In this Baker’s shop, there are tables. And, after you’ve purchased your sandwich, cake or donuts, you can eat at this shop. Well, as a lazy man, instead of preparing my own sandwiches, every morning I go to this shop and eat my sandwich there. Each morning breakfast costs me 4-5€. And each morning I come across the same cashier. Probably she thinks I’m mentally challenged to prepare my own breakfast and I am fool to pay 5€ for a breakfast.
I wonder if there is someone else doing something similar to what I do.
Am I weird to do that?
You’ve heard of ‘regulars’ haven’t you? If not you’re one of them. And it’s not weird.
It probably wouldn’t kill you to strike up a conversation with the cashier every once in a while to alleviate any doubt that she might think you’re mentally challenged.
I’ve mentioned before that I once had a lunch place were I was such a regular that I not only had a usual, I had an alternate usual. As soon as I walked in, they began preparing my usual. If I didn’t want it, I had to speak up as soon as I walked in – at which point they would begin preparing my alternate usual.
The nice part was that I could basically run a tab – if I didn’t have cash on me that day, they’d just let me pay the next time I came in – they knew I’d be back.
I don’t eat oatmeal every morning, but on the days I do, I get it at the same place. I don’t have to order it, they just make it for me when I walk in.
I’m just curious as to why you think this is odd? Do you walk in, place your order, and not say a word? Then just mosey over to your table and eat in silence while staring at your food? That would be odd, but definitely not anything different than millions of others are doing all over the world at the same time.
I have a favorite bakery chain, and have been closest to three different storefronts over the course of my last three jobs. All three eventually figured out what to grab when I walk in the door. I just grin and thank them.
Yes, the problem with being a regular is that sometimes they see you coming, think they know what you’re going to order and have it prepared for you by the time you walk in the door. Nice and all well and good unless you were planning to change your order that day and try something new. Then it gets a bit annoying. So I always try to vary my orders a bit in my regular places.
That seems an odd bit of logic to me. To ensure that they don’t prepare the same thing that you order every day, because it’s your favorite, you should sometimes order other things that are not your favorite. I think I’d just go for asking them to wait until I order, “even though I do love the poached eggs that I have nearly every day.”
This happened to me in Japan all the time. The help in all the restaurants I frequented in my neighborhood remembered what I had ordered last time I was in (my wife and I were the only gaijin in town) and assumed I would have that again next time I was in. It worked out well in that if I wanted tempura I would go to the restaurant where I had last eaten tempura and if I wanted hanbaga I would go the the place where I always got hamburger.
When I lived in Seattle near Northgate Mall I used to go there several times a week with my toddler son (the weather often being too shitty rainy to endure outdoors) and the staff at Cinnabon would get my cup of coffee ready when they saw me coming. I never didn’t want a cup of coffee so it worked out well. I knew them all by name.
I don’t what 4-5€ is in real money, but it sounds expensive for breakfast. They probably think you are well off, and love you there. They’ll be concerned about your health if you don’t show up some day.
Dude. They are charging you 5 dollarsish for a sandwich. You keep going back and buying more. All they would think is that you must really like their sandwiches. Or the cashier.
Out of curiosity, is it a fancy sandwich? It’s not just marmite is it?
Go go to the same sandwich shop for lunch about 4 days/week. They know what sandwich to fix based on the day of the week and excatly how I like it prepared. Since I don’t have to order, I can use that time to banter with the staff. Even when there is a new employee I don’t have to order. One of the “vets” will walk them through it. It’s pretty nice, actually.
There’s a story Richard Feynman tells in one of his books. He went to the same restaurant most days for one of his meals. He spent considerable thought every time deciding what to eat for dessert. Then one day he decided that he was going to have chocolate cake every day. That was one decision he would never have to make again, which freed his mind up for other things.
So she works at a place that prepares breakfast sandwiches and sells them to the general public, and you’re afraid she’ll think you’re mentally challenged for going there regularly and buying what they sell?
Our favorite sushi place offers a Royal Boat for two. It is a ton of sushi at a bargain price. We always order it.
On our most recent trip, a waiter brought us water and tea. He opened our wine and poured (BYOB). We were expecting someone to come take our order, but that never happened. They just brought “the usual”.
