Example: A brand new Krystal just opened last weekend at the exit I take off I-65. And everyday at all times since last weekend, there have been one and often two police cars sitting in the parking lot, with two police officers directing traffic. Tonight when I went by around dusk, they were using light sticks. (Memphis traffic cops attempting to manage traffic after a big downtown event didn't even have light sticks when I was visiting Malinda).To make a comparison - when the In-N-Out opened in Tucson, on the first day there were hundreds of cars in a huge snaking line, marked off by cones and flags, to get through the drive-thru. And for several days after there were long lines around the parking lot.
At the new Krystal in Saraland, I have never seen more than 7 cars in the drive-thru line and the parking lot has not been full. And there has not been a line out the door of hundreds of people.
Perhaps there have been less people because there are many Krystals in this area, but the closest In-N-Out was 2 hours away (and I would say In-N-Out has a much larger cult following). Regardless, the fact remains that it has been a normal amount of traffic for a fast food place right off the interstate. An alternative to having 2 police officers standing in the parking lot (even when there is little business, like 3 on Saturday afternoon) would have been to paint traffic direction lines and arrows and let people follow them like they do every where else. But, I guess even in the 3rd largest town in Mobile County, the opening of a new Krystal is a big deal.
(If you are wondering why I have been on Krystal-watch for the past week: my first justification is that it is on the way to Wal-Mart, the only nearby grocery store; second, in past years, Krystal has offered hand-cut Vidalia onion rings, only when Vidalia onions are in season. So I have been checking to see if they are available yet. They are not - here - but when they are, I will write more about them).
No comments:
Post a Comment