Last week I talked about the recent business closures in my neighborhood of Staples and an AT&T phone store. The space previously occupied by Staples shows no indication of any new business moving in, however I noticed that there was a great deal of activity occurring in the much smaller phone store space. On my morning walk last Thursday morning, I decided to check in to see if I could figure what exactly was going on there.
As neared the store I could see one of the front doors propped wide open. I moved in closer to read a notice posted in the window. There were no clues given as to what was happening since the paper was merely an obligatory posting of a city license allowing the contractors to renovate the store space. Looking inside I could see that progress was well underway as the entire place was gutted and the new business was being set up.
Suddenly a friendly looking fellow appeared before me. "It's going to be a Habit Burger." Seeing my puzzlement he continued, "They're kind of like In-and-Out Burger but less expensive".
"Habit Burger?" I said. "I've never heard of them."
"There are quite a few of them. We've already installed several locations around L.A." I don't know if the guy was a construction company foreman or a spokesperson for the hamburger chain. It was almost like he was doing a sales pitch for the restaurant. He continued, "The hamburgers are really good. They also have sides like onion rings."
He would have to mention onion rings. I love onion rings. I also like In-and-Out Burger. Anyone in California and a few other fortunate localities know this chain which has rabid fans and has been named in many polls as one of America's best hamburgers. This guys pitch was starting to make my mouth water and my stomach rumble for lunch and it was only 9 AM. Visions of burgers and onion rings danced in my head.
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| Check out the review at "Eating Through Roseville" |
"You'll have to try them when they open," the unofficial spokesman persisted with a grin. He could have been one of Santa's helpers with his impish demeanor.
"Well, I live just across the street so I'm sure I'll be here." I thanked the fellow for the information and continued on my walk.
Habit Burger? Talk about a business name that gets right to the point. The goal of any fast food restaurant is to get patrons hooked on a habit. Many of us have become fast food junkies with a habit as bad as any drug addict. I've never even tasted the food at Habit Burger, yet I'm salivating as I think of it. My visit to the Habit Burger website didn't help matters.
After they've opened I'll give you my thoughts on it as well as my observations on my local fast food scene. The way those contractors are going at it, this Habit location will probably be ready to go in a couple of weeks. Fast construction for fast food. Makes total sense to me.
Here's a promo about the place--you'd think I've got some kind of investment in this establishment the way I'm going on about it:
Have you eaten at Habit Burger? What is your favorite fast food habit? Do you have any fast food restaurants within easy walking distance from where you live?
