bad here in my town. One family owns most of the gas stations regardless of brand  in my county and they jack up the price 10 cents every time a mouse farts anywhere near an oil producing country and only drops it 2 to 3 cents when everyone else drops 10 cents. They eventually get down to the level everyone else is, usually a week to 10 days later. I remember when Hurricane Ike was poised to make landfall in Texas (meaning it hadn't gotten there yet) a few years back and the bastages jacked the prices up 80 cents. People finally had enough and outed them to the AG's office and they ended up getting a pretty decent fine for it.

[thenetwork]

The first Speedway I remember seeing as a kid was in Metro Detroit (Livonia) in the mid-late 70s.  Soon after they started sprouting up in Northern Ohio, and were one of the first to use flip-matrix (?) price signs on their tall signs near interstate exits.

[empirestate]

Now, the WEIRDEST beer purchase I ever saw was when I was at a football game at the old Orange Bowl in Miami with some friends in November 2005. The beer vendors had 12-ounce Miller Lites for $5 each; they also had 24-ounce Heinekens and Presidentes for $10 each. Seems simple enough to me: You buy the Heineken. One of my friends from Danville bought two Miller Lites. Reason? "$10 is too much to pay for one beer." 

Well, that is true, but of course $10 is also too much to pay for two Miller Lites, so your friend's argument holds no water. (Though after his purchase, each of his hands did. Ba-zing!)

Getting way off track now, I went to Yankee Stadium and realized why I never became a fan of the team: the beer offerings there are completely Anheuser-Busch (including Goose Island as their craft offering). You can't even get so much as a Brooklyn Lager, let alone a Bronx Pale Ale (or anything else from their home borough). If you were suddenly transported to the stadium unbeknownst, the only way you'd even suspect you were in NYC might possibly be Nathan's hot dogs.

[roadman65]

Too bad Whataburger could not come back to the Orlando market like Speedway has.  They were good during their brief tenor here, and I always like them in Texas and Louisiana.  In fact along with Jack In The Box, when ever I am out that way I always patronize both outlets just as I do White Castles when I visit New Jersey.

[bing101]

http://kalw.org/post/city-visions-future-bay-area-independent-bookstores


I am amazed that small independent bookstores still exist. I am one of these people that buy books from Barnes and Noble, Amazon and my College bookstore. Or check library books in my city.

[Pete from Boston]

http://kalw.org/post/city-visions-future-bay-area-independent-bookstores


I am amazed that small independent bookstores still exist. I am one of these people that buy books from Barnes and Noble, Amazon and my College bookstore. Or check library books in my city.

Ten years ago, when this area flush with bookstores was hemorrhaging them rapidly, some folks went and opened a new one near here.  Not only was I wrong in betting they'd only last six months, but I buy most of my new books from them.

[formulanone]

Krystal - This is more a personal choice, since it seems lots of folks like it...but I detect pablum between tiny bits of cloth disguised as buns.

[roadman65]

I have often wondered how GFS in Orlando stays open as his store is always empty.

Then the Pizza Hut on OBT across from Florida Mall always has an empty parking lot.  Considering Pizza Huts downsized their stores back in the late 90's including closing them in Houma, LA completely, and other areas while reducing them in our area, that this would be one of the next one's to go.

I have seen other Pizza Huts with more cars than this one get the ax during the downsizing era.

[slorydn1]

Then the Pizza Hut on OBT across from Florida Mall always has an empty parking lot.  Considering Pizza Huts downsized their stores back in the late 90's including closing them in Houma, LA completely, and other areas while reducing them in our area, that this would be one of the next one's to go.

I have seen other Pizza Huts with more cars than this one get the ax during the downsizing era.

If I am not mistaken the franchisee of the Pizza Hut's in your area is the same group that now owns the stores here in the eastern NC. My wife and I used to work for a delivery unit here (which is only a mile away from another traditional sit down unit) as a second job for years, and the franchisee in Rocky Mount NC sold out to a larger group that is run out of Central Florida while my wife was still working there. She quit when we got rid of our beaters that we used as delivery vehicles, but she used to always come home and complain about the new owners being pricks and not very efficient either so if they are the same group, then I believe it.