Most of us are familiar with food courts and the threats and cajoling it takes to ensure that your order gets delivered. You have to scream at the top of your voice, elbow out old ladies so that you achieve your mission of getting some cold pizza or indifferent kababs on your plate. Eating at Quick Serve Restaurants (QSR) is no different - only it is slightly better managed.
Bandra in Mumbai is one of the busiest eating places in India - from the humble Pav Bhaji to the gourmet delicatessens. Every nook and corner in Bandra is bursting at its seams with eateries of different kinds. I was always surprised by the survival of some of the less-than- mediocre eateries there. Shouldn't the laws of competition ensure the survival of the fittest?
Apparently, not. Consider a meal at a QSR or a food court - you stand in a queue, order, pay upfront, wait for your tray and then carry it back to your table. Try getting a glass of water and you get a small cup half-filled with water. Worse, you will have to buy water. The quality of food? Well, it is mostly indifferent. You probably cough up around Rs 300 upwards for a meal. At the end of it, you feel grateful that you got something to eat.
On the other hand, consider a meal at a decent restaurant. You get service at your table. You can get the dish prepared to your specifications and you are not calculating mentally how much will it add up to and whether you have that much cash. A good meal for two will probably come to around Rs 400/-.
Here's the point - why is that we are driven to go where the herd is headed and not make sensible decisions? Do we want to experience a culinary delight or are we merely interested in "soaking" in the ambience?
You can do your own survey by scoring against these parameters on a scale of 5 - 5 being the highest.
• Was your food at the right temperature?
• Did you taste anything good and unique about the food?
• How long did it take for you to place your order?
• Were the portions sufficient?
• Was your seating comfortable?
If you scored above 15 then you have got a reasonably good experience. If not, then you could probably avoid that experience again.
A friend lamented when asked about his meal at a food court "It would have been perfect if the curry would have been as hot as the ice-cream and if the ice-cream had been as cold as the coffee".
