My visit to Chik Fil A
- Thread starter Pablo
- Start date
Cane's is a newcomer in the NE, had it down south years ago. I would prefer a Hot Chicken Takeover myself though.
KFC by me has not fallen off near me but I know which to absolutely avoid at all costs. I may eat there twice a year if that.
Popeyes is the Louisiana style chicken with seafood as well. Is it better than sit downs in New Orleans? Absolutely not but the price reflects that.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2026
I just don't like the taste of Chick-fil-A chicken and don't like the soft waffle fries. Their seasoning or whatever they soak the chicken in just tastes bad to me. The waffle fries are never crispy. Haven't eaten in one in 20 years.
My understanding that a Chick Fil A franchisee can only have one. That was supposed to keep quality up. I have had decent sandwiches in Springfield MO and lousy service in Loveland CO s( two managers BS ing behind an open unused cash register and it took ten minutes for me to get noticed and to pay for a drink. Somehow they haven't noticed their only cashier had a long line to people ordering food). This was a few years ago. I find the sandwich to be relatively mediocre.
Same with In n Out. Prescott AZ store was too busy to my liking so never tried the food. Ate at one in Barstow CA on a Sunday afternoon and got mediocre food, slow service and an overall lousy experience. Have never gone back, even though they are now in Texas.
Culver's seem to have really good fried foods. I don't think their butter burger is very good, either, so I don't order it. Tenderloin and fish are done well. I did have a good burger at Braums (a relatively local Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri restaurant/milk/ice cream combo store chain) a couple of weeks ago.
As far as chicken sandwich goes, best chain one I have had lately is one in East Wichita Chili's $10.99 value meal special they are running. It is a real chicken breast and not pounded to death. All items were hot and fresh. I have also had good and bad experiences at KC Metro Chili's, so I don"t go to them very much (2 yr absence or more). Hardees also had a good chicken sandwich five or more years ago and changed it to the extent that it became less than mediocre in my area.
The largest Hardees franchiser (Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Rocky Mount NC) is one of the best franchisers and did a lot of innovations the Hardees chains adopted originally. My understanding is they do the VA, NC, SC areas. The Hardees on Bragg Blvd was one of the first open in the 1960's and where I was introduced to their food. Today over time the midwest Hardees changed and the Carl's Jr buyout did not improve them at all. Today, the only Hardees that is still open in Kansas and Metro KCis at Ottawa KS owned by Love's Travel Centers. All the others are shuttered and going through bankruptcy of the CO based company.
Same with In n Out. Prescott AZ store was too busy to my liking so never tried the food. Ate at one in Barstow CA on a Sunday afternoon and got mediocre food, slow service and an overall lousy experience. Have never gone back, even though they are now in Texas.
Culver's seem to have really good fried foods. I don't think their butter burger is very good, either, so I don't order it. Tenderloin and fish are done well. I did have a good burger at Braums (a relatively local Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri restaurant/milk/ice cream combo store chain) a couple of weeks ago.
As far as chicken sandwich goes, best chain one I have had lately is one in East Wichita Chili's $10.99 value meal special they are running. It is a real chicken breast and not pounded to death. All items were hot and fresh. I have also had good and bad experiences at KC Metro Chili's, so I don"t go to them very much (2 yr absence or more). Hardees also had a good chicken sandwich five or more years ago and changed it to the extent that it became less than mediocre in my area.
The largest Hardees franchiser (Boddie-Noell Enterprises, Rocky Mount NC) is one of the best franchisers and did a lot of innovations the Hardees chains adopted originally. My understanding is they do the VA, NC, SC areas. The Hardees on Bragg Blvd was one of the first open in the 1960's and where I was introduced to their food. Today over time the midwest Hardees changed and the Carl's Jr buyout did not improve them at all. Today, the only Hardees that is still open in Kansas and Metro KCis at Ottawa KS owned by Love's Travel Centers. All the others are shuttered and going through bankruptcy of the CO based company.
Hardee's is basically gone in KC area. None near me or the areas we frequently visit. Anymore I go to Steak N Shake for burgers. The original smashburger. Now that they cook their fries in Beef Tallow makes it a easy choice. Please understand my nearest S an S is franchised by a former military guy. Let's just say things are done right. I also like the Chili's 3-For special. The chicked sandwich is always tasty.
Got 2 full entrees at a really good Tex-Mex place last evening. It was for take out which incurs a fee. $33.75 which included a tip. Enough for 2 meals for me. Mine was a beef enchilada platter and Karen had a Flauta platter. Both with beans of our choice and really tasty rice. The Barrocha beans weren super tasty. If we ate this in the restaurant would have been low $40's
I see you don't live in a State with the New $20 minimum wage.
No, but it's $15 as of 2026. Many are making that $20 if they are loyal.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Interesting, just a bit to your north Newberry township, Pa, we had a KFC/Taco Bell Restaurant right off rt 83 North that was closed by the Health Department in January, it's had a "Temporarily Closed" flashing sign ever since. After 5 months closed in a high-volume area, I'm thinking probably looking for a new franchise owner. It seems as they were rapidly pricing themselves out of business before that, a 3-piece chicken dinner w/2 sides and a drink was close to $20.
Crazy business, Pizza Hut just announced that they will be re-opening some locations with dine-in and a salad bar.
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Missouri Waiter/Waitress//server wage is half that $7.50, with declared tips expected to get the total wage over $15 per hour. If not, owner is expected to pay $15 per hour. Noticed McDonalds in KS side advertising$14.xx starting wages for new hires.
On the pricing side, four of us ate at a place called Broken Door saloon, downtown Odessa MO for $67 plus tip. Two drinks included in the price. Lunch and dinner menu same pricing. Good food, good service. It is a grill/bar/small ensemble music venue at night. We ate at lunch.
Texas Roadhouse here in Lawrence runs seven entrees at $11.99 as early bird special 3-5 pm M-F. Soft Drinks a little expensive. Also good food and service. We eat there about every two weeks or so.
Nostalgia is a powerful drug...everyone wants to relive their youthful memories when life felt less complicated.
Looked it up and it's a maximum of three locations per "operator". Apparently they're not owners because the franchise agreement isn't transferable at all. They have a different model where CFA purchases or leases the property and then rents it to the operator. They also own all the equipment.
As far as the food goes, yes it basically only tastes like anything as long as it's drowned in the sauce. And they load the thing with MSG.
All the fast food and gas stations here advertise starting at $14 absolute minimum. If you stick around I am told your making at least $16 in a few months.
There effectively is no longer a minimum wage - lack of kids. I read this morning that Apollo put out the number of 18 year olds will decline by 14% or something like that over the next decade. Demographic cliff.
Only built in inflation.
As Milton Friedman said, "inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon." You can thank your leaders for it. Its not the workers creation. There has always been inflation, at least since we went to fiat based money.
If you adjusted minimum wage for inflation it would be $11.50 or so. So in reality supply and demand is doing its thing. In areas like mine where the economy is good and growing starting wages are more to reflect the over all cost of living. In more depressed areas they likely pay less but at least kids can find a job, even if it pays $7.25 an hour. So its a good thing - the market is balanced.
Yes I remember as a kid lots of young kids first jobs was flipping Bergers now its all older career Berger flippers!
