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I’m not going to be an asshole about people getting excited about newly opened US food chains coming to South Africa.
I’ve been lucky enough to travel abroad and taste the offerings of some of the chains we now get here at and so I won’t be queuing for it, but I’m not going to judge or look down on people who do stand for hours waiting for their first tastes.
A few years ago Burger King opened here and for weeks there was a miles-long queue at their flagship store in Cape Town. They even had bouncer or doormen to control the crowds. I waited until the hype died down because I happened to have tried it on an overseas trip a few years before the hit our shores. My patience paid off because Burger King sent me a box of goodies.
The same with Krispy Kreme and Starbucks. I tried them on my travels so I kind of know what it’s about.
I know these brands often come up in American movies and TV series so of course people who consume pop culture will be thrilled to be trying fast foods “from the movies”. Heck, it’s why I tried them when I was overseas. I do make sure to try more of the local cuisine of whichever country I am travelling to.
However I wouldn’t have queued for these chains even if I had not previously tried them. *I loathe queuing for anything and going to places like Home Affairs and Sars fills me with absolute dread. So if you’re like me and you hate queuing for anything, good for you. But let’s not mock or look our noses down at people who want to be part of something they’re excited about. It’s absolutely your choice if you want to spend your day in a long line. Hey, you may even make new friends.
There was a tweet from someone saying they’d rather be on a 16 hour flight to New York. It’s great if you can can afford that but the person queuing for their first sip of Starbucks maybe doesn’t have that luxury. Let’s not be smug bastards and let people spend their time however they choose to.
All this said, I’m not too keen on fast foods but I’m not above trying it either. It’s a luxury we should only indulge in occasionally. When the hype dies down I’ll try SA’s versions of Starbucks and Krispy Kreme and see what they’re all about. (They have to open stores in Cape Town first. When, guys?)
A photo posted by Aneeqah (@aneeqahe) on
Let’s also hope these brands create lots of jobs for South Africans. We need more employed people.
Just remember, we have some amazing coffee stores with great quality coffee here in South Africa (and Cape Town in particular) and let’s get as excited about our local businesses as we do about the international stuff. Support local and be proudly South African!
List of places I’ve been forced to queued at:
Home Affairs twice: Once for my ID and once for my passport.
Sars: Once – so grateful for eFiling.
Traffic department: Too many times in my life.
Lindt Chocolate Studio: There was a sale, OK!
Supermarkets: All too often – but thank goodness for online shopping.
Yes, there is nothing worse than a queue, and there is nothing worse than people not respecting your private space, they have to stand as close as possible to you, literally breathing down your neck. I also avoid take away at all costs unless its a Chai Latte from Woollies or strangely enough a Cinnamon Coffee Cake slice from Starbucks when travelling. It is delicious.
I am always lucky enough not to get queues at the Starbucks branches I’ve visited when travelling. They make a great apple danish.
Hah – yes, queuing, the British national sport!! I think the most queuing I ever did was queueing to get into nightclubs when I wa a student – the dreaded “one in, one out” door policy 😉 And recently I queued at the SA Consulate to renew my SA passport (yup, even here in the UK you cannot get away from Home Affairs queues!) – but you won’t find me queuing for a coffee or a doughnut! The trend for “no reservations” restaurants that force you to queue also annoys the daylights out of me. It favours only the disorganised!
Ha ha, this post reminded me of a trip to Home Affairs at the beginning of this year which involved an entire day of queuing with 2 small children! Horrors! I had all but blocked it from my mind. 😉 I also haven’t rushed to try the S.A. outlets of these famous chains, but can understand the appeal. I prefer my “take-away” food to be homemade. 😉
I am not fond of queuing either! I eventually tried Burger King just to compare it to McDonalds. Even overseas I haven’t thought to try Starbucks as I prefer the local coffee shops instead 🙂
Local is indeed lekker. 🙂