Pallida September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I say I'm from Cali when I'm feeling brief. It might secretly be because I'm in oregon now and Oregonians hate CA transplants. The City should never be called Frisco though. Ugh that's like Fritos and Crisco had a baby. (New cooking challenge?) I'm going to stick up for dessert briefly. Dessert is food and does take preparation. I'm not convinced the waffles, special though they may be, take a lot of creativity. However, it is a brilliant business model for maximizing profits. I'm tempted to look back on the previous waffle truck season to see where they may have gone wrong or if the challenges forced them to show weakness or something else. (Something tells me they didn't have access to their good irons maybe?) I do hope the Dumpling truck wins though. I also like rooting for underdogs and I would love to see them able to buy a new truck with their winnings. Plus, I loved the line while they were shopping and one realized how many times she was saying "breast" so she said something like "I s just want to say breast some more times. " 5 Link to comment
Calamity Jane September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I would guess that this stems from differences in regional culture. While that wholesome approach would not resonate much with me, in fact I find that kind of behavior to be shall we say manufactured, I can certainly understand while it would work with that particular group of people. I grew up in France where everyone shook everyone's hand all the time, but as I get old and cranky, I find myself flinching and often passing it up because I'm so susceptible to illnesses and you just never know how clean someone's hands are. How times change. The waffle guys make a type of Belgian waffle called a liege waffle. It's made with a dough, not a batter like a traditional waffle or the other type of Belgian waffle, & it's "studded" with a special kind of sugar. It's supposed to be really good--though I've never actually eaten that type of Belgian waffle. Thanks for the info. Wouldn't Liege be capitalized (and have an accent I don't know how to put on)? My husband lived in Liege (it's in Belgium, so fits with a kind of Belgian waffle) for a while working on the NATO early warning defense system way back when. Lovely city. Everyone on this show looks so sleepy during their talking-head interviews. When it's the waffle guys, I assume they're just stoned, but even the heavily religious team had trouble keeping their eyes open. Did you mean the burger guys? The waffle guys would be very unlikely to be stoned, but GD Bro's group always looked very, um, mellow to me. 3 Link to comment
JenMcSnark September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 Yep, I've always heard and said Cali frequently. And I'm old. I think it's more of a street thing versus old. I grew up hearing Frisco from my dad and Aunt who were raised in Idaho. haha My Aunt always wanted to go to "Frisco" when she visited. Growing up, I never heard anyone against calling it that, but it's very common now. I had a Liege waffle (yes, it's capitalized and supposed to have an accent mark above the first "e" I think?) on Sunday at the farmer's marker. We have a truck here called Volkswaffle; they sell out of an adorable, red converted VW bus. They are SO good. They are not made from batter, but rather from a sugary dough. The sugar in the dough caramelizes the outside and makes it crispy while inside is soft and pillowy. Volkswaffle doesn't put the Nutella on the inside though. That sounds interesting. Here's a photo! 7 Link to comment
Jersey Guy 87 September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 Well, to be fair the store wasn't open for business so they weren't depriving someone who needed the chair of the use of it. That's a good point that didn't really register with me when I watched the show. I think it was a bad idea to show the Bro riding around in the scooter, though, because it made him look like a selfish idiot. 4 Link to comment
Wouldofshouldof September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 That vibe was reinforced by their TH about the car show and how their method of "shaking hands and looking people in the eye" and coming across as honest people gave them the advantage over the other 2 crews. My first thought was that I wouldn't want the droopy-eyed one trying to look me in the eye - I'd be trying to look anywhere BUT his eyes (shallow). 1 Link to comment
DeLurker September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 LL Cool J - Going Back To Cali I like LL, but I'll never forgive him for that. Well, to be fair the store wasn't open for business so they weren't depriving someone who needed the chair of the use of it.people anywhere in the country. It still sticks in my craw. Not exactly the same, but parking in a handicap spot for convenience when the store isn't open yet wouldn't be okay with me either. Got go tell those kids to get off my lawn now. 4 Link to comment
HunterHunted September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I'm thinking that the Waffle boys are using a faux Liege dough. A true Liege dough is a yeasted dough that needs to proof overnight. At least for the initial phases of this competition, that would be impossible. Additionally Liege waffles use pearl sugar, which is prohibitively expensive ($15-25/lb). You can make a fake pearl sugar by smashing sugar cubes. My issue with the Wafflers has been that their core menu is not especially creative and that they never seemed to embrace the weekly menu challenges. I had the same issue with GD Bro who basically used every special ingredient to slightly tweak their stupid burger. 5 Link to comment
Calamity Jane September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I'm thinking that the Waffle boys are using a faux Liege dough. A true Liege dough is a yeasted dough that needs to proof overnight. At least for the initial phases of this competition, that would be impossible. Additionally Liege waffles use pearl sugar, which is prohibitively expensive ($15-25/lb). You can make a fake pearl sugar by smashing sugar cubes. My issue with the Wafflers has been that their core menu is not especially creative and that they never seemed to embrace the weekly menu challenges. I had the same issue with GD Bro who basically used every special ingredient to slightly tweak their stupid burger. Agree on the issues of creativity and skirting the challenges. On the other hand, they clearly have something that people really like, which has made them excel at earning money. I'd be happy with either truck winning - Pho excels where Wafflers are weak and they are just so likable; Wafflers seem to have a great product and the savvy to market it. 4 Link to comment
Lamb18 September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I'm going to stick up for dessert briefly. Dessert is food and does take preparation. I'm not convinced the waffles, special though they may be, take a lot of creativity. However, it is a brilliant business model for maximizing profits. I'm tempted to look back on the previous waffle truck season to see where they may have gone wrong or if the challenges forced them to show weakness or something else. (Something tells me they didn't have access to their good irons maybe?) I remember the waffle guys from two season ago - Poppa Waffle?, something like that - One difference is this season people are using their own food trucks with their own equipment. On the Poppa Waffle season, the show provided the trucks and probably the equipment, too. Plus all the contestants on the previous season were inexperienced food truck operators so that probably bit them a few times, too. 1 Link to comment
bluepiano September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 Plus I don't know who would pay $15 for a waffle in a sit-down establishment, let alone a truck where you stand up eating from a paper tray with plastic utensils. Clearly either the producers are giving "customers" money to spend, or people are willing to spend much more than they usually would to be part of a TV show. Because I agree that no one in the world would pay $15 for a waffle, even topped with whipped cream and strawberries. But we've seen a similar situation with previous trucks. Clearly the whole pricing thing on this show does not reflect food truck reality. I like a firm handshake as much as the next guy, but I find it hard to believe that three wholesome guys with firm handshakes trumps three cute girls in short shorts in attracting the car fan crowd. Try it on a weekend without the wives there. Ha. I had the same thought. Personalities aside, I will say again that Waffle Love has had a huge advantage in that they only make one dish, while other trucks have had to come up a variety of dishes, requiring far more thought, planning, and effort. Pho-nominal may have "dumplings" in their name, but they have made a lot of different Asian dishes. They are not just serving dumplings every week. It's so annoying when Waffle Boys top their waffles with sliced bananas instead of strawberries and act like they're culinary trail blazers. That Michelin Star should be arriving any day now. 4 Link to comment
Debbiedokken September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 (edited) I am from Utah (and no, I'm not a Mormon ;) ) and let me assure you that Waffle Love has a great product. We pay between $7-9 for a waffle, which is a pretty expensive dessert, but it's worth every dime. They do have many specials and continue to create different waffles, but in the end, it's all about the waffle. They have a great business model, great customer service, great brand and great product. I'm not here to argue whether or not they should win this show, but just to say that their waffles really are something special. They are amazing! Edited September 22, 2015 by Debbiedokken 11 Link to comment
cooksdelight September 22, 2015 Author Share September 22, 2015 Thank you, I always appreciate someone who's actually tasted the food and can give an honest critique of their product. :) 2 Link to comment
Jersey Guy 87 September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I am from Utah (and no, I'm not a Mormon ;) ) and let me assure you that Waffle Love has a great product. We pay between $7-9 for a waffle, which is a pretty expensive dessert, but it's worth every dime. They do have many specials and continue to create different waffles, but in the end, it's all about the waffle. They have a great business model, great customer service, great brand and great product. I'm not here to argue whether or not they should win this show, but just to say that their waffles really are something special. They are amazing! I have no doubt Waffle Love has a good product - who doesn't like waffles? And I also agree their business model is very good - relatively low costs, minimal prep time and high profit margins (especially at $15/waffle). On a pure business level they seem to have it figured out pretty well. But they make for boring TV, and I find them vaguely annoying. I also find the dumpling women vaguely annoying as well, though, so that's a wash. However, I think their food is more interesting and they work much harder at the challenges. In the end, the race thus far has been based on who winds up with the most money in their cash box. The Waffle Love strategy is optimized for that. Other teams have been more interesting in terms of what food they're serving, but Waffle Love has been zeroed in on the goal. That doesn't mean I'm rooting for them to win, though, but they've earned their consistent first place finishes. One prediction for the finale - the dumpling women will once again find themselves in the bottom two. 1 Link to comment
DHDancer September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I don't understand why Waffle Love is even on this program. They're obviously very successful with 6 food trucks AND a bricks-and-mortar place. And it doesn't seem like they need the publicity either. I find them quite boring TV and like many here I have a problem with them not fully embracing all the challenges (and don't get me started on the Closed for Church thing). Plus they are not at all innovative. Now a great waffle is a thing of joy, no argument, but in the context of this show, not compelling. 4 Link to comment
meep.meep September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 I don't understand why Waffle Love is doing so incredibly well when the waffle (and crepe) trucks on previous seasons didn't. That's what I wish they would show. One week they made $13K - that's 3 times what the winning truck usually makes in a weekend. There has to be a real reason besides "we make the best waffles ever!" Link to comment
cooksdelight September 22, 2015 Author Share September 22, 2015 I don't understand why Waffle Love is doing so incredibly well when the waffle (and crepe) trucks on previous seasons didn't. That's what I wish they would show. One week they made $13K - that's 3 times what the winning truck usually makes in a weekend. There has to be a real reason besides "we make the best waffles ever!" I am wondering the same thing. What on earth are they charging that we're not seeing? Is someone coming up off camera and ordering a thousand of them? I'm not knocking their product, but I'm curious how they sell that much in the same allotted time as the other trucks. Link to comment
amylou81 September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 (edited) I'm also from Utah and have eaten at Waffle Love's trucks and store multiple times. The waffles are amazing - seriously the best I've ever had! And as a side note, the brick and mortar location is pretty tiny (and shared with another local business). Still a storefront though! Waffle Love has a huge Instagram following (in comparison to the other competitors) and they posted frequently during the race asking people to spread the word to friends in Sedona, etc. I think their use of social media has definitely played a part in how they've been able to do so well. Edited September 22, 2015 by amylou81 1 4 Link to comment
windfall September 22, 2015 Share September 22, 2015 In the earlier challenge limiting them to one person on the truck, they were able to crank out waffles in batches of 7. That probably lets them get through more orders than any other truck. Also I think the unrealistically long lines and crowds are the reason why we're hearing larger sales than ever before. Link to comment
Sew Sumi September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 Yep, I've always heard and said Cali frequently. And I'm old. I think it's more of a street thing versus old. I grew up hearing Frisco from my dad and Aunt who were raised in Idaho. haha My Aunt always wanted to go to "Frisco" when she visited. Growing up, I never heard anyone against calling it that, but it's very common now. I had a Liege waffle (yes, it's capitalized and supposed to have an accent mark above the first "e" I think?) on Sunday at the farmer's marker. We have a truck here called Volkswaffle; they sell out of an adorable, red converted VW bus. They are SO good. They are not made from batter, but rather from a sugary dough. The sugar in the dough caramelizes the outside and makes it crispy while inside is soft and pillowy. Volkswaffle doesn't put the Nutella on the inside though. That sounds interesting. Here's a photo! Born and raised native Oaklander, right across the bay from SAN FRANCISCO in CALIFORNIA. Trust me, natives get testy when people refer to these places as Frisco and Cali. Yes, I know the rap reference; it doesn't mean I have to accept it as the new cultural norm. Frisco is just plain stupid. :D As for the Race...go Pho! The Waffle guys are as saccharine as their product. I go into sugar shock watching them. They really should compete like vs. like; let's see how far their overpriced waffles take them then. 4 Link to comment
cooksdelight September 23, 2015 Author Share September 23, 2015 That's something I touched on in the Steak thread... I want the Wafflers to sell specifically to the challenge. Steak, seafood...whatever it is... and for Tyler & Co not to award the most money earned as the winner, but the most money earned FOR THE CHALLENGE MEAL instead. I wish they'd done this the entire season. 10 Link to comment
Pallida September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 Born and raised native Oaklander, right across the bay from SAN FRANCISCO in CALIFORNIA. Trust me, natives get testy when people refer to these places as Frisco and Cali. Yes, I know the rap reference; it doesn't mean I have to accept it as the new cultural norm. Frisco is just plain stupid. :D Totally support you not wanting to accept it, but as another born and raised Bay Area person, I will disagree that natives get testy to those monikers. Certain factions of natives, sure, but not all! (Now people calling SF "SFO" gets me riled up...) Back on track! I've been wondering about incentives to make challenges more relevant. I was thinking weighting the earnings from the challenge heavier could make sense, or require them to spend a minimum amount on the challenge product (in this example, steak). But, when they're bringing in $5000+, I'm not sure how much in expense would make a dent in that. 1 Link to comment
JenMcSnark September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 I was also raised in NorCal, albeit in Sacramento. My parents retired from the Air Force and moved here when I was six months and that was a loooonnnnggg time ago. :-) I believe it truly is like every other time you try to stereotype a particular part of the population. Some people fit the type and a lot of people don't. I worked in the Bay Area for years and I am an Athletics and Sharks fan. My sister lives in San Francisco. I know plenty of people who hate the nicknames and many who don't care. And yes, I do recall Herb being against it. On topic: I tweeted Waffle Luv last night to ask them if they make their own dough or if they buy it. Here is their response: 5 Link to comment
GeorgiaRai September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 Personally, I thought Waffle Love & GDB were smart to use (or at least discuss) the strategy of side-lining the challenges and going for high sales. It wasn't against any rules, and the challenges, IMO, are irrelevant. A food truck should sell good whatever-it-is-they-sell, at a price the market will accept. Snake sausage has nothing to do with being a good Korilla BBQ or Cuban food truck. I've never understood why so many reality shows judge who is best at what they do by making them do things they'd never do! Waffle Love's business is so different from the others, they should've competed in a "Food Truck Just Desserts" version with everyone on a more even playing field. How fun would that be to watch?! 6 Link to comment
TimetoShine September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 I agree, if they can win without worry about gross snake sausage, why should they? The point is always just to win, win, win. Link to comment
biakbiak September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 Okay waffle loves tweet makes me sort of curious because we saw on the second episode they were mixing dough in their hour head start, it obviously didn't have time to proof over night but I have noticed this season that Tyler hasn't made a big deal this season that they started each challenge day completely empty which he used to say over and over again on previous seasons, it makes me wonder if the team's were able to care over product this year. Link to comment
GeorgiaRai September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 Online recipes vary on how long the dough has to rest & rise - anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight. Bobby Flay says "until almost tripled in size, anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours." 1 Link to comment
seacliffsal September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 I am rooting for Waffle Love. I think their food looks consistently good. Although I would be happy for the Pho women if they won I just prefer the Waffle Love brothers. Link to comment
SingleMaltBlonde September 23, 2015 Share September 23, 2015 This comment might get me in trouble....but here goes nothing. Was it last year the Hawaiian truck kept calling in the local Hawaiian community to support them and they came out? I think Waffle Love is doing it with the local Mormon community but they just keep calling it "social media". I don't mind ....I always thought the Hawaiian guys were smart. I have had these type of waffles (our local chain is owned by a hot Belgian guy) and they are good but people NOT familar at all are going to stand in line with 4 or 5 kids for over an hour without another reason (and drop $75 for a snack for kids). A few summers ago they had a booth in the downtown business district with a few other restaurant/food trucks...they never had that long of a line and they the guys selling the waffles were cute (and the girls were too). On another note...I would be shocked if they found pearl sugar in Sams or Costco....I use Swedish Pearl Sugar in a few recipes and I had to order in online for years until a gourmet grocery moved in. 2 Link to comment
windfall September 24, 2015 Share September 24, 2015 Was it last year the Hawaiian truck kept calling in the local Hawaiian community to support them and they came out? I think Waffle Love is doing it with the local Mormon community but they just keep calling it "social media". I don't mind ....I always thought the Hawaiian guys were smart. That's definitely a smart move. Who wouldn't use any connections and resources that they have to help them win? Reminds me of celebrity apprentice when the contestants would call up their rich and famous friends and have them stop by at a challenge to donate large sums. All's fair in reality tv if the producers don't do anything about it. 1 Link to comment
Pallida September 24, 2015 Share September 24, 2015 (edited) I think I read that ikea has pearl sugar. I think the Waffle Love team has earned the success they have both on and off the show an wish them well. I just don't want them to win! Edited September 24, 2015 by Pallida 6 Link to comment
silverspoons September 25, 2015 Share September 25, 2015 I am from Utah (and no, I'm not a Mormon ;) ) and let me assure you that Waffle Love has a great product. We pay between $7-9 for a waffle, which is a pretty expensive dessert, but it's worth every dime. They do have many specials and continue to create different waffles, but in the end, it's all about the waffle. They have a great business model, great customer service, great brand and great product. I'm not here to argue whether or not they should win this show, but just to say that their waffles really are something special. They are amazing! I'm going to disagree. I'm in Southern Utah so Waffle Love is basically the only regular food truck option. My daughter was begging to go to a food truck after seeing them on TV for years and our city has made it very hard for them to do business. Waffle love parks in a bank parking lot on the weekends. It is next to the hospital and after going to the doctor I took her. I have no issue paying for good food. I wish our city would get more non-chain resturants and I would be happy to pay more to support local businesses. I did find that getting 2 waffles with strawberries and cream for $22(They take credit cards and they basically wrote in my tip and asked if it was okay) was overpriced. Was the waffle good, yes. Anything special, nope. I lived in Europe and I understand the difference in waffles. I think the success of the truck is because they have no competition where I live. It hurt me to large families coming down to support the truck and have a hard time paying so much. The do use LDS networking, which is fine. I do think most families think that spending $60 for their familes to get waffles is a shock when they get to the truck. One mom said I can pay for baseball for my son for the entire season for the price of waffles. Again most people here have little experience with food trucks and don't know the costs till they arrive. Then it is hard to say no with your church friends there. There was one food trailer (puledl by a pick up truck) at the college and they sold 12 mini donuts with toppings for $3. I think that is what some of the customers think they are going to when they get asked to Waffle Love. I wonder what will happen if and when Waffle Love gets competition. I'm also curious why the city makes it so hard for anyone else to come in but Waffle Love got in quick? I think my reason for hoping they don't win has nothing to do with the product or price. They do not need the money. They are very successful. They just want the title to get more local business (which is fine). I guess I would like to see someone win a show like this that the money would help them go further in their business or have a personal need. I also think a new creative idea should be rewarded. I give the Waffle Love guys credit for finding a way to get married young, not go to college and have a great standard of living for themselves and their growing families. I see so many people get married here at 19-21 and if they don't have family help, they struggle with young families and wives that want the "dream"(new house, new SUV etc). 7 Link to comment
cooksdelight September 25, 2015 Author Share September 25, 2015 I'm with you, on wanting a truck to win that could truly use the money. Pho gets my vote for that reason alone, since I can't taste the food. Those women bust ass and I'd like to see them have the money to get a new truck or a brick & mortar location in Raleigh. 7 Link to comment
Pallida September 25, 2015 Share September 25, 2015 silverspoons, is it possible that Waffle Love was grandfathered in before a change in regulation (perhaps prompted by their presence) that now makes it difficult for food trucks to do business? I'm a "space and place" nerd that is fascinated by how permitting and zoning can impact how people and businesses move about. For example, the "food truck pod" idea is really good at constraining food trucks to very specific locales - and while this is convenient for some consumers, it definitely changes how the food trucks conduct business - especially when there are more interested parties than available slots in the pod! 1 Link to comment
GaT September 25, 2015 Share September 25, 2015 (edited) I did find that getting 2 waffles with strawberries and cream for $22(They take credit cards and they basically wrote in my tip and asked if it was okay) was overpriced. This alone would make me not like them if I didn't dislike them already. Tips are for servers, someone who comes to your table, takes your order, delivers your food & drinks, & makes sure you have whatever you need during the meal. Handing food out of a food truck does not qualify for a tip any more than ordering from McDonalds or Burger King does. Plus, the fact that they add the tip & then ask if that's OK is basically trying to intimidate you into paying them more. Total busllshit, I hope they lose. Edited September 25, 2015 by GaT 14 Link to comment
In Pog Form September 25, 2015 Share September 25, 2015 (edited) Trust me, natives get testy when people refer to these places as Frisco and Cali. All the more reason to use those nicknames, then! Edited September 25, 2015 by In Pog Form Link to comment
backformore September 27, 2015 Share September 27, 2015 (edited) This alone would make me not like them if I didn't dislike them already. Tips are for servers, someone who comes to your table, takes your order, delivers your food & drinks, & makes sure you have whatever you need during the meal. Handing food out of a food truck does not qualify for a tip any more than ordering from McDonalds or Burger King does. Plus, the fact that they add the tip & then ask if that's OK is basically trying to intimidate you into paying them more. Total busllshit, I hope they lose. A tip? on an over-priced waffle? No way! Now, I'm not saying you CAN'T tip at a food truck. But it's more for when you ask for extra something, or a substitution, something above regular service. And if you feel like tipping, fine. But adding in a tip at a FOOD TRUCK is ridiculous. And probably illegal, if there's not a sign posted about it. Yeah, I hope they lose. Edited September 27, 2015 by backformore 4 Link to comment
NewDigs September 27, 2015 Share September 27, 2015 A tip? on an over-priced waffle? No way! Now, I'm not saying you CAN'T tip at a food truck. But it's more for when you ask for extra something, or a substitution, something above regular service. And if you feel like tipping, fine. But adding in a tip at a FOOD TRUCK is ridiculous. And probably illegal, if there's not a sign posted about it. Yeah, I hope they lose. It used to be that a patron was not expected to tip owners, be it a restaurant or salon or whatever. But I think that (non) practice is fading. The owners are making profits that employees are not. And not being a food truck afficiando I have no idea about their tipping structure. What would I be tipping for? I pick up the food, I find a place to dine, I clean up after myself, what's left? Should I start tipping cooks in restaurants? Where does it end? And imho there should be no structure in place for anyone to just add on a tip and say, Is that okay? It should be stated somewhere if gratuity is added and the only time I have ever seen that is for larger parties on one check. 2 Link to comment
cooksdelight September 28, 2015 Author Share September 28, 2015 Check out the Top Chef forum, there's an article posted about Tom Colicchio who has stopped the practice of tipping at one of his restaurants. If you just read the headline, you think "WTF?" but read the article and it's a really good idea to fairly pay everyone who works in the restaurant... from the busboys to the guys who clean up the kitchen. http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/09/15/tom_colicchio_ending_tipping_at_craft_during_lunch_this_is_great_news.html 2 Link to comment
eelpout October 4, 2015 Share October 4, 2015 Everyone was talking about their social media strategy, but how does that work? None of the remaining trucks has more than a thousand followers of Twitter, and that's after the exposure on FN. Is their presence on Facebook that much bigger? I wish too that they'd explain this a bit better and actually detail how some of the trucks use Internet social tools to their advantage. I imagine the contestants are encouraged to use the term "social media" and steered away from calling out Twitter/Facebook/Instagram etc. specifically. Of course a food truck from LA isn't likely to have followers in Tulsa, though they may have followers with friends/family who live in the contest towns and gather people that way. Maybe they network through Food Network tags. It all feels a bit nebulous to me, but it's obviously very key to the way they work and how they get the word out, especially based on this episode where they had no smart phones for a time. Link to comment
NewDigs October 4, 2015 Share October 4, 2015 (edited) Check out the Top Chef forum, there's an article posted about Tom Colicchio who has stopped the practice of tipping at one of his restaurants. If you just read the headline, you think "WTF?" but read the article and it's a really good idea to fairly pay everyone who works in the restaurant... from the busboys to the guys who clean up the kitchen. http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/09/15/tom_colicchio_ending_tipping_at_craft_during_lunch_this_is_great_news.html I'm curious how this works out. I've worked service industry and would have been hard-pressed to give up my over-tippers because they seemed to always do better than to balance my stiffs. Then salary-type taxes on top? Dunno. I pretty much only cringe at a Dunkin' Donuts tip-jar at a drive through or any kind of "place your order here" venue. Otherwise I'm one of those generous tippers. I wish too that they'd explain this a bit better and actually detail how some of the trucks use Internet social tools to their advantage. I imagine the contestants are encouraged to use the term "social media" and steered away from calling out Twitter/Facebook/Instagram etc. specifically. Of course a food truck from LA isn't likely to have followers in Tulsa, though they may have followers with friends/family who live in the contest towns and gather people that way. Maybe they network through Food Network tags. It all feels a bit nebulous to me, but it's obviously very key to the way they work and how they get the word out, especially based on this episode where they had no smart phones for a time. I have mainly noticed FoodNetworkStar social media successes when the truck seems to already have a social media following. Like the Hawaiians and the wafflers. And then I don't think it's so much the food but more the "Social" connections.Uh, where am I? Edit to add: meant FoodTruckRace Edited October 5, 2015 by NewDigs Link to comment
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