by TimT » Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:49 am
Thanks for the link to the article, it brings back a lot of memories.
Yes forum readers, I was an Ollie's Trolley manager. In 1973 during the height of local expansion I trained at the Main Street Trolley and managed several others that summer and fall.
I remember 90+ hour workweeks. From before open to after closing 7 days a week for a salaried paycheck. 21 year olds can do anything - oh to have that level of energy again. The company was growing so fast they promoted my assistant managers as fast as I could train them.
I also remember they were the best burgers I have ever eaten. They were fatty. Every batch of ground beef was tested for fat content upon delivery. They had to be a minimum of 26% and a max of 34% fat if memory serves. They were juicy. The griddles seared them instantly, sealing in the yummy juices and they would plump up like footballs that were over inflated.They were cooked medium rare. Safe back then, less so today. I also loved the fries in the special seasoning. Best ever.
As Ollie himself said. Once you get hooked it's like a drug. You need it. That was me.
John Y. would visit our stores and always sampled our burgers from the warming tray. If they had been there too long, and overcooked we were, let's say, "chastised" to keep this post clean.The policy of rare burger was in my opinion one of the primary reasons the chain failed. The majority of people weren't ready for them. I had burgers with one bite taken thrown back at the trolley. I received perfectly cooked burgers returned "anonymously" or by children with obscene messages on the wrappers. The verbal complaints were non-stop. Everyone that complained was offered a replacement, cooked to their satisfaction of course but it didn't satisfy them, they were done with Ollie's Trolley.
I saw the handwriting on the wall. That and the overwhelming workload taught me I didn't want anything to do with the fast food industry. You had to work too hard for too little and it pushed me into another career path. It's one reason I have so much respect for food industry workers. They EARN their money. (Sorry for shouting the earn word)
Memory lane - what a trip.
"I dined at my favorite restaurant last night. It was like Heaven, only better. They let me in".