Dude, wrong thread for that post. I think you wanted to put that here.
At Burger King, I am. Oh wait. I work there.
I go to school regularly…some of the teachers and other people there even know my name!
hangs head in shame, realizing how nerdy she must sound
Then again, I did miss 2 and a half days of school this week.
I’m trying to become a regular at a local cafe; I even tip really well so they’ll remember me kindly.
I’d hate to have them make my order as soon as I walk in, though. What if I want something different this time?
The easiest place in the world to be a regular:
Henry’s convenience store in the 111 Sutter building in San Francisco.
When I worked in that building I stopped there every morning to buy an orange juice so they knew me. One day I was hurried and went in to buy a sandwich. I say “I’d like a sandwich. Turkey on sourdough, swiss, no lettuce, no tomato.” Decent sandwich. Next day I am hurried again, order the same sandwich.
5 MONTHS LATER is the next time I order a sandwich. I say “I’d like a sandwich . . .” and she interrupts with “turkey on sourdough, swiss, no lettuce, no tomato.”
I was flabbergasted but it was cool. After that I watched her whenever I was in the store, probably 70% of the people that wanted sandwiches did not have to say their order.
But otherwise I am not a regular anywhere.
When I drive up to the local taco wagon they already are making my asada torta with guacamole, radishes, two jalapenos, extra hot salsa and a coconut milk drink. I get to the window and the order is bagged and ready. Great food and wonderful people.
Not anymore. I just moved to a new town, so I’m starting all over. In Des Moines, though, my friends and I could go to any area Perkins and they’d know to bring a pot of coffee, a bowl of cow, two glasses of ice water and a Coke.
Menus optional.
I’ve been a regular at several places, mainly because I have a small lunch imagination and it’s easy to get the same thing endlessly, but when I realize it I always have to switch. I can’t stand the pressure.
Well, they recgonize me at Target, Red Lobster, and Carl’s Jr.
I go to a sushi bar ([shameless plug]Hakata in Silverdale, Washington, USA[/shameless plug]) where the sushi chef (?) remembers my order, even if I haven’y been in for a month.
I have a key to my favorite coffee shop.
I order a pizza-for-one for lunch once a week at a particular pizzaria. Even though the counter help all know my voice, they still ask my name and what will I be ordering today. Then they act surprised when I walk in and ask me how I’ve been. I love it. I’d be offended if they stopped. One week I didn’t order from them, and when I returned the following week the girl at the counter asked if I was all right. It was positively heartwarming.
I’ve been a regular at Sushi King in Milpitas since it opened. Every Friday regular I go there for lunch.
I get the same fare for my weekly porkfest:
(Complimentary) roasted peanuts
Iced tea
Bowl of the soup du jour
Loaf of bread
Large order of “Texas Cheese Fries” with sides of mustard and blue cheese.
My server of the evening typically just checks by to make sure that I’m not deviating. Most of the time, when it’s a newbie, they’ve already been tipped off and also just check in to verify.
I work in a bookstore. There is a cafe attatched, which is seperately owned and operated. However, we give their employees 40% discounts, and they give us 40% discounts. So guess where I eat a lot of the time? I don’t order the same stuff every single day, so they don’t start working on my order as soon as I walk in, but everyone there knows who I am, and I know most of their names. When I ask for my iced chai, they know that I like it with soy milk, but that when I get hot chai, I like it with regular milk. I guess that makes me a regular.
My sister and I were “regulars” for years at the Falafel place in the Glendale Galleria (Glendale, CA.) We’d go there before we went to our pottery class. (Or any other time we just HAD to have taboule!) They were always very friendly, and waited for us to decide if we wanted the Greek Salad this time, the taboule, or both. And we always got Diet Pepsi too, of course. Damn - the Falafel place is no longer there. I am still crestfallen over that.
I worked at Pumpernicks on Court Street in FLint. We knew. the five month later same thing memory, yup. We did orders by what people drove.
We knew which people would change from time to time and we knew which people wanted their bagel one half at a time so both halves would stay warm. It was great.
I liked that job, didn’t make much, but the people were great. It was just a sweet family group.
I lived upstairs from a tiny little bar (and next door to the bar’s owner) when I first moved to Japan. There were no other foreigners in the neighborhood, and I would go there for a beer or three several times a week, so they recognized me pretty quickly. Most of the customers there were also regulars, so just about everybody knew my name.
I miss that bar. Best foreign language class I ever attended. 
–sublight.
I’m a regular at the sandwich shop down the street from my work. No perks there, though, just faster service.
I’m a regular at the YMCA in Park Slope at 6:00 am and the guy behind the counter doesn’t bother swiping my membership card anymore.
I’m a regular at the “Chicken Rib Crib” - I don’t know what the real name of the place is, it’s a food joint where my roommate and I go to get cheap dinner. Yesterday I got a chicken sandwich, juice and french fries and it only cost $3!
I’m a regular at several neighborhood bars, including Loki’s and The Gate. Lots of free drinks.
I seem to become a regular pretty quickly. I haven’t lived in San Francisco for more than two years, but when I visited in July I went to my old burrito place. I walked up to the counter and the guy said, “Chicken Burrito, no beans extra rice?” I was amazed.
I play a lot of pool (8 or 9 ball). The places where I normally play know it’s going to be 7 & 7. The most I get asked is if I want one now or to wait a bit.
Fat Jacks Oyster Bar on State Line in Texarkana, AR. All the employees knew me and what I liked. I always drank Guinness or draft Budweiser. The taps were on different ends of the bar and they knew what to bring me by where I pointed. I stayed there so much it was the first place my family called when looking for me. It got to the point that I would stay and help sweep up and they would give me free beer (can’t sell after midnight but well… free isin’t illegal). When they had live entertainment and charged a cover I got in for free. I moved away and had not visited the place in about 8 years. I went to visit my parents and my younger brother and his friends were going out to Jack’s place and when they got to the door they all paid their $5 cover charge and I walked right past the bouncer - he stopped my and started giving me a hard time but the waitresses saw me and said HE’S OK!!!, I was then was brought a complimentary beer by one of my favorite waitresses. Even after 8 years of being away they still took care of me. As mentioned in previous posts I’m glad those days are over but it is nice to hang out at a place that sort of seems like home.