The history of the Westshoremen

[Jeff Ream]

yes

[Jaminbenb]

yes

Yeah ditto!

[Jaminbenb]

My guess is Houlihan's has a high turnover rate. Both my friends who had worked there were gone inside of 3-4 months after that issue. From all observations, one doesn't stay in HERCO for long unless one manages to wheedle and kiss butt to the higher levels of the structure where you can start making real money, doing less, and can start being more of a boss, LOL.

Anyhow, let's see. All the excitement of a pretty good DCA season, a couple of interesting (and I use the word 'interesting' like a judge uses it... ) people getting cuckoo over my reviews... now- If I recollect correctly, I was trying to figure out the odd brew that was the 1982 Westshoremen.

Several factors discussed.

-Staff changes in percussion and the young guns getting experienced enough to take the more critical spots in the line.

-Many of the 'old guard' deciding it was time to go, again, more of the young guys, which now had 3 or more seasons of performing experience taking over...

-Bringing in a then untested and untried Eric Kitchenmen to hone and develop the corps attitude and marching skills...

-There are a couple of other factors that also played an important part to the success as well, both the utterly sublime and the utterly ridiclulous we didnt get to before more important matters came to us..... Should I start next with the sublime... or the ridiculous....

Back on this issue....What I like about Houlihans is that they have a nice bar, and a pretty good menu, especially when it comes to appetizers! We've gone in and just gotten all appetizers and had a heck of a meal! I've eaten at a few, and was very excited when Hershey announced that they were getting one! What I hate about Houlihans is that during tourist season (which is starting to extend itself well past the summer park season) you can't get NEAR the place unless you are resigned to waiting for 45 minutes to an hour. it wasn't ALWAYS like that though! When they first opened the "training staff" had that place running like clockwork, tables were bussed as soon as the parties left, and the turnaround was kept at a pretty good pace. I had a friend (well MADE a friend by going there a lot, she left because of being frustrated with the managers) on the waitstaff and she told me that once the training staff left, the place went to hell, and you should expect at least 30-45 minutes longer wait since they cut the bus staff, the waiters and waitresses were then expected to help bus tables to cut staff costs, but they were swamped getting food out and orders in because the 'dedicated' food runners were only employed on the weekends! The bar staff took a hit when one of the more efficient bartenders left for a better job at another restaurant (less stress, more pay) and the managers decided that they could run the place better and more efficiently (as in cost effective) by NOT going with what the "corporate" people suggested staff wise!

My friend also said that the "pretty little girls" that were the hostesses, all seem to cater to their friends by pushing their wait times ahead of people that have actually been waiting. She said that they WERE just seating their friends when they came in, but someone complained, so they bypass it by handing out a buzzer, and waiting a few minutes before calling them! When Devon opened, they were supposed to take the main load off of Houlihans by offering comparable prices, especially in the drink department, but some big whig decided that he wanted it to be a little more "exclusive" and bumped up the prices on everything to attract a "better clientele" which it really doesn't during tourist season, 99% of the time people WON'T leave once they sit down and really scan the prices! My friend worked over there for a little while since she was promised better base pay, and was told that the tips would be much better, which she said they were at first, but when the summer tourist season started, the tips really fell off because the average tourist wasn't paying BIG BUCKS for a meal and drinks, AND supplying a generous, if even fair tip! I was surprised when I ran into my friend out at the Melting Pot on Paxton street, she said she couldn't take the "slave labor" anymore, and told me the story of how that place fell down the tubes! She said that if you go into any Houlihans anywhere else, they are run they way they are supposed to be run, but Hershey's is run "the Hershey way" which is to screw the tourist! It's a shame, because I love their food!

[buzzgok]

Back on this issue....What I like about Houlihans is that they have a nice bar, and a pretty good menu, especially when it comes to appetizers! We've gone in and just gotten all appetizers and had a heck of a meal! I've eaten at a few, and was very excited when Hershey announced that they were getting one! What I hate about Houlihans is that during tourist season (which is starting to extend itself well past the summer park season) you can't get NEAR the place unless you are resigned to waiting for 45 minutes to an hour. it wasn't ALWAYS like that though! When they first opened the "training staff" had that place running like clockwork, tables were bussed as soon as the parties left, and the turnaround was kept at a pretty good pace. I had a friend (well MADE a friend by going there a lot, she left because of being frustrated with the managers) on the waitstaff and she told me that once the training staff left, the place went to hell, and you should expect at least 30-45 minutes longer wait since they cut the bus staff, the waiters and waitresses were then expected to help bus tables to cut staff costs, but they were swamped getting food out and orders in because the 'dedicated' food runners were only employed on the weekends! The bar staff took a hit when one of the more efficient bartenders left for a better job at another restaurant (less stress, more pay) and the managers decided that they could run the place better and more efficiently (as in cost effective) by NOT going with what the "corporate" people suggested staff wise!

My friend also said that the "pretty little girls" that were the hostesses, all seem to cater to their friends by pushing their wait times ahead of people that have actually been waiting. She said that they WERE just seating their friends when they came in, but someone complained, so they bypass it by handing out a buzzer, and waiting a few minutes before calling them! When Devon opened, they were supposed to take the main load off of Houlihans by offering comparable prices, especially in the drink department, but some big whig decided that he wanted it to be a little more "exclusive" and bumped up the prices on everything to attract a "better clientele" which it really doesn't during tourist season, 99% of the time people WON'T leave once they sit down and really scan the prices! My friend worked over there for a little while since she was promised better base pay, and was told that the tips would be much better, which she said they were at first, but when the summer tourist season started, the tips really fell off because the average tourist wasn't paying BIG BUCKS for a meal and drinks, AND supplying a generous, if even fair tip! I was surprised when I ran into my friend out at the Melting Pot on Paxton street, she said she couldn't take the "slave labor" anymore, and told me the story of how that place fell down the tubes! She said that if you go into any Houlihans anywhere else, they are run they way they are supposed to be run, but Hershey's is run "the Hershey way" which is to screw the tourist! It's a shame, because I love their food!

What I found out about Houlihans is they are not even a corporate restaurant. Herco tried to have Houlihans come in and build the place. Once Houlihans found out when the tourist season was, they backed out and Herco responded by buying a Houlihans franchise. This comes to me from someone on the inside. I can understand everyone's frustration with the place as when you have Herco running the place, anything can happen. Personally, I would like to see Houlihan take the place over and run it the way it should be run.

[BigW]

Interesting how you confirmed how the hostesses have favorites and jump their pals ahead. I should like this discussion to Houlihan's corporate HQ and see what happens. Maybe they'll yank the HERCO franchise or send some incognito inspectors to clean house....

Anyhow, My guess is I'd better start with the ridiculous in terms of 1982. Corps had their heroes, we had ours too, but like the Hurcs in the form of a Goerge Parks teasing, crazy french-horn playing Pepe, we also had an anti-hero.

Superman. I think the first official Superman Sighting would be back in the 1981 season, with the Gloversville show. For now, you can go to that topic and read, but I'll cut and paste that here later. I have a course I'm taking at HACC to keep my teaching certificate. Act 88 is a POS for those who are not teaching but wish to maintain their cert....

[Jaminbenb]

What I found out about Houlihans is they are not even a corporate restaurant. Herco tried to have Houlihans come in and build the place. Once Houlihans found out when the tourist season was, they backed out and Herco responded by buying a Houlihans franchise. This comes to me from someone on the inside. I can understand everyone's frustration with the place as when you have Herco running the place, anything can happen. Personally, I would like to see Houlihan take the place over and run it the way it should be run.

That makes sense as to why and how they are running the joint! (which is into the ground, but like anything else, it's making boo koo bucks, so the status quo is gonna win out over a few locals complaints!)

[Jaminbenb]

Interesting how you confirmed how the hostesses have favorites and jump their pals ahead. I should like this discussion to Houlihan's corporate HQ and see what happens. Maybe they'll yank the HERCO franchise or send some incognito inspectors to clean house....

Anyhow, My guess is I'd better start with the ridiculous in terms of 1982. Corps had their heroes, we had ours too, but like the Hurcs in the form of a Goerge Parks teasing, crazy french-horn playing Pepe, we also had an anti-hero.

Superman. I think the first official Superman Sighting would be back in the 1981 season, with the Gloversville show. For now, you can go to that topic and read, but I'll cut and paste that here later. I have a course I'm taking at HACC to keep my teaching certificate. Act 88 is a POS for those who are not teaching but wish to maintain their cert....

Hard to say what they'd do, but Hershey is giving the franchise a bad name, but as I said, they're making money so they may not really care at this point!

Superman...you mean the b*st*rd child of Ironsides! :wub:

[BigW]

Hard to say what they'd do, but Hershey is giving the franchise a bad name, but as I said, they're making money so they may not really care at this point!

Superman...you mean the b*st*rd child of Ironsides!

No one is certain where Superman came from. It is only known that he posed as a not-so-mild-mannered tympani player for a very strange DCA corps.

All I know is if he came from Krypton, no wonder the #### planet asploded.

[Jeff Ream]

I am still amazed that any person could ignore W. your mouth had to be taped shut

[BigW]

I am still amazed that any person could ignore W. your mouth had to be taped shut

I actually stood there rather politely and actually quietly thinking that those "cute girls" would actually take my name and seat me. What a concept, huh!? I mean, I was standing there 2 feet in front of their desk...... and actually very quiet because I wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything.. like.... a "Hi there and welcome!!!!"... umm... something to that effect!?!?!?!?!? Anything to that effect? If you want to see me quiet- Just tell the hostesses in an eatery to stand there and not greet me while I wait a couple of minutes for them to speak to me.

Then the two girls butted ahead..... After the initial shock that that had actually happened... I walked out, then got my dander up and decided to speak up about this.

I guess people are supposed to understand that lines didn't apply to the friends of the hostesses and that I should just wait my turn, yassuh, yassuh, whatever you like, yas'm.

My guess is that either my little message to the Corporate HQ DID actually reach HERCO, OR... also likely, some one important locally in Hershey- either a Hershey Foods/HERCO bigshot or a Hershey med center Doctor had this happen to THEM and they got upset. Connections are very important in that goofy little town. Former friend caused trouble at the local Friendly's after he talked to his church pal, a Friendly's executive, LOL. That's the way Hershey works from my observation of the town over many years.

Still tempted to just link this whole discussion to Houlihan's. I tried HERCO first before I went to their corporate HQ, actually, but found no place on their website to actually complain about anything. Makes sense, doesn't it, that HERCO wouldn't care to listen to any feedback from anyone in the public? Heck... Conglomo from the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life seems to have their act together more than HERCO.

For the record- I think that's the only time in my life I felt that compelled to go that far with a company because I was that stunned and offended. I don't make a habit of doing things like that. I may be who I am- but for God's sake- I'm generally a pretty nice and courteous person and I happen to have money in my wallet that I spend when well-treated. The Texas Roadhouse folks off Union Deposit get a lot of it because they're pretty nice to me....

Edited September 13, 2010 by BigW