Comments on: Steak n Shake Earnings Call Notes http://www.fatpitchfinancials.com/744/steak-n-shake-earnings-call-notes/ Special situation stocks and value investing Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:16:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: maria http://www.fatpitchfinancials.com/744/steak-n-shake-earnings-call-notes/#comment-260421 maria Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:10:46 +0000 http://www.fatpitchfinancials.com/744/steak-n-shake-earnings-call-notes/#comment-260421 Nate, th problem with steak n shake is they hire too many Generation Y whiners. The work load is unbalanced, the waitresses must do most everything. The folks behind the counter are L-a-z-y.The managers are lazy. They don't care. The males stand around, ignoring me when I try to pay up. The waitresses have to drop what they are doing to help me. Some locations even make the older women who work there do all of the cleaning. I know. I am a local business woman who comes in late, and the kids that work there do absolutely nothing. Just the older workers work. And I stopped going there when my favorite waitress, Patti, was let go for nothing more than being so good, she made their new manager look stupid. She always made my visits worthwhile and made sure my food was good because she cooked it for me herself. The last time i went there, some rude kid ignored me and I left.Before leaving, I asked where Patti was. They said they didn't know. Nate, th problem with steak n shake is they hire too many Generation Y whiners.
The work load is unbalanced, the waitresses must do most everything.
The folks behind the counter are L-a-z-y.The managers are lazy. They don’t care. The males stand around, ignoring me when I try to pay up. The waitresses have to drop what they are doing to help me.
Some locations even make the older women who work there do all of the cleaning.
I know. I am a local business woman who comes in late, and the kids that work there do absolutely nothing. Just the older workers work. And I stopped going there when my favorite waitress, Patti, was let go for nothing more than being so good, she made their new manager look stupid. She always made my visits worthwhile and made sure my food was good because she cooked it for me herself. The last time i went there, some rude kid ignored me and I left.Before leaving, I asked where Patti was. They said they didn’t know.

]]> By: Nate http://www.fatpitchfinancials.com/744/steak-n-shake-earnings-call-notes/#comment-201307 Nate Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:02:01 +0000 http://www.fatpitchfinancials.com/744/steak-n-shake-earnings-call-notes/#comment-201307 George, Nice writeup, I take it that you've never actually been to a Steak and Shake before. I live in the east, but family is in the Midwest, so when we travel we usually stop on the way. The food tastes great, the problems I've experienced are: 1. Way to slow, we get carryout and it's usually 20min+ to get the food ready, sometimes the waiting area will fill up with so many people that customers turn away at the door, they don't want to wait. 2. Execution - it doesn't seem like the workers have stations like they do at McDonalds, this leads to employees running around trying to fill in for routine tasks, it always seems crazy behind the counter. 3. Cleanliness - this isn't a big deal, but there is a 'dirty' feel to most of the places. This could also be that the interiors are always white, and white shows dirt. I know for my wife and I we don't plan on stopping as often because the wait is too long, we can go to a Burger King next door and be on the road 15 min quicker. If you get a chance check one out, it's worth the visit, the food's good (better than fast food), and the shakes are great. Nate George,

Nice writeup, I take it that you’ve never actually been to a Steak and Shake before. I live in the east, but family is in the Midwest, so when we travel we usually stop on the way. The food tastes great, the problems I’ve experienced are:

1. Way to slow, we get carryout and it’s usually 20min+ to get the food ready, sometimes the waiting area will fill up with so many people that customers turn away at the door, they don’t want to wait.
2. Execution - it doesn’t seem like the workers have stations like they do at McDonalds, this leads to employees running around trying to fill in for routine tasks, it always seems crazy behind the counter.
3. Cleanliness - this isn’t a big deal, but there is a ‘dirty’ feel to most of the places. This could also be that the interiors are always white, and white shows dirt.

I know for my wife and I we don’t plan on stopping as often because the wait is too long, we can go to a Burger King next door and be on the road 15 min quicker.

If you get a chance check one out, it’s worth the visit, the food’s good (better than fast food), and the shakes are great.

Nate

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