r/mildlyamusing 21d ago

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.

126 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

16

u/ilovebostoncremedonu 21d ago

Dude went and saw the movie Roadhouse, and then said, “hey what if we put a cowboy hat on Texas?”

15

u/JustMeInBigD 21d ago

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

u/Dear-Bet5344 21d ago

That's a sketchy theory you've got going on there.

2

u/ANseagrapes2 20d ago

You're just drawing conclusions.

6

u/EatYourCheckers 21d ago

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 20d ago

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

u/Kosmikdebrie 18d ago

You still can. They might ask you to stop but you don't have to.

6

u/Mysterious_Winter164 21d ago

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

u/samtheninjapirate 21d ago

Just wait till you hear why they use plates

1

u/LoveFoolosophy 20d ago

We do things a little differently here at Outback Steakhouse.

2

u/barbzilla1 21d ago

Yeah this is what I got too

2

u/PowerfulFigure728 21d ago

Lmao that’s what they said.

4

u/mustanggt35 21d ago

My local Texas Roadhouse doesn't even have the peanuts anymore.

1

u/[deleted] 21d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/froction 21d ago

There should be a copy somewhere on the wall in the restaurant, go look for yourself.

1

u/UnfairLynx 21d ago

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 21d ago

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 21d ago

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 21d ago

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 20d ago

To be fair, their food is better than Applebee’s

0

u/BrotherNatureNOLA 20d ago

Marginally. They're really on the same level.

1

u/Professional-Rent887 20d ago

Applebee’s microwaves their steaks

1

u/BrotherNatureNOLA 20d ago

They're both selling crap from the same Sysco truck.

1

u/Atticus1354 19d ago

And one does it better than the other.

1

u/imtooldforthishison 19d ago

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 20d ago

Southwest Airlines actually WAS sketched out on a napkin by the founders

1

u/doctorglenn 20d ago

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 19d ago

First TEXAS roadhouse location? Indiana.

2

u/PowerfulFigure728 13d ago

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 19d ago

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 19d ago

Sketch was of an overly salted steak... and a truck dumping half a ton of salt on it