MNB reader John Rand had a thought about the future of salad bars:
Ah, how soon we forget the solutions of the past. The conundrum of how to maintain a salad bar in the time of Covid is buried on the collective memory of everyone who ever dropped a quarter into a classic “Claw / Crane” game . I am sure many remember them from their childhood or from a more recent electronic arcade version which drew from it.
It’s so simple. You stock the salad bar in the giant box, and customers get to maneuver their crane over the various dishes, desperately trying to grab the right amount of leafy spinach, a few delicate cherry tomatoes, a few olives through the protective glass. The mess would be authentic and possibly even more startling than the old manual self-serve salad bars, but the spectator possibilities are endless. Audiences making remarks and collecting side-bets, competitive salad making tournaments, the mind reels…talk about customer engagement!
The original timed out before anyone ever got a prize, but with a salad bar version you might be able to while away an entire lunch hour just trying to build a salad. Food, entertainment, and an exercise in dexterity all at the same time! What’s not to like?
From MNB reader Gregory Gheen:
I've noticed on recent store checks Whole Foods, which was the "king" of these types of "bars", still has them open but are manned by 1-2 people who shop for you. You are not allowed in the area per se but the WF employee will assist in putting together your lunch or dinner. Very smart approach
And, on an other subject, from an MNB reader:
I have a proposed new name for the NFL Washington franchise: “The Swamp Dwellers."
It could have a cool mascot and would stand the test of time. As long as the current “swamp dwellers” don’t have a lobbyist organization it could happen.
It’s about time Daniel Snyder is finally giving in. As you pointed out I think it is more economic pressure than it was about doing what was right.
