Just Read Jake's Manager the Riot Act

[Dutch]

Dixie House staff (on Airport Fwy. in Hurst) wears TCU shirts on game days. I'd love to see an SMU-exclusive decor in some burger joint but I guess the Dallas entrepreneurship is too collegiately correct (no balls) to do such. Again, speak up. I do.

Geez, gimme a break. it would have been financial suicide to go ALL SMU ALL THE TIME over the past decade. I can guarantee you as they continue to win, you'll see more and more stuff around town. heck, there haven't been enough games on TV to justify it.

oh, and BTW, i guess you never came to watch a game at 1st & 10 or stopped by before/after a home game b/c our staff wears SMU shirts and jerseys on game day.

[Longtime]

I don't see a problem with pointing out to management of an establishment that they should cater to SMU fans if they cater to fans of other schools. No need to get rude about it, just remind them that SMU exists.

But we SMU fans have to hold up our end of the bargain, too. We're not a big school, but we do have many more fans and people with allegiances to SMU than you would ever know just driving around D-FW.

When you look at the large crowds on The Boulevard, the number of people who show up to the kickoff luncheon, etc., it's clear there's a significant number of people who want SMU to do well. But outside of the Park Cities and Greenville Ave., you can drive around Dallas all day and not see an SMU sticker or someone wearing an SMU shirt or cap.

There are many, many more people who silently root for SMU than anyone realizes. If those fans can be convinced that it's OK to fly their SMU colors, then businesses will fall in line, too.

[Bergermeister]

oh, and BTW, i guess you never came to watch a game at 1st & 10 or stopped by before/after a home game b/c our staff wears SMU shirts and jerseys on game day.

You're right! Mockingbird and Abrams is just not an area I frequent. We have had our post-game venue nailed down for years. Had not considered driving over to watch games I could not attend out of town. BUT, having eaten/drank at 1st and 10 a couple of times during basketball season, I'm sold. We're gonna do some 2010 post game chow there and definitely show up to watch some of our games on TV. Don't know why I took so long to go there - but glad I did.

[jtstang]

THANK YOU, jtstang!! Some of these people make me spit out my coffee....

I don't think there is anything wrong with letting an establishment know that you would be more likely to frequent the location if they included SMU specials.

Fair enough. Assuming you occasionally leave the house, what places with SMU specials do you frequent? That information could solve everyone's "woe is SMU" problem AND result in additional business for you favorite spots.

[abezontar]

THANK YOU, jtstang!! Some of these people make me spit out my coffee....

I don't think there is anything wrong with letting an establishment know that you would be more likely to frequent the location if they included SMU specials.

Fair enough. Assuming you occasionally leave the house, what places with SMU specials do you frequent? That information could solve everyone's "woe is SMU" problem AND result in additional business for you favorite spots.

Sadly, your assumption went too far.

[Wuba]

So what did this "riot act" consist of? Did you yell? Riot act sounds like a strong reaction, but maybe it was just an expression you used on here and in fact you had a polite conversation with him? I certainly hope so.

[DiamondM]

Please people. "Riot act" was hyperbole.

When I saw the table tent, the waitress was standing there and I jokingly said, "Oh, I guess we can't come here anymore." Then I asked her if there was a manager there that I could chat with. She sent him over, and I explained my frustration with excluding SMU (politely yet firmly, as I stated in my initial post). The idea was to explain that when I consider where I'm going to spend my money, support of the local team does play a factor. It wasn't that I couldn't get a special, it was that there was a list of Division I football teams (FBS whatever) that deliberately left SMU, the closest Div. I school off the list. Until someone proves that from a numbers standpoint it makes sense to acknowlege Baylor and TCU, but not SMU, in an establishment less than 5 miles from SMU. He said he couldn't reprint the tents, but was planning to do some SMU promotions for the coming season. By the way, my husband, a non-SMU alum and alum of one of the schools that was listed, was just fine with how I handled it and thought my reaction was appropriate.

Unless and until we SMU fans start telling local businesses that it IS important that they carry/represent the Dallas Area School (at least alongside the others) instead of just saying "oh, it's just business, too bad for us," it won't change.

[jtstang]

Two questions:

1. If support of SMU is a factor in the determination, where do you spend your money for hamburgers and beer? Outside of Dutch's place, I'm thinking you eat at home a lot.

2. Why does this even matter? I mean, what happens on the field is the important stuff, and since that is turning around it should be what we are focused as alums, it seems to me.

BE HAPPY, DAMNIT.

[Bergermeister]

it seems to me.

glad you qualified that

[jtstang]

Hey, if you want to be focused on going only to places with SMU pennants in the window when you get a craving for a burger, more power to you, and good luck with that.

[DiamondM]

SMU-friendliness is one of several factors that influence my purchasing decisions. I don't *ONLY* go to SMU places, and I don't expect places to *ONLY* support SMU. But next time I'm thinking about a place to get a burger, aside from 1st & 10 (which I should go to more often for obvious reasons and also because they're in walking distance of my home), I might choose Fuddruckers (lots of SMU stuff on the walls), Texadelphia (giant SMU mural, although plenty of support for other schools too), Fat Daddy's (no apparent preference for any school and therefore no deliberate exclusion of SMU, plus they have FREE BEER), Snuffers, Twisted Root, Burger Girl, Village Burger Bar ... need I continue.

In fact, just this past Sunday both Jake's and Fuddruckers were in the conversation for post-class lunch. The class ultimately chose (after discussion that did not actually include anything about this issue) Fuddruckers, with encouragement from the class president (me). I think the manager of Jake's has a right to know what influences potential customers. Then the manager can either ignore my input because I'm just one person and don't matter because the team has sucked for 25 years (as jtstang suggests is appropriate), or take a second to evaluate whether there are dollars being left on the table by not supporting the local university down the street. I certainly am not sad and lonely eating gruel at home stewing in my own bitterness. Just providing information.

[jtstang]

Sounds like you have lots of SMU friendly choices. I'm shocked a fan like you ignored your loyal SMU places to bother with Jakes in the first place, much less pulled out the riot act.

BTW, enjoy Fuddruckers while you can, the parent is working its way through bankruptcy and I heard a bunch are going to be closed or sold to the group that owns Freebird world burrito, a well-known Aggie haunt....

And look, for the record, my feelings have nothing to do with losing football for 25 years. "SMU friendliness" does not influence my buying decisions at all. I go to places like that because I like the food or drink or atmosphere, or because they are in my neighborhood, I simply could not care less whether they are having an SMU gameday special. People who are bothered enough to go around reading riot acts to managers just kind of crack me up, that's all.

[ontheedgeofmyseat]

Diamond M...did you burger taste of a hint of spit??

[RGV Pony]

BTW, enjoy Fuddruckers while you can, the parent is working its way through bankruptcy and I heard a bunch are going to be closed or sold to the group that owns Freebird world burrito, a well-known Aggie haunt....

closing 24 corporate owned stores. Wonder if the one in Old Town is a franchisee or corp owned

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

BTW, enjoy Fuddruckers while you can, the parent is working its way through bankruptcy and I heard a bunch are going to be closed or sold to the group that owns Freebird world burrito, a well-known Aggie haunt....

closing 24 corporate owned stores. Wonder if the one in Old Town is a franchisee or corp owned

It appears that it is not, per the link below. However, the restaurant off the Bush is a goner.

http://fuddruckersrestructures.com/affe ... staurants/