The opening reception for last week's MADE IN OHIO conference was in
Columbus' downtown Wendy's.  A converted car showroom -- handsomely enhanced
with decorative blue-and-white downspouts -- it's the first in the chain.
One area of the restaurant has been renovated to its original interior --
plastic beads, newsprint tabletops, olde-fashioned "Victorian" wallpaper,
and an awesome collection of Wendy's memorabilia (all sorts of cheesy
"where's the beef" shit).  Conference attendees were giddy, but not weepy.
Given another 20 years, however ...

Maura

>>  "But nobody's ever sad when they see a Burger King close, a Dunkin'
Donuts
>close."
>
>Hey, I was really upset over the recent conversion of our local Dunkin
Donuts
>to a combination Dunkin Donuts, Nathan's, Baskin Robbins! Place just does
not
>feel the same any more. Then again, I only spent one day in there stranded
in
>a snow storm waiting for the LIRR to move. I imagine now that only the
north
>end of the shop will fog up from brewing coffee on a cold day, the mid
>section from saurkraut, and the south will remain uncondensated chilly.
>
>][<en