|
Numbed by Abundance
Lewis
Goldberg
07/07/2003
The
company for which I work hosted a luncheon today at a local restaurant for
all the employees at our branch. A Mexican restaurant, it featured the
usual combination of pre-meal nachos and salsa, awkward service, and
wonderfully filling food. Thinking that the luncheon fajita platter would
be a scaled-back version of the huge dinner offering, I ordered that, plus
an iced tea, and settled into a holding pattern of shop-talk, peppered by
sports stories.
When
the plate arrived, I hastily made room for the larger than expected dish.
Once set before me, I realized that the customary side of tortillas were
missing, to which my neighbor remarked, "don't forget about the meat,
now!" Oh, goodness...he was right. Though the plate before me was
large enough to constitute a meal for one-and-a-half all by itself, all it
had on it was beans, lettuce, and various toppings such as pico de gallo,
guacamole, and other treats. In a few minutes, the waiter showed up with
the rest of the feast.
I
was treated to a sizzling platter of seasoned meat strips, mixed with bell
peppers and onions, which also, on its own, could have fed more than one
hungry person. Along with that, oddly enough, only three tortillas - the
soft taco size. [I'd have needed a whole bag to do the meal justice.] This
would all be well and good, except for not understanding how they could
serve all that food for $5.95. If I Super-Size my McDonald's®
Value Meal™, I come fairly close to that price, and for a
fraction of the food.
I
could have owed all this up to a fluke by the chef - maybe he goofed and
scooped a dinner portion by accident. Good theory, except that the man on
my right had the same dish served in the same abundant manner. Add to that
the man on my left who had a seven-dollar seafood salad that had what
looked like, easily, fifteen dollars worth of fish piled on it. Is this a
restaurant going out of business? No - it's owned by a successful
entrepreneurial family with a couple of restaurants, who have to operate in
a competitive environment. That's what drives companies to seek the best
prices on the best foods to satisfy their customers, and in this situation,
everyone wins.
Why
all this talk of food in what is usually a socio-political commentary
column? The same principles can be applied to any type of commerce. How
starkly this scenario differs from that seen when government gets involved
in trade issues - where shortages, poor service, and nonsensical rules
written by detached, underpaid lunatics are the norm. I'll just mention two
acronyms to complete the picture: VA, and USPS. 'Nuff said.
Your comments and questions are encouraged. [editor@patriotist.com]
Patriotist
LG_the_011303.html
|
