Something GOOD just happened... why?

Ok folks...

Something very interesting happened today here in Atlanta.


At least once a month, my family visits the Papadeaux in our area for their brunch.

First off, it's great... if you ever get a chance... take it...

Mainly though, we have been doing this for about a year now. When we first started going it was PACKED. I mean, really really packed. Lots of Church crowds in there.

Then, as the summer wore on, gas prices were high, and in some places around Atlanta, non-existent. The crowds at Papadeaux thinned. They stopped having two serving stations for omelets cooked to order.

Eventually it was just the regulars, and then they stopped showing up.

It got to the point that you could go in there at anytime and get a table without a wait... Never was it like that for the 6-7 months prior.

It's been like this for a while, but today, something very odd happened.

I went in there with my family, and it was PACKED again... now, not hour and a half wait packed, but 20 minute wait packed.

I commented on this to one of the usual waitresses there, and she said "Yeah, we noticed it too. For a while it was like a sinking ship and we didn't know if we should jump or not. We are very happy to see this"

Now what's really weird is that for most of the past year, their Brunch Buffet was like $15.00 a piece. And they never really advertised it outside of a single banner on the side, and word of mouth.

Now, they have signs lining the roads which say $18.95 like it's a deal. However, today, for the first time, they asked what age my son was, and because he was under 12, he ate for $5.75

Either way, this was a very odd occurrence.

The first two possible answers that popped to mind were:

1. Perhaps now that Obama is in office, there is a general sense of prosperity in the air, and people decided to come out and enjoy the Sunday instead of taking a less expensive route to the traditional after Church Brunch.

2. Perhaps more people are going to Church for various reasons, indirectly increasing the amount of people who are purchasing Brunch at the local places which offer it.

Anyway... I see this as a GOOD thing.

Any other ideas out there as to what might have been the general cause?

Click here for more information.

Obama is already proving to be quite arrogant and seems to have his own plans.

Bad recipe, someone with very little experience making big decisions all while releasing terrorists and prosecuting those who interrogated them. As if he was a sympathetic proxy for those groups.

Turns out he's just another junior politician from the Chicago machine.

Originally posted by HunkaHunka
Now, they have signs lining the roads which say $18.95 like it's a deal.

I think you answered your own question

That's funny as crap. I lived in Atlanta right down street from the place for a very long time. And I never ate there because I could never get in. Always too busy. And when I want to eat, I want to eat! Now! Couldn't handle those crowds.

You sure the signs were advertising the brunch and not the more expensive dinners?

Originally posted by leisuredrummer
Wow, could you be up Obama's *** anymore? Seriously?

I haven't felt this "hope" in the air like everyone else has. I simply don't feel it. The economy is still how it has been, people aren't going out to eat simply because Obama is President.

I believe what you are experiencing is a flux in business, it happens all the time. Places get hot, then go cold, and vice versa. Plus who the hell eats a buffet for $18?

Obama, haha.

But I guess it is a good thing no matter why it is happening.

I don't think you understand. There is a very high portion, I'd guess 90% of Obama supporters up in that place. Now I'm an Obama supporter but didn't go because of that... I went because I'm a regular.

But as I mentioned, you can feel the general sense of happiness exude from the Obama supporters in the area.

Keep in mind, this took everyone by surprise, and I wasn't the only one who brought that out. But notice it wasn't my only possible answer for why it was happening.

I also mentioned that maybe more people are going to Church now for various reasons. It was obvious that lots of those folks had just come from Church.

So, in the spirit of SkepticOverlords post, could we please knock off the "How far up Obama's butt are you?" comment.



[edit on 26-1-2009 by HunkaHunka]

Originally posted by cavrac

Originally posted by HunkaHunka
Now, they have signs lining the roads which say $18.95 like it's a deal.

I think you answered your own question

Although I'm sure the signs helped, that doesn't explain the fact that they have been up now for three months, and three was not a steady pick up in business. It happened all of a sudden. The management don't even understand it.

Originally posted by TrueAmerican
That's funny as crap. I lived in Atlanta right down street from the place for a very long time. And I never ate there because I could never get in. Always too busy. And when I want to eat, I want to eat! Now! Couldn't handle those crowds.

You sure the signs were advertising the brunch and not the more expensive dinners?

yeah man... seriously go check it out.. the signs are adverts for the brunch.

You're right though.. it used to be PACKED, but it has been easy as pie to get into for quite a while before today.

I was surprised I had to wait because I haven't had to for months now.

reply to post by HunkaHunka


A restaurant was busy on a Sunday morning.

Jesus. (maybe he DID have something to do with it!) the World's problems are over now!

1. Perhaps now that Obama is in office, there is a general sense of prosperity in the air, and people decided to come out and enjoy the Sunday instead of taking a less expensive route to the traditional after Church Brunch.

Interesting theory. I would say it's 100% wrong.. but interesting theory. Unless... Obama zapped a few $20 bills into our wallets.. I did find a wrinkled dollar in my jeans today ..

I can just see it.. in Atlanta anyways .. all those pent up Democrats that pulled the shades closed, locked the doors, delved into their shelters and waited for the evil Republicans to get out of office. Alas, a new day has risen.. the first Sunday since Obama took office those poor souls went out for their first brunch in 8 years!

Hooray to no more Conservative spending, massive debt, bank bailout, stimulus packages and corporate propping using tax payer dollars! Hooray to a NEW era of Liberal spending, massive debt, bank bailout, stimulus packages and corporate propping using tax payer dollars!

I know that made ME want to go get some pancakes and eggs this morning. Or my hang over. Which ever it was. Same feeling actually.

2. Perhaps more people are going to Church for various reasons, indirectly increasing the amount of people who are purchasing Brunch at the local places which offer it.

Might be, all those people that didn't get $20 zapped into their wallets by Obama went to Church to look for their own savior of sorts to bail them out of their financial mess. Then went to brunch to mull over what they will do with their new found religious prosperity.

OR MAYBE

An abnormally large amount of people decided to eat breakfast at one particular place?

But I think you might be on to something with Obama. Just looking at his face makes me feel warm and cozy on the insides, as if no rising interest rates, over due bills, unemployment, late rent and a foreclosure could bring me down!

Obama makes me wanna eat! Thats a great explanation. Seems the cash advance office is always more packed nowdays as well...coincidence?

Ive never seen people so delusional over a politician. Out of all the reasons as to why that restaurant was packed on Sunday, I am fairly confident Obama is the least of which.

reply to post by Rockpuck


All sarcasm aside, I'm not saying it was possible that Obama was the direct cause, but there is a lot of happy folks right now because he was Inaugurated and because of what he has appeared to do in the first week.

You may not realize it, but it makes a lot of us feel a lot better about our situation. Not that we have $20 zapped in our pockets, but more because that $20 doesn't feel as scarce any more.

Now, the last time I checked... that was a good thing for the economy.

Now like I said... I'm not saying this WAS the reason.. it was just the first thing that popped to mind.

But either way, It was an odd occurrence, and I will report back next Sunday to see if it happened again. If so, I might very well ask a few people why they are there.

As a wise man once told me...

Once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence, and thrice indicates a theme.

Originally posted by leisuredrummer
Obama makes me wanna eat! Thats a great explanation. Seems the cash advance office is always more packed nowdays as well...coincidence?

Well, at this time, those of us who supported him do want to celebrate. Eating goes right along with that.

Ive never seen people so delusional over a politician. Out of all the reasons as to why that restaurant was packed on Sunday, I am fairly confident Obama is the least of which.

Really? I believe you underestimate the amount of happy people there are around here now that he is elected. Take a look at Atlanta on the voting maps. It was overwhelmingly Obama votes. Now he was just inaugurated and many of us had huge parties.

In my case family even flew in for the celebration.

Now I'm not convinced it was the reason for the sudden increase in attendance today after such a long drought, but it's not exactly a stretch around here to suspect it possible.

Imagine if you will a society where the majority of people are Obama supporters and are now happy because they have what they have wanted for quite a while, and that's what you will find in Fulton County.

[edit on 26-1-2009 by HunkaHunka]

How many are eating with their credit cards? I hope people don't start using them to pay for their "needs". I work at Friday's as a second job and i have noticed that more and more my checkout book is filled with credit card slips instead of cash.

And do Obama supports believe that now he is in office, they can spend as much as they like and he will somehow get them out of debt? Also why celebrate now? The man just unloaded a bunch of missles into Pakistan!

[edit on 26-1-2009 by LeTan]

Hotlanta? Really, they voted for Obama there? Weeiiirrdd...

The civil rights movement will have actually made progress when people vote for a politician that happens to be black, not simply because he IS black.

I don't feel like $20 is any less scarce at all, tell me how that is? It's only been one WEEK, nothing has been done to our economy. All that has happened is we are now paying for abortions overseas and Obama has appointed a lobbyist for defense secretary although he vowed to eliminate lobbying.

Good thing your family stuck the the liberal green agenda and flew unnecessarily for a celebration. Did they pay their offsets for that flight?

People should be eating out in droves because of those moves.

First of all, the premise of this thread is skewed because it is trying to draw conclusions about the broad-based economy/society through observation of ONE SINGLE RESTAURANT. This is what is called using "anecdotal eveidence," which involves placing too much emphasis on one person's subjective, personal exsperience and reading too much into it. I'm sorry, I mean no disrespect to the OP, but there is no way to get an "intuitive feel" for something as large and complex as the state of a nation or society, through subjective experience.

In any economy there will be businesses doing well and businesses doing poorly...don't forget that in the depths of the great depression we had 25% unemployment, but that means 75% was still employed, still going to work every day and earning a salary or whatnot. Some, like the Kennedy family, even made great fortunes during the depression.

So, the isolated experience of one person or one company can tell us NOTHING about the overall state of the economy. The only way we can get a feel for that is through NUMBERS and STASTISTICS. These are currently quite grim and getting grimmer each day. So while I'm happy that that particular restaurant is doing well, its folly to read too much into that example about the economy or "hope in the air" or anything else, really.

reply to post by leisuredrummer


i think he (Obama, A.K.A. Christ, Savior, Kenyan) looks anorexic.

Those people make me want to eat too.

It's the ones that purge that I loose my appetite

Originally posted by silent thunder

So, the isolated experience of one person or one company can tell us NOTHING about the overall state of the economy.

Uhm... that wasn't it at all.

I was wondering WHY this particular restaurant had a banner day all of a sudden after months of barely break even Sundays and amidst news of economic disaster.

Something spurred that group of people to go... so my question is WHY?

And as I mentioned, there were only two characteristics of the people who came. A sea of Obama bumper stickers in the parking lot, and the vast majority of them were dressed as if they had just came from Church.

This led me to think that maybe, this being the first Sunday past the Inauguration, that the general good sense of hope which has settled on us Obama supporters here in Atlanta since tuesday had a little to do with it...

There are other reasons which could be explored as well... But my family, the staff of the place AND the management all were rather dumbfounded, but ecstatic for the change.

It was a really feel good brunch.

Originally posted by LeTan
How many are eating with their credit cards? I hope people don't start using them to pay for their "needs". I work at Friday's as a second job and i have noticed that more and more my checkout book is filled with credit card slips instead of cash.

It could be. This is a rather affluent area, and the AJC carried a story last week about how the highly affluent are now visiting high end pawn shops because they are used to living temporarily on credit, which has been grabbed back from the issuers. These people are now taking out 200k, 500k, and in some instances 1M dollar loans just to get by.

And do Obama supports believe that now he is in office, they can spend as much as they like and he will somehow get them out of debt?

No, they are optimistic of a turn around in the economy in general now that their man is in the Oval Office.

Also why celebrate now? The man just unloaded a bunch of missles into Pakistan!

Your point? What's that got to do with the general feeling of the economy?

Originally posted by imd12c4funn
reply to post by leisuredrummer

 

It's the ones that purge that I loose my appetite

Excuse me? Complete sentences please.

Here's a thought as to the cause...

Many people have already received their W-2's

Many tax companies are on TV advertising refunds by direct deposit in about 8 days.

HR Block is giving up to $1000 in advances on your tax return without even filing it yet, just show your W-2.

People are not afraid to spend when they know more money is coming in - like the tax return.

Wonder how this time next year will be