Happy Minot Monday, all! Today we’re setting aside lists and laws to dive into a delicious world of anecdotal bliss. No recommendations (okay, well maybe one)–just a look inside a quirk of North Dakota living. Today a new chain restaurant is opening in town. Anywhere else this would be only mildly exciting. Not here. Here in Practically Canada the arrival of chain food is cause for celebration and throwing all logic to the wind. Don’t believe me? You obviously weren’t here when Sonic opened. Read on to see what I mean.
Things Move At A Different Pace Here
Sometimes I allude to the fact that North Dakota is a place all its own. It’s a magical land that seems to transcend space, time, seasons and trend.
Derek and I joke that in many ways North Dakota runs about 8-10 years behind the rest of the country. I don’t mean that in a negative, “aren’t-they-a-bunch-of-bumpkins” kind of way. I love it here and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is a place where church potlucks reign supreme, salads only have lettuce in them 70% of the time, and roller blading is a very acceptable pass time.
Things move slower around here.
When we moved here the first time in 2012, the 2011 Flood was still fresh in minds across the city. Things were being rebuilt, but because of a boom in construction and oil, it was hard to staff the “minimum wage” jobs. Fast food places closed early because they didn’t have enough employees. (Those same places were paying their employees more than what I made at my first job out of college…like $12-15 to work at McDonald’s!)
At the time, I worked part time as a fitness instructor. In my senior (as in 65+) class I’d hear the ladies comment on how much the town had changed since the flood. “Really, how?”
“Oh, you know–there are all these chain restaurants now. And new stores. It’s crowding things up. It was better before.”
Oh, really? At the time there was only a scant smattering of fast food joints and chain restaurants in Minot compared to every other town I’d ever lived in. Those comments gave me a crucial look into the minds of North Dakotans.
Things change slowly…and any change is a big deal.
That Time Sonic Opened
Flash forward a year.
It’s summer and the highly anticipated, much awaited Sonic has finally opened. Several days after the grand opening I thought I’d stop in for a quick Happy Hour drink. Wrong choice. The line to get in is miles long. A parking attendant tells me it’ll be at least an hour to get in. Bye.
Things continue like this for weeks. Finally, in the fall I get my slush.
Then there was that time Long Horn Steakhouse opened. Derek and I knew from experience trying to get in to a “fancy” new restaurant would be a terrible idea for at least a month. About two and a half months after their grand opening we decided to give it a try. “Would you like to put your name in? It’s about a two-hour wait?”
This past summer Slim Chickens opened and needed parking attendants for weeks just to keep things in line.
Every other fast food opening I’ve witnessed has been a similar tale.
I’m telling you, talk of new chain restaurants in Minot is a big deal. News articles run and there’s a buzz all over town. From church lounges to the customer service desk at Menard’s (let’s me honest–that’s my entire scope) small talk moves away from the weather and the wind to, “Do you know when _______ is going to open? “Have you heard we’re getting a ________ on North Hill?” “Have you been to ______ yet?”
It brings us together in a unique way. For natives it’s a taste of something exotic–the Sonic shake you had on vacation that one time. For imports, it’s a taste of familiar–the Panera soup you like to have when you’re sick.
Culver’s Grand Opening
Today a new chain opened. This one happens to be my very favorite of fast food, the pinnacle of quick eats: Culver’s.
Gideon and I got to Culver’s today less than an hour after the doors opened. The drive thru was only 5-6 cars deep and inside we were at the counter in a few minutes. It only took about 10 minutes to get our food (to-go…due to a certain toddler being very sleepy.)
By the time we left, the drive thru was wrapping around the building. Suddenly that “prime” parking spot by the door looked more like a trap. The drive thru wait was not blocking us in. Exiting the lot took longer than pulling in and getting our food.
My best guess is this will be the last time I have a Butter Burger for quite some time, while we wait for the hype to die down. But at least I feel like I’ve done my job best to be a “real” North Dakotan–and gotten in on a new chain on opening day.
And if you want to live like a local you’ll need to start thriving on the excitement that new chain restaurants in Minot can bring.
It’s all part of the charm. It’s something to do and something to look forward to. I really love living in a place that knows how to get excited–even about the small stuff.
But God bless us if we ever get a Chick-fil-A. That will be madness of an indescribable magnitude.
What chain restaurant would you wait way to long for?
