Canadian Retail Thread

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Vorkuta

A bit too far for me, I'm afraid. I'd have to get up at midnight to eat breakfast in Quebec City.

Could be a franchise opportunity for you Vorkuta. There are a number of successful Quebec based franchises in the greater Moncton area. This one could be a hit too!

Put it in Dieppe, in the Champlain Plaza..

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by thewave46

Given that you are being served food in an aluminum tube flying several vertical miles in the air travelling at hundreds of kilometres an hour to a whole different part of the globe - indeed, literally sitting inside modernity for a relative pittance of a modern salary - complaining about the food seems somewhat trite, no? Want a decent meal? Have it at the airport pre-flight.

Then again, we live in an age of unappreciated miracles. America wanted to watch scripted TV sitcoms more than colour TV from the moon during Apollo 17 in 1972.

Go to the Grand Canyon and watch the people make a beeline to the gift store/stare at their phones.

These things say things about people. It's not very complimentary.

glad you could find a way to make it personal. much appreciated.

I travel quite a bit. Why would someone get offended at my disdain for AC's tasty treats? Asian airlines, as well as many European airlines, offer better food (or at least, not always the same two options), even for economy-class travel (which alas, I must use always as a condition of my research grant funding).

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by niwell

Popeyes is legitimately good, and not just from a fast food standpoint. Yes, there is better fried chicken out there at some independent places but I haven't had anything close at the price point. I've seen extremely incredulous people turned around on this too. There's a reason local in New Orleans still love Popeyes, despite the overwhelming amount of good food in that city.

Even Anthony Bourdain swore by Popeyes!

Personally it's my one fast-food guilty pleasure. Doesn't hurt that the one in my neighbourhood is open 'til 3 AM.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

glad you could find a way to make it personal. much appreciated.

I travel quite a bit. Why would someone get offended at my disdain for AC's tasty treats? Asian airlines, as well as many European airlines, offer better food (or at least, not always the same two options), even for economy-class travel (which alas, I must use always as a condition of my research grant funding).

Are you sure that is the only benefit of Asian airlines

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...e_Airlines.jpg

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

glad you could find a way to make it personal. much appreciated.

I travel quite a bit. Why would someone get offended at my disdain for AC's tasty treats? Asian airlines, as well as many European airlines, offer better food (or at least, not always the same two options), even for economy-class travel (which alas, I must use always as a condition of my research grant funding).

Personal? I'll apologize, I didn't think I was aiming to offend.

It's airline food. Maybe Asian/European carriers are better. I'm still not expecting gourmet food in an aluminum tube with wings regardless, especially in economy. I'm paying for the seat across the world, not a culinary feast.

Complaining about the quality of airline food is trite, though. I stand by that.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by thewave46

Personal? I'll apologize, I didn't think I was aiming to offend.

It's airline food. Maybe Asian/European carriers are better. I'm still not expecting gourmet food in an aluminum tube with wings regardless, especially in economy. I'm paying for the seat across the world, not a culinary feast.

Complaining about the quality of airline food is trite, though. I stand by that.

The food is a fairly noticeable part of the inflight experience. Why should passengers not judge it?

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by casper

Do we know what they put in the chicken?

My only experience with that chain comes from being stuck in airports where that is the only thing that looks remotely like "real food". I did not think it was all the good. Are they spiking it with something?

Can only assume it's a larger dose of crack than is put in the extra large doubles at Timmy's
or Timmy Ho's as my Western NY friends insist on calling it

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by acottawa

The food is a fairly noticeable part of the inflight experience. Why should passengers not judge it?

Oh they can judge it, certainly.

It's just akin to saying 'Tim Hortons sucks'. Well, yeah. Most people know this. It's why people add a ton of sugar/cream to make it drinkable. You want a 24oz. vat of coffee for $2? It costs something to get to that price point.

Airline food is similar. It is fine for stuff that's frozen, reheated in a on-board oven and can serve a couple of hundred standardized meals. Perhaps other airlines are that much better? People seemingly want restaurant-style gourmet food in economy, I suppose.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by niwell

Should have clarified - those are two different thoughts. Cora definitely isn't a greasy diner place at all.

People brought up IHOP, which is gross, so I brought up a better alternative that is found throughout Canada and also has the "it's also better because it's (originally )Quebecois" vibe

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by jamincan

I think Cora's makes a good breakfast, and it stands out by the massive quantities of fruit you get, which offsets some of the guilt over the rest of the breakfast. I'm not a fan of the fancy shapes they cut all the fruit into, because it just looks like someone has spent far too much time playing with food that's supposed to go in my mouth.

good point

Acajack, please send that relatively unknown Quebecois chain you mentioned to southern Ontario!

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by thewave46

Oh they can judge it, certainly.

It's just akin to saying 'Tim Hortons sucks'. Well, yeah. Most people know this. It's why people add a ton of sugar/cream to make it drinkable. You want a 24oz. vat of coffee for $2? It costs something to get to that price point.

Airline food is similar. It is fine for stuff that's frozen, reheated in a on-board oven and can serve a couple of hundred standardized meals. Perhaps other airlines are that much better? People seemingly want restaurant-style gourmet food in economy, I suppose.

Airline food doesn’t have to suck, even in economy. Airlines decide whether they want decent food or not (and they share catering with other airlines, so it really is a choice). It doesn’t have to taste like a Swanson “dinner.”

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Can only assume it's a larger dose of crack than is put in the extra large doubles at Timmy's
or Timmy Ho's as my Western NY friends insist on calling it

they are too kind. I call it Rim Whoreton's.

Sorry to offend lovers of Rimmy's.

McD's coffee is the same price as Rimmy's and tastes WAY better.

[le calmar]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

they are too kind. I call it Rim Whoreton's.

Sorry to offend lovers of Rimmy's.

McD's coffee is the same price as Rimmy's and tastes WAY better.

Hell even their donuts are better! I tried one recently for the first time and I couldn’t believe it. Donuts are supposed to be Timmies’ signature offering but a burger chain managed to outdo them.

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

they are too kind. I call it Rim Whoreton's.

Sorry to offend lovers of Rimmy's.

McD's coffee is the same price as Rimmy's and tastes WAY better.

Facts, Molson.

I rarely buy chain coffee anymore. I befriended a Colombian guy "Wilson" (I forget his actual name as he loves to go by Wilson) who's wife Adriana imports coffee directly from her cousin's plantation in the highlands on the deep outskirts of Medellín (largest city nearby in the Antioquia region). It's fair trade and they roast their own beans and ship direct to St. Catharines so it's really fresh!

Their branding kinda sucks, but it's literally the best coffee I've had (medium roast). Because it's pricey I alternate between PC Colombian and this
https://deliciousalldaycoffee.com/pr...ded-p162817460

from time to time they have a 10% off sale so I stock up then.

I make no commission, I just like to promote what I think is the best coffee one can get in southern Ontario. They've been certified by some coffee association that lab tests coffee. Apparently only the top 20% of coffee in the world meets the stringent criteria.

All I know is that it's amazing coffee, and you'd literally be supporting a mom and pop/and cousin family business.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Wigs

good point

Acajack, please send that relatively unknown Quebecois chain you mentioned to southern Ontario!

They do have a couple of locations in Ottawa, but all the rest are in Quebec.

[manny_santos]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Facts, Molson.

I rarely buy chain coffee anymore. I befriended a Colombian guy "Wilson" (I forget his actual name as he loves to go by Wilson) who's wife Adriana imports coffee directly from her cousin's plantation in the highlands on the deep outskirts of Medellín (largest city nearby in the Antioquia region). It's fair trade and they roast their own beans and ship direct to St. Catharines so it's really fresh!

Their branding kinda sucks, but it's literally the best coffee I've had (medium roast). Because it's pricey I alternate between PC Colombian and this
https://deliciousalldaycoffee.com/pr...ean-p162398065

from time to time they have a 10% off sale so I stock up then.

I make no commission, I just like to promote what I think is the best coffee one can get in southern Ontario. They've been certified by some coffee association that lab tests coffee. Apparently only the top 20% of coffee in the world meets the stringent criteria.

All I know is that it's amazing coffee, and you'd literally be supporting a mom and pop/and cousin family business.

Some of the best coffee I’ve ever had was local coffee in Mexico.

If you drive into the rural parts of some of the more southerly states there, you’ll see roadside stands selling fresh coffee beans, kind of like the roadside vegetable stands you see in parts of rural Canada.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by niwell

Also, am I the only one who finds Cora to be pretty underwhelming / overpriced? I remember it being better in Ottawa during the early 2000s but last time I went was quite disappointed. Plenty of local breakfast places that are better and cheaper. Maybe it's due to growing up in Western Canada but I am not too fussed about having fake syrup for certain types of breakfast (greasy, diner) - it's very much a time and place kinda thing to me.

Only went to Cora's once, several years ago, and wasn't impressed. As others have said, I much prefer a local restaurant breakfast. I even prefer Denny's, out at the Flying J truck stop, over Cora's. I really miss the Fifth Wheel truck stop restaurant. We used to go there after the bars closed.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Wigs

Facts, Molson.

I rarely buy chain coffee anymore. I befriended a Colombian guy "Wilson" (I forget his actual name as he loves to go by Wilson) who's wife Adriana imports coffee directly from her cousin's plantation in the highlands on the deep outskirts of Medellín (largest city nearby in the Antioquia region). It's fair trade and they roast their own beans and ship direct to St. Catharines so it's really fresh!

Their branding kinda sucks, but it's literally the best coffee I've had (medium roast). Because it's pricey I alternate between PC Colombian and this
https://deliciousalldaycoffee.com/pr...ded-p162817460

from time to time they have a 10% off sale so I stock up then.

I make no commission, I just like to promote what I think is the best coffee one can get in southern Ontario. They've been certified by some coffee association that lab tests coffee. Apparently only the top 20% of coffee in the world meets the stringent criteria.

All I know is that it's amazing coffee, and you'd literally be supporting a mom and pop/and cousin family business.

Oh, yeah, I find the single sourced PC coffee (there are 4 of them) to be the best value for its quality and Furry Canuck isn't around to, colourfully, say otherwise

[GreatTallNorth2]

I agree that McDonald's coffee is better than the brown water Timmy's sells, but someone needs to help McDonald's with their marketing. Having a sign that says "Ground Coffee" means what? That the beans are ground before they make the coffee? Wow, brilliant!

[Airboy]

Indigo Book stores are booting Starbucks and adding Calgary based Good Earth Cafes.

https://goodearthcoffeehouse.com/

As for the debate on Coras. I prefer it over Dennys. Prices have gone up slightly but its still a decent amount of food for the price. And my wife likes it so that is more important.

However there are some decent little dinners we do go to if we can. In Edmonton Hathaway's Dinner is our go to place.

And stopped in at a New KFC last night, ( I needed some comfort fatty food.) The new design is quite nice, Wood grained tiles but brick and Barn wood wall coverings. Definitely not the average KFC. Only been to Popeyes twice and found it OK.