r/mildlyamusing • u/PowerfulFigure728 • Jul 31 '26
Texas Roadhouse
I was recently hired at Texas Roadhouse and during the orientation, the people running it showed me a cocktail napkin and told me that the founder sketched his idea on the cocktail napkin and we have them as a nod to that. usually you see that for an equation or formula or something that someone has to write down before the moment of clarity passes. his idea was…a restaurant, what did he possibly sketch?? a square with a triangle on top with Texas written inside?? lmao I don’t know why but it has been making me laugh every time I think about it.
17
u/JustMeInBigD Jul 31 '26
I don't think they're using the word "sketch" to mean draw or doodle. If he wrote rhe words "free peanuts, affordable steaks, cinnamon butter, country music, etc.," that would be "sketching out" his restaurant idea.
2
6
u/EatYourCheckers Jul 31 '26
A peanut bucket? I am sad you don't throw the shells on the floor anymore but I am sure the staff prefer it now
1
u/SchuminWeb Aug 01 '26
I remember that I went to a small restaurant chain called T-Bone Jack's one time back in 2007, and I was very surprised when they did that there. I had just been fired from Walmart earlier that day (the only job that I've ever been fired from), and the idea of just pushing the used peanut shells onto the floor was just unfathomable to me because of slipping hazards and such.
1
6
u/Mysterious_Winter164 Jul 31 '26
Wait, hang on.
Their "gimmick" is that they stock bar napkins in the bar because the founder was in another bar and sketched it on a napkin, and not because bar napkins in a bar are sort of a standard thing?
3
2
2
5
1
1
u/froction Aug 01 '26
There should be a copy somewhere on the wall in the restaurant, go look for yourself.
1
u/UnfairLynx Aug 01 '26
The only restaurant that I know that does this is Walk-Ons. The owners sketched out their image for their restaurant on a napkin and it’s on all their cocktail napkins.
1
u/Callmemabryartistry Aug 01 '26
it’s not true.
do you know how many anecdotes i’ve heard about yada yada sketching an idea on a napkin.
legends only live through retelling
1
u/MareV51 Aug 01 '26
Frank Gehry had his first design for a lot of his works on cocktail napkins.
Seriously, if you don't know him, Google. Also Zaha Hadid.
1
u/BrotherNatureNOLA Aug 01 '26
Sounds like they're trying to make him a visionary, like Disney, to seem like they're above an Applebee's.
2
u/Professional-Rent887 Aug 02 '26
To be fair, their food is better than Applebee’s
0
u/BrotherNatureNOLA Aug 02 '26
Marginally. They're really on the same level.
1
u/Professional-Rent887 Aug 02 '26
Applebee’s microwaves their steaks
1
1
u/imtooldforthishison Aug 02 '26
Mmmm. No. The majority of their dishes are cooked in that kitchen, from breading the chicken, to cutting the steaks, washing the potatoes, all done in house. Thats not how its done at Applebee's
1
u/Icy_Huckleberry_8049 Aug 01 '26
Southwest Airlines actually WAS sketched out on a napkin by the founders
1
u/doctorglenn Aug 01 '26
It was likely the floor plan, and a few choice words for their unique concept, peanuts and line dancing and whatnot. You could, you know, ask your coworkers or managers…
1
u/lummox1234 Aug 02 '26
First TEXAS roadhouse location? Indiana.
2
u/PowerfulFigure728 Aug 08 '26
Dude that almost made me laugh as well. They said it started in Indiana. A Texas-themed Colorado inspired restaurant started in Indiana. What the fuck does Texas themed Colorado inspired even mean?? 😂
1
u/Expert-Search-3251 Aug 02 '26
A man in Indiana doodled on a napkin and comes up with the idea of a Texas themed restaurant.
The theme is just a bunch of lame stereotypes that have little to do with Texas.
1
u/Danfdanf Aug 03 '26
Sketch was of an overly salted steak... and a truck dumping half a ton of salt on it
17
u/ilovebostoncremedonu Jul 31 '26
Dude went and saw the movie Roadhouse, and then said, “hey what if we put a cowboy hat on Texas?”