Best resturants to have in service plazas?

[HighwayStar]

Hearing how much HighwayStar hates Subway kind of makes me want to eat there more.

I saved this from somewhere in a YouTube comment section and I think it summarizes the Subway situation well.
You enter a Subway store, and it's deserted, slightly too cool to be comfortable, slightly too damp to feel clean, and slightly too bright to be inviting. There is one lonely employee, who sheepishly pockets their tiny electronic escape window as the sound of the door drags them back to reality. They do their best not to look at you for those awkward 10 seconds while you walk to the counter before you're close enough to order. They give their greeting, ask you what you want, you begin scanning their workspace. The bins of raw ingredients are sitting askew, separated by steel walls, yet careless hands have dropped some of each on all the others. The preparation area is littered with crumbs and bits of lettuce, maybe the odd olive or onion piece here or there that has wedged itself into the crack between the food trays and the cutting board. This could have been cleaned up while nobody was here, but minimum wage buys minimum effort. For one second you wonder how it got messy in the first place given the lack of customers. Maybe it's staged, like those first few pennies in a homeless person's hat. Do you want it toasted? You do, so you spend a minute in silence with the stranger you disturbed, waiting for the bread to be sanitized. You feign interest in the cookies while the infrasound hum of some overworked piece of machinery builds to an unscratchable itch just behind your forehead. The toaster mercifully releases its hostage, and it is splayed open before you while you call out soggy vegetables to abuse it with. You observe as the employee assembles your sandwich, making sure to painstakingly put each ingredient on only one half of the sub. You ask for sauce and they squeeze it out of a disgusting rubber nipple, then toss the bottle back into its bin like they don't want to touch it either. It weezingly inhales the kitchen scraps and windex aroma that permeates the store. Are they wearing those gloves to keep the food clean, or their hands? You pay, the sandwich heavily sags into a flimsy garbage bag it doesn't really seem to fit in and is handed to you. You walk into the light of the sun. The colors suddenly seem real again and you become aware of your breathing because the air outside feels rich and life giving somehow. The distant memory of tasty subs that brought you here lingers just beyond the edge of clear recollection, like an old acquaintance whose face you can't picture anymore. You carry your catch to the car that your bank owns. When did it get this bad?

[oscar]

Hearing how much HighwayStar hates Subway kind of makes me want to eat there more.

I saved this from somewhere in a YouTube comment section and I think it summarizes the Subway situation well.
You enter a Subway store, and it's deserted, slightly too cool to be comfortable, slightly too damp to feel clean, and slightly too bright to be inviting. There is one lonely employee, who sheepishly pockets their tiny electronic escape window as the sound of the door drags them back to reality. They do their best not to look at you for those awkward 10 seconds while you walk to the counter before you're close enough to order. They give their greeting, ask you what you want, you begin scanning their workspace. The bins of raw ingredients are sitting askew, separated by steel walls, yet careless hands have dropped some of each on all the others. The preparation area is littered with crumbs and bits of lettuce, maybe the odd olive or onion piece here or there that has wedged itself into the crack between the food trays and the cutting board. This could have been cleaned up while nobody was here, but minimum wage buys minimum effort. For one second you wonder how it got messy in the first place given the lack of customers. Maybe it's staged, like those first few pennies in a homeless person's hat. Do you want it toasted? You do, so you spend a minute in silence with the stranger you disturbed, waiting for the bread to be sanitized. You feign interest in the cookies while the infrasound hum of some overworked piece of machinery builds to an unscratchable itch just behind your forehead. The toaster mercifully releases its hostage, and it is splayed open before you while you call out soggy vegetables to abuse it with. You observe as the employee assembles your sandwich, making sure to painstakingly put each ingredient on only one half of the sub. You ask for sauce and they squeeze it out of a disgusting rubber nipple, then toss the bottle back into its bin like they don't want to touch it either. It weezingly inhales the kitchen scraps and windex aroma that permeates the store. Are they wearing those gloves to keep the food clean, or their hands? You pay, the sandwich heavily sags into a flimsy garbage bag it doesn't really seem to fit in and is handed to you. You walk into the light of the sun. The colors suddenly seem real again and you become aware of your breathing because the air outside feels rich and life giving somehow. The distant memory of tasty subs that brought you here lingers just beyond the edge of clear recollection, like an old acquaintance whose face you can't picture anymore. You carry your catch to the car that your bank owns. When did it get this bad?

HighwayStar, how often have you been in a Subway store (even if you didn't buy anything)? I've been to hundreds over the years, and my experiences have not been nearly as negative as you portray.

[HighwayStar]

Hearing how much HighwayStar hates Subway kind of makes me want to eat there more.

I saved this from somewhere in a YouTube comment section and I think it summarizes the Subway situation well.
You enter a Subway store, and it's deserted, slightly too cool to be comfortable, slightly too damp to feel clean, and slightly too bright to be inviting. There is one lonely employee, who sheepishly pockets their tiny electronic escape window as the sound of the door drags them back to reality. They do their best not to look at you for those awkward 10 seconds while you walk to the counter before you're close enough to order. They give their greeting, ask you what you want, you begin scanning their workspace. The bins of raw ingredients are sitting askew, separated by steel walls, yet careless hands have dropped some of each on all the others. The preparation area is littered with crumbs and bits of lettuce, maybe the odd olive or onion piece here or there that has wedged itself into the crack between the food trays and the cutting board. This could have been cleaned up while nobody was here, but minimum wage buys minimum effort. For one second you wonder how it got messy in the first place given the lack of customers. Maybe it's staged, like those first few pennies in a homeless person's hat. Do you want it toasted? You do, so you spend a minute in silence with the stranger you disturbed, waiting for the bread to be sanitized. You feign interest in the cookies while the infrasound hum of some overworked piece of machinery builds to an unscratchable itch just behind your forehead. The toaster mercifully releases its hostage, and it is splayed open before you while you call out soggy vegetables to abuse it with. You observe as the employee assembles your sandwich, making sure to painstakingly put each ingredient on only one half of the sub. You ask for sauce and they squeeze it out of a disgusting rubber nipple, then toss the bottle back into its bin like they don't want to touch it either. It weezingly inhales the kitchen scraps and windex aroma that permeates the store. Are they wearing those gloves to keep the food clean, or their hands? You pay, the sandwich heavily sags into a flimsy garbage bag it doesn't really seem to fit in and is handed to you. You walk into the light of the sun. The colors suddenly seem real again and you become aware of your breathing because the air outside feels rich and life giving somehow. The distant memory of tasty subs that brought you here lingers just beyond the edge of clear recollection, like an old acquaintance whose face you can't picture anymore. You carry your catch to the car that your bank owns. When did it get this bad?

HighwayStar, how often have you been in a Subway store (even if you didn't buy anything)? I've been to hundreds over the years, and my experiences have not been nearly as negative as you portray.

The above is meant to be at least somewhat humorous so don't take it too seriously.
Been quite a few times over the years but with decreasing frequency as time passed. Its been a couple years at least at this point.

Truthfully, I find Subway is the butt of a good many jokes due to the rapid expansion of the chain ~20 years ago that resulted in them becoming too common for their own good. It was almost a fad. They made their entry selling people sub sandwiches that were supposed to be healthier than other fast food. This worked up until ~10 years ago when things started to stagnate. Diet fads changed, eating a pile of carbs was no longer in, and people got wise to the iffy marketing.
Then there was the $5 foot long debacle, a great product and marketing combo when it was first unleashed, but very foolishly continued to the point where it became a consumer expectation of the chain. In a world of constant inflation making any consumer product heavily identified with a particular $ figure is a major mistake. Inevitably you have to raise price, and unlike your competitors that don't have the $ figure in their marketing you get perceived as "raising prices", which was a major contributor to the downfall of their sales. To some extent I also attribute the fall of in quality to an attempt to maintain that $5 price point even with rising costs by cutting down on the sandwiches, less meat, etc.
Its not that I consider the food truly inedible, not like Golden Coral Level, but I find that it is never impressive and I never feel compelled to go to Subway when any other option exists.

[webny99]

Then there was the $5 foot long debacle, a great product and marketing combo when it was first unleashed, but very foolishly continued to the point where it became a consumer expectation of the chain. In a world of constant inflation making any consumer product heavily identified with a particular $ figure is a major mistake. Inevitably you have to raise price, and unlike your competitors that don't have the $ figure in their marketing you get perceived as "raising prices", which was a major contributor to the downfall of their sales. To some extent I also attribute the fall of in quality to an attempt to maintain that $5 price point even with rising costs by cutting down on the sandwiches, less meat, etc.

This happened to Little Caesars as well. Their $5 large got smaller and the quality went down (becoming more cardboard-like then it already was), but they couldn't raise the price because the "value" was too much a part of their brand. No one wants cheap pizza for a price they perceive to be expensive.

Using price as a selling point can work in the fast food industry (although there are other industries where it works better, to be sure) - just look at Wendy's and their 4-for-$4 deal. It's as good of a value proposition as you'll find, and it will have its heyday and then eventually disappear from the menu. But it won't harm Wendy's to stop offering it because their core identity isn't tied to that value proposition in a way that makes it difficult/impossible to do so, and they have plenty of other popular and more expensive offerings to fill in the gaps.

[oscar]

Then there was the $5 foot long debacle, a great product and marketing combo when it was first unleashed, but very foolishly continued to the point where it became a consumer expectation of the chain.

In Bethel, Alaska (waaaay off the road network), when I was there in 2009 while waiting for a connecting flight back to Anchorage, the local Subway was touting $8 foot longs. That doesn't work as well in a jingle. But it shows that the promotion could adapt to circumstances, such as that everything is hellaciously expensive in western Alaska. Prices are, as usual, also higher in Hawaii (the "paradise tax" at work), which also messes with the nationwide promotions.

Anyway, the chain now offers $5 footlongs only on selected items (usually not the ones I want) depending on the day of the week.

Truthfully, I find Subway is the butt of a good many jokes due to the rapid expansion of the chain ~20 years ago that resulted in them becoming too common for their own good.

The flip side of that is that Subways are pretty much everywhere (even in out-of-the-way places like Bethel), more so than McDs or other traditional fast food chains. That means I can find one most everywhere in the U.S. and Canada, with completely consistent offerings everywhere I go. I place a high value on such consistency, which helps me calibrate my evening meds to what I usually get for dinner, as well as no surprises on quality even if they never rise to gourmet level. Other sub places like Jersey Mike's are better if you can find one where you need it (and they might work in service plazas), but they are pricier than Subways.

[hbelkins]

I'm not a Subway fan for a couple of reasons. First is that I'm not a veggie or condiment person. I like meat and cheese on a sandwich. I don't eat lettuce, tomato, onions, peppers, mushrooms, olives, or whatever else Subway has available to put on a sandwich. That means that I'm overpaying for a huge piece of bread with just a little meat and cheese on it. My favorite Subway item is the meatball sandwich, but it's too messy to eat unless you're sitting down.

The other is that Subway is one of two fast-food options in my town (DQ is the other) and for years I lived within sight and walking distance of said Subway. One of the reasons I won't typically eat at a DQ if I'm traveling is that I can always get it at home.

I will typically go hungry before I stop at Subway.

When my brother and I were traveling, we ate at a Subway in Browning, Mont. The only other option we saw in town was a Taco John's, and the dining room was closed and the drive-thru was terribly backed up.

[HighwayStar]

Then there was the $5 foot long debacle, a great product and marketing combo when it was first unleashed, but very foolishly continued to the point where it became a consumer expectation of the chain. In a world of constant inflation making any consumer product heavily identified with a particular $ figure is a major mistake. Inevitably you have to raise price, and unlike your competitors that don't have the $ figure in their marketing you get perceived as "raising prices", which was a major contributor to the downfall of their sales. To some extent I also attribute the fall of in quality to an attempt to maintain that $5 price point even with rising costs by cutting down on the sandwiches, less meat, etc.

This happened to Little Caesars as well. Their $5 large got smaller and the quality went down (becoming more cardboard-like then it already was), but they couldn't raise the price because the "value" was too much a part of their brand. No one wants cheap pizza for a price they perceive to be expensive.

Using price as a selling point can work in the fast food industry (although there are other industries where it works better, to be sure) - just look at Wendy's and their 4-for-$4 deal. It's as good of a value proposition as you'll find, and it will have its heyday and then eventually disappear from the menu. But it won't harm Wendy's to stop offering it because their core identity isn't tied to that value proposition in a way that makes it difficult/impossible to do so, and they have plenty of other popular and more expensive offerings to fill in the gaps.

Assuming they know how to get rid of it and do so in time yes, they will be fine. McDonalds with the $1 menu had a somewhat similar issue, it was not the brand, but it was a big enough part of strategy that moving forward was not going to be easy.
Of course Dollar Tree is the ultimate example of this, though they can to some extent weather it by being already rock bottom so people  have no where else to go.

[Rothman]

I'm not a Subway fan for a couple of reasons. First is that I'm not a veggie or condiment person. I like meat and cheese on a sandwich. I don't eat lettuce, tomato, onions, peppers, mushrooms, olives, or whatever else Subway has available to put on a sandwich. That means that I'm overpaying for a huge piece of bread with just a little meat and cheese on it. My favorite Subway item is the meatball sandwich, but it's too messy to eat unless you're sitting down.

The other is that Subway is one of two fast-food options in my town (DQ is the other) and for years I lived within sight and walking distance of said Subway. One of the reasons I won't typically eat at a DQ if I'm traveling is that I can always get it at home.

I will typically go hungry before I stop at Subway.

When my brother and I were traveling, we ate at a Subway in Browning, Mont. The only other option we saw in town was a Taco John's, and the dining room was closed and the drive-thru was terribly backed up.

Just ate at a Taco John's.  People who think it's better than Taco Bell are kidding themselves.

[HighwayStar]

I'm not a Subway fan for a couple of reasons. First is that I'm not a veggie or condiment person. I like meat and cheese on a sandwich. I don't eat lettuce, tomato, onions, peppers, mushrooms, olives, or whatever else Subway has available to put on a sandwich. That means that I'm overpaying for a huge piece of bread with just a little meat and cheese on it. My favorite Subway item is the meatball sandwich, but it's too messy to eat unless you're sitting down.

The other is that Subway is one of two fast-food options in my town (DQ is the other) and for years I lived within sight and walking distance of said Subway. One of the reasons I won't typically eat at a DQ if I'm traveling is that I can always get it at home.

I will typically go hungry before I stop at Subway.

When my brother and I were traveling, we ate at a Subway in Browning, Mont. The only other option we saw in town was a Taco John's, and the dining room was closed and the drive-thru was terribly backed up.

Just ate at a Taco John's.  People who think it's better than Taco Bell are kidding themselves.

Having had both I will say that like any chains it varies from location to location. Some Taco Bells are better than Some Taco Johns and vice versa.
Taco Johns being regional seems to have a bit looser management from what I have seen and varies more widely.
I would not say it is noticeably or dramatically better than Taco Bell, but because it is not something I can get everywhere I usually chose it over Taco Bell when in conflict just to add variety.

[Scott5114]

Just ate at a Taco John's.  People who think it's better than Taco Bell are kidding themselves.

It's better than Taco Bueno, at least. But I also like Taco Bell better than most people do, so I can't really say you're wrong.

The potato olés are pretty awesome. I hope you tried those.

[HighwayStar]

Just ate at a Taco John's.  People who think it's better than Taco Bell are kidding themselves.

It's better than Taco Bueno, at least. But I also like Taco Bell better than most people do, so I can't really say you're wrong.

The potato olés are pretty awesome. I hope you tried those.

Not sure if it was local or not, but they used to have a "six pack and a lb" deal that involved six tacos and a lb of Ole's for something like $8.

Taco Bueno has its own type of charm, I find its usually a hole in the wall feeling with Spanish language music stations in the background.

[Scott5114]

Taco Bueno is not bad but it's not good. If it was the only thing in town or I was specifically craving Mexican and that's all that was there, I'd eat it. But I can make better tacos at home for cheaper for about the same level of effort as getting dressed and driving there. That, and they screwed up my order so bad the last time I went there I had to go through the drive thru a second time and go inside to get it fixed.

[formulanone]

Just ate at a Taco John's.  People who think it's better than Taco Bell are kidding themselves.

It's better than Taco Bueno, at least. But I also like Taco Bell better than most people do, so I can't really say you're wrong.

I feel the same way when Del Taco is mentioned; it's not superior nor any worse than Taco Bueno and Bell.

Maybe it's because I don't eat there as much so it still has some novelty factor, and that each individual location of almost any fast food brand can vary greatly in quality.

[kphoger]

Area Man Holding Out Until Next Exit For Better Fast Food Options

ERIE, PA–Local fast food consumer and occasional motorist Don Turnbee announced his decision Wednesday to bypass I-79's Greenville exit in hopes that the following turnoff would lead to more appealing fast food options...

...While holding out for a superior option, Turnbee has passed on multiple eating opportunities, including a Long John Silver's at the Conneaut Lake exit, a Roy Rogers in Saegertown, and an entire fast food plaza off exit 147A containing an Arby's, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Quiznos, Burger King, and Starbucks.

"I'm not turning off for a Starbucks," Turnbee said of the coffeehouse chain. "Starbucks isn't food."

https://www.theonion.com/area-man-holding-out-until-next-exit-for-better-fast-fo-1819570400

You failed to quote the most pertinent parts, though:

While Turnbee said he depends on these icons to inform him as to what dining options are ahead, he was confused by one near the Mercer exit, which had an image of just a fork and knife, and no other specific details.

Turnbee claimed the dining icon probably meant that the restaurants at that exit were of the sit-down variety only.

"I bet it had places like Perkins or Cracker Barrel," Turnbee said. "They aren't bad, but when I'm on my way somewhere I don't like to waste time with waiters and stuff."

Breezewood

[GCrites]

^Yeah it's like they threw Breezewood in there just to trigger us considering it's over 250 miles from where the article is set in Erie.

[HighwayStar]

Additional requirement based on my experience trying to get dinner tonight...

Obeying their posted hours of operation needs to be a contractual obligation of all service plaza restaurants, travelers are dependent on them and need to have reliable hours. This trend of restaurant's not following their service hours needs to be prevented at service plaza locations.

[Scott5114]

Additional requirement based on my experience trying to get dinner tonight...

Obeying their posted hours of operation needs to be a contractual obligation of all service plaza restaurants, travelers are dependent on them and need to have reliable hours. This trend of restaurant's not following their service hours needs to be prevented at service plaza locations.

Of course, doing so would mean that the company would have to keep adequate staff on payroll so that if a portion of the scheduled employees are unavailable to work, they can still operate. Oh wait, that's basic competent management practice that got thrown out years ago in the name of profits.

[kphoger]

Additional requirement based on my experience trying to get dinner tonight...

Obeying their posted hours of operation needs to be a contractual obligation of all service plaza restaurants, travelers are dependent on them and need to have reliable hours. This trend of restaurant's not following their service hours needs to be prevented at service plaza locations.

Of course, doing so would mean that the company would have to keep adequate staff on payroll so that if a portion of the scheduled employees are unavailable to work, they can still operate. Oh wait, that's basic competent management practice that got thrown out years ago in the name of profits.

And isn't even expected by a lot of the public anymore since "covid" is now a reasonable excuse for basically anything.

[abefroman329]

Additional requirement based on my experience trying to get dinner tonight...

Obeying their posted hours of operation needs to be a contractual obligation of all service plaza restaurants, travelers are dependent on them and need to have reliable hours. This trend of restaurant's not following their service hours needs to be prevented at service plaza locations.

Of course, doing so would mean that the company would have to keep adequate staff on payroll so that if a portion of the scheduled employees are unavailable to work, they can still operate. Oh wait, that's basic competent management practice that got thrown out years ago in the name of profits.

And isn't even expected by a lot of the public anymore since "covid" is now a reasonable excuse for basically anything.

That or "nO oNe WaNtS tO wOrK aNyMoRe"

[GCrites]

Additional requirement based on my experience trying to get dinner tonight...

Obeying their posted hours of operation needs to be a contractual obligation of all service plaza restaurants, travelers are dependent on them and need to have reliable hours. This trend of restaurant's not following their service hours needs to be prevented at service plaza locations.

Of course, doing so would mean that the company would have to keep adequate staff on payroll so that if a portion of the scheduled employees are unavailable to work, they can still operate. Oh wait, that's basic competent management practice that got thrown out years ago in the name of profits.

"Time to lean, time to clean" There is no time now.

[jeffandnicole]

...Other sub places like Jersey Mike's are better if you can find one where you need it (and they might work in service plazas), but they are pricier than Subways.

Well, yeah, they're pricier because they actually put meat on their hoagie. Subway can get away with $5 footlongs because they are well known for their lack of meat.

Additional requirement based on my experience trying to get dinner tonight...

Obeying their posted hours of operation needs to be a contractual obligation of all service plaza restaurants, travelers are dependent on them and need to have reliable hours. This trend of restaurant's not following their service hours needs to be prevented at service plaza locations.

Unless a traveler rides the road often enough to know their hours, they probably won't know their hours before pulling into the plaza. After all, it's not like the hours are advertised on the signage approaching the plaza.

[HighwayStar]

...Other sub places like Jersey Mike's are better if you can find one where you need it (and they might work in service plazas), but they are pricier than Subways.

Well, yeah, they're pricier because they actually put meat on their hoagie. Subway can get away with $5 footlongs because they are well known for their lack of meat.

Additional requirement based on my experience trying to get dinner tonight...

Obeying their posted hours of operation needs to be a contractual obligation of all service plaza restaurants, travelers are dependent on them and need to have reliable hours. This trend of restaurant's not following their service hours needs to be prevented at service plaza locations.

Unless a traveler rides the road often enough to know their hours, they probably won't know their hours before pulling into the plaza. After all, it's not like the hours are advertised on the signage approaching the plaza.

That might have been true 30 years ago, but in this era the hours are posted online for anyone to easily find. They need to follow them.

[Rothman]

...Other sub places like Jersey Mike's are better if you can find one where you need it (and they might work in service plazas), but they are pricier than Subways.

Well, yeah, they're pricier because they actually put meat on their hoagie. Subway can get away with $5 footlongs because they are well known for their lack of meat.

Additional requirement based on my experience trying to get dinner tonight...

Obeying their posted hours of operation needs to be a contractual obligation of all service plaza restaurants, travelers are dependent on them and need to have reliable hours. This trend of restaurant's not following their service hours needs to be prevented at service plaza locations.

Unless a traveler rides the road often enough to know their hours, they probably won't know their hours before pulling into the plaza. After all, it's not like the hours are advertised on the signage approaching the plaza.

That might have been true 30 years ago, but in this era the hours are posted online for anyone to easily find. They need to follow them.

So...check hours online while driving...

[oscar]

...Other sub places like Jersey Mike's are better if you can find one where you need it (and they might work in service plazas), but they are pricier than Subways.

Well, yeah, they're pricier because they actually put meat on their hoagie. Subway can get away with $5 footlongs because they are well known for their lack of meat..

Jersey Mike's subs are pricier even when compared to Subway's extra meat offerings.  Subway has tried "deluxe" (50% more meat) and "pro" (basically 100% more), in a nod to people who don't think the regular subs have enough meat. I just order 6-inch double meat, to make things less confusing, and to get more meat without more bread (the bread is serviceable, but I don't want to pay for more bread than needed to hold the meat and other toppings).

BTW, a petty gripe is that Subway's Italian bread is now "artisan Italian". I worried the first time I tried it, since I usually don't like the taste of "artisan" breads. Fortunately, the only thing that's changed for Subway's Italian bread is the name, the "artisan" part is fake.

[kphoger]

That might have been true 30 years ago, but in this era the hours are posted online for anyone to easily find. They need to follow them.

So...check hours online while driving...

Isn't that his point?

You're approaching a restaurant.  You have your wife get on her phone and check the hours.  The hours listed say the restaurant is open.  You get there and it's closed.  That's the problem.