Fast food franchises in the USA. Megacorporation offloads some amount of liability and expense by making deals with small business fuckos, whereby the small business fucko owns and operates a restaurant with their branding, and varying amounts of their everything else. The big boys like McDoodoo and Gag in the Bag exercise a lot of control – everything has to be set up just so – which is a boon for food safety. Left to their own devices, small restaurants tend to cheap out on important elements of hygiene. In my county, there are little food safety scores posted outside all the restaurants, and fast food places are more consistently “excellent.”
Enter Herfy’s, or rather exit Herfy’s, which was a fast food franchise until a few years ago. Generally a burger and fry place, but with some amount of seafood on the menu. When I was security guarding in the lead-up to the subprime mortgage collapse, my fellow guard / homeboy would sometimes get lunch at the Herfy’s across the street, and always regret it due to foodborne illness. What’s up with that, Herfy’s?
It makes sense. Herfy sounds like the condition of being afflicted with foodborne illness. Oh man, think that fish sandwich isn’t done with me yet. Pull over, I’m gonna herf.
Thank you, Garth. Herfing accomplished, I proceed.
The Herfy’ses were always much more variable and independent seeming than franchises of the big boys. I have no idea why, but it had an interesting effect. When Herfy’s corporate went out of business, many of the restaurants carried on as if nothing happened! Due to IP law and whatnot, they had to change the signage, but many of them – such as “Cow & Cod” in Auburn, even kept the Herfy’s color scheme.
I think it’s cool because more active businesses is more jobs, more variety of places to eat. Cow & Cod is pretty great, by the way. The corporation went down, but the Herfing continued unabated. I’m guessing up in Seattle the exHerf that sickened my homeboy is still sickening other people’s homeboys to this very day, and classier ones like Cow & Cod are giving you an alternative to corporate fast food. Fantastic.
I don’t know if Herfy’s was just a PNW thing or if the situation looks similar elsewhere. Feel free to herf about them in the comments.
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I have to say, I don’t understand why anyone would eat fast-food seafood. Seafood you caught yourself is bad enough (so much chemical pollution in the water), but why would anyone trust anything prepared by overworked, underpaid humans?
Back in my college days, the cafeteria serving the dorms would have a monthly specialty night. Whenever they’d have “seafood newburg” (looked like Hamburger Helper with shellfish), people would rush to get it…and then spend the next two days throwing up. Every. Time.
Around here, a popular restaurant appetizer is crab dip, which is (supposed to be) shreds of crabmeat in a vat of mayo. When you read restaurant reviews, when the crab dip is mentioned, people always complain it made them sick. And yet the go back for more.
this has not been my experience. as much as i get that it’s a real thing, enough to inspire a cultural phenomenon – lots of references to bad seafood in 80s television and movies – i’ve had more experiences of foodborne illness from chicken than from fish. but like i said, those fast food places standardize how everything is done in a way that prioritizes safety as well as speed, and when tested by inspectors, are averaging better results than independently owned restaurants. i worked in fast food; never encountered the horror stories people like to pass around in over ten years of that shit. wasn’t perfect but wasn’t making people sick, most of the time.
that said, my homeboy’s situation.. i think this has to do with the independence of herfy’s. the one in auburn was way better than the one in seattle he went to, surely still is.