Hahahaha - well, I used to work at the place whose sole reason for existence was table sideshows - Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor. (I know, most of y'all weren't even born yet during its heyday in the late 70s/early 80s.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_U-924q9QM My eventual job was to actually train people to do some of the stuff you see in the video. Remember the Zoo? A giant metal bowl in which an enormous complicated ice cream creation was made was then dropped into a hole in a custom-made stretcher, that went on the shoulders of 2 employees who proceeded to RUN it all around the restaurant (sometimes switching it from one to the other without moving themselves, flipping it - yep, that occasionally resulted in a really big mess on the floor - sometimes it would even get run around the parking lot and/or out in the mall!) to loud announcements, sirens, drums, tambourines, and more. THAT was a sideshow - and there was a LOT more! I'll just sit here and reminisce, chuckling to myself...(and try NOT to remember the uber-unhealthy food).
Ok WAIT-- is that the Marco’s in the strip mall off the I-45 feeder road in suburban Houston around Friendswood/Clear Lake? Or was that a chain and they all look the same?
Oh I love a dining show too. The current reality of going to a restaurant where you order via QR code or they bring a grill and get you to make your own food depresses me. My fav was always the Yakitori restaurants where they have a u table and a big grill in the middle. The chef grills things and chops it up noisily and then skillfully throws it toward your plate. I love that stuff!
Hahahaha - well, I used to work at the place whose sole reason for existence was table sideshows - Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor. (I know, most of y'all weren't even born yet during its heyday in the late 70s/early 80s.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_U-924q9QM My eventual job was to actually train people to do some of the stuff you see in the video. Remember the Zoo? A giant metal bowl in which an enormous complicated ice cream creation was made was then dropped into a hole in a custom-made stretcher, that went on the shoulders of 2 employees who proceeded to RUN it all around the restaurant (sometimes switching it from one to the other without moving themselves, flipping it - yep, that occasionally resulted in a really big mess on the floor - sometimes it would even get run around the parking lot and/or out in the mall!) to loud announcements, sirens, drums, tambourines, and more. THAT was a sideshow - and there was a LOT more! I'll just sit here and reminisce, chuckling to myself...(and try NOT to remember the uber-unhealthy food).
Never been but holy shit what a spectacle. I think they're still around, there was one I used to drive by when I worked in Santa Clarita.
I would love to join the close friends group on IG! my handle is @brie.loves.life
Thanks for everything!
Ok WAIT-- is that the Marco’s in the strip mall off the I-45 feeder road in suburban Houston around Friendswood/Clear Lake? Or was that a chain and they all look the same?
YUP! I think they only had 2 locations tho.
Do you recall what they did for birthdays!? It was a shocker!🤣
Oh I love a dining show too. The current reality of going to a restaurant where you order via QR code or they bring a grill and get you to make your own food depresses me. My fav was always the Yakitori restaurants where they have a u table and a big grill in the middle. The chef grills things and chops it up noisily and then skillfully throws it toward your plate. I love that stuff!
Rage recipes. The definition of performance art.