Post by staggerstag on Nov 20, 2018 1:44:06 GMT
A US eatery was named America’s best burger place. But what seemed like a positive accolade caused unexpected and untold problems ...
Name: The best burger curse.
Age: First identified last year.
Appearance: Like a toxic trophy.
How do you win one? Simply by being the best.
The best burger? Precisely.
Who decides that? There are many bloggers and review sites devoted to finding the best burger. For example, the Hungry Moose in Kilkenny was just named the best burger in Ireland, from 17,000 votes.
How nice for them. You might think so.
I mean, an accolade like that should really bring the customers in. Be careful what you wish for.
Why are you being so downbeat? They won! I’m just thinking of what we learned from the burger quest.
What is a burger quest? In 2016, the website Thrillist sent its burger critic on a mission to find the greatest burger of them all.
Burger critic, did you say? That’s right: Kevin Alexander. One year, 30 cities and 330 burgers later, he named the cheeseburger at Stanich’s – an unassuming bar in Portland, Oregon – “the best burger in America”, calling it a “national treasure”.
Wow. If it’s that good, I must go there the next time I’m in Portland. You can’t. It’s closed.
Why would the best burger place in the United States close? Because thousands of people had the same stupid idea as you and flooded the place. Waiting times for burgers stretched to several hours, staff were overwhelmed, service declined and loyal customers were alienated.
The curse strikes! Six months later, Stanich’s shut its doors for a “deep clean” and never reopened. Owner Steve Stanich, whose parents started the place in 1949, said the award was “the worst thing that’s ever happened to us”.
What a tragic tale. According to Alexander, other restaurants in his Top 10 also suffered from influxes of burger tourists.
I’ll admit I did not know there was such a thing as a burger tourist. They come, they eat, and they go on TripAdvisor to complain, never understanding that they are part of the problem.
I think we all know that the internet is the problem. You’re not wrong. The online world is full of people offering up unsolicited opinions about burgers, or telling you that you are consuming them wrong (apparently, you’re supposed to eat them upside down).
Why can’t people stop caring about things that don’t matter and discover something important, such as the world’s greatest pizza? Do not go there.
Do say: “The double cheeseburger comes with fries and a non-disclosure agreement.”
Don’t say: “Fear not, JD Wethersoons – your burger is safe for another year.”
Age: First identified last year.
Appearance: Like a toxic trophy.
How do you win one? Simply by being the best.
The best burger? Precisely.
Who decides that? There are many bloggers and review sites devoted to finding the best burger. For example, the Hungry Moose in Kilkenny was just named the best burger in Ireland, from 17,000 votes.
How nice for them. You might think so.
I mean, an accolade like that should really bring the customers in. Be careful what you wish for.
Why are you being so downbeat? They won! I’m just thinking of what we learned from the burger quest.
What is a burger quest? In 2016, the website Thrillist sent its burger critic on a mission to find the greatest burger of them all.
Burger critic, did you say? That’s right: Kevin Alexander. One year, 30 cities and 330 burgers later, he named the cheeseburger at Stanich’s – an unassuming bar in Portland, Oregon – “the best burger in America”, calling it a “national treasure”.
Wow. If it’s that good, I must go there the next time I’m in Portland. You can’t. It’s closed.
Why would the best burger place in the United States close? Because thousands of people had the same stupid idea as you and flooded the place. Waiting times for burgers stretched to several hours, staff were overwhelmed, service declined and loyal customers were alienated.
The curse strikes! Six months later, Stanich’s shut its doors for a “deep clean” and never reopened. Owner Steve Stanich, whose parents started the place in 1949, said the award was “the worst thing that’s ever happened to us”.
What a tragic tale. According to Alexander, other restaurants in his Top 10 also suffered from influxes of burger tourists.
I’ll admit I did not know there was such a thing as a burger tourist. They come, they eat, and they go on TripAdvisor to complain, never understanding that they are part of the problem.
I think we all know that the internet is the problem. You’re not wrong. The online world is full of people offering up unsolicited opinions about burgers, or telling you that you are consuming them wrong (apparently, you’re supposed to eat them upside down).
Why can’t people stop caring about things that don’t matter and discover something important, such as the world’s greatest pizza? Do not go there.
Do say: “The double cheeseburger comes with fries and a non-disclosure agreement.”
Don’t say: “Fear not, JD Wethersoons – your burger is safe for another year.”
