Bob Evans out of the restaurant business

Did I ever tell you guys of the time the only time I ever went to Perkins? No. Well it was a hot summer day in 2012 and I needed a new car, kind of, so my friend and I took off that Friday morning and headed down to Cinncinati. Where I picked up this automobile:

Yes that was me with a full pick up truck load full of booze that was still technically owned by the state of Ohio's department of liquor control. I was entrusted to get the booze to many end user destinations in Lorain County. Many of the most popular watering holes that people like @mattvogelpohl I'm sure have heard of.

Here I was this was on a Friday that was always a heavy day for liquor deliveries, but here I was out in Lorain the bed of the truck is completely full front to back and the extend cab part of the truck also completely full you can also see I have a case of booze, seat belted into the passenger seat this picture was taken behind the state liquor store in the town of @Longarm. I believe this picture was taken in 2014 sometime.

Anyhow I had, had that truck set up for booze hauling the tonauno cover was an extang solid state lockable cover it could not be opened at all from the outside and was hard plastic it could not be cut through. The tail gate also locked so the bed was fully secure.

I was in charge of getting the booze to Olive Garden, and many other places usually I would take a big load in the morning get all that off and then come back and grab like a half a load and do that in the afternoon, usually only 2-3 stops in the afternoon. Part of the reason for two loads was because A. The store waited for orders to be faxed in and they had to pick them and B. Sometimes I just ran out of cube.

Anyhow that's enough about that, back on topic, so in 2012 I went down to Cinncinati and I was driving my old 1995 Ford Van:

Now that old Ford van always had a little bit of a tick in it and was a strange runner (I ended up junking it) anyhow it ran, but it was strange I never really knew where it came from and the maintenance on it was weird, I think Sears was the original owner of it at one point in time, but it was an odd ball.

Anyhow that van had Heat, no AC, no power mirrors no cruse control, no radio except for a CD player, that was installed aftermarket, pretty much nothing special. I did however a year or two before that drive it to Lexington, Kentucky and it did it made it there and back go figure right?

Anyhow I get to Cinncinati and by the Ford F-150 and I tell my buddy alright lets hit it. So we decide to head back home. Well he was in my new car and I was in the old van and as were getting on the highway I-71 in Cinncinati the old Ford van starts to dog it, and it starts over heating and I lose all performance, not good. So we get a little ways north of the city and I tell my buddy "Keep heading home I'm going to drop this van off here at Jack's Automotive in South Leabanon, Ohio and you can drive me to one exit back and I'll get a hotel room."

He says "Okay sure."

So he drops me back at the hotel and I check my self in and he takes off.

So that night I'm here stuck with no transportation one exit back and need to get to my van the next day, so I don't know what possesed me, but there was a Perkins across the street and I went in there and bought an entire pie.

Okay so Saturday morning comes and I need to get my van? What to do? There's nobody around to give me a lift the thought of calling the auto shop for a ride didn't even cross my mind after all there in the car fixing business not the ride sharing business although I bet Jack would have sent his pretty office girl out to get me I think it was his girl friend she was very attractive drove a restored like mid 1980's Chevy Silverado pick up truck very cool. He was a nice guy opened up on Saturday to fix my van even though he didn't want to.

So I said no can't call them. So I looked on a map and saw it was only 10 miles of a hike to get from my hotel to the auto shop so I packed up my gear which was a pie and started marching down the road remember this is a highway exit there's not really side walks or anything, so I just started marching along the side of the road with pie from Perkins.

About 5 miles into my march a man in a black Izuz Trooper stopped backed up and said "Where are you headed."

I sized him up, up and down and said "Jacks auto shop in South Lebanon, Ohio."

He said "I know the joint hop in."
I reluctantly hopped in, normally I don't like to hitchhike.

Now it was a humid hot swealtery Sunny Saturday morning in the Summer time in Cincinnati so you guys can get a feel for it and I was out on the side of the road hiking through a ditch because there were no side walks on a 10 mile march.

Anyhow the guy said to me:
"Where are you coming from?"
I said "The Hampton in one exit back my van broke down and it's at Jack's Automotive getting fixed."

He said "Were you walking?"
I said "Yes I figured I had the time so start marching."
He laughed and said "Ha! That reminds me of my days in the service! A good 10 mile march."

So we get to Jacks and I said "Here, take this thank you for the ride."
He goes "No man, that's alright."
I said "No, no no it's a pie I bought it from Perkins last night it's French Silk the box and everything is all intacted it's never been open please take it.
I bought it to give as a token of appreciation anyway."

He went "No, well alright, really thanks man."
I said "Sure no problem thanks for the help and the ride."

Anyhow 3 hours later I got a new radiator in my van and some other pieces parts and a $500.00 bill and I was headed home. And that was my first and so far only experience with Perkins.

 

85% of the places I supply are institutions that don't generally serve the general public so it's hard for me to support them as well. Generally I don't go to a ton of chain restaurants either.

 

I was never hot for Applebee's did enough Applebee's in the beer and liquor world. Although I can't say Applebee's was awful to deal with.

Texas Roadhouse is a killer account for Sygma though talk about moving weight.