Serve by Design

This spring has marked another epic chapter for our family. Two more of our grandchildren are now gainfully employed with part-time jobs! Klay, fifteen-years-old, is making pizza, subs, and salads at Dion's in New Mexico, and seventeen-year-old, Cam is taking orders (via the speaker!) for chili dogs, smash burgers, and shakes. He is also serving as an occasional carhop, cleaning the ice cream machine, and doing other duties as assigned at the Sonic Drive-In. Leander, Texas. The grands are growing up and moving on! Cam, Our Sonic Man! Cam took to his new job like the proverbial “duck to water!” He has been flexing his “cooking muscles” since taking Culinary Arts during his sophomore year. He received a “Food Handler’s License” after completing the class. At home, he can manage the toaster oven and any pan like a professional! Made from scratch Cheddar Bay Biscuits and Fettuccine Alfredo with homemade noodles are his specialties! There is another dimension of fast-food restaurants ...

I have often written about the impact of ideation on one of my favorite beverages – Dr Pepper! It wasn’t too long ago that I was snookered into buying Dr Pepper: Dark Berry Zero Sugar! I hated it and couldn’t give it away! This new attempt at ideation is another one I will be quickly sending off to the idea-garbage heap! This latest one was inspired by a TikTok campaign aided by the likes of Sonic Drive-In’s who are adding dill pickles to the sacred Dr Pepper formula! This is just wrong! What is this world coming to?? Static Media: shutterstock.getty.com The slogan “new and improved” may be the motto for product ideation, but I vigorously resist any attempts to cater to a sour-pickle-cult-following of social media “noodle heads” who want to mess with my Dr Pepper! Surely there are better ways to generate new ideas and at the same time protect the integrity of a product without going crazy! Now, I have no problem with ideation when it comes to Blue Bell Ice Cream choosing to add a new...