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| English ordering only!; ...says Philly's best cheesesteak place | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 9 2006, 07:19 AM (633 Views) | |
| The 89th Key | Jun 9 2006, 07:19 AM Post #1 |
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,198757,00.html![]() Philadelphia's Geno's Steaks Adopts English-Only Ordering Policy Thursday, June 08, 2006 PHILADELPHIA — Bistec con queso? Not at Geno's Steaks. An English-only ordering policy has thrust one of Philadelphia's best-known cheesesteak joints into the national immigration debate. Situated in a South Philadelphia immigrant neighborhood, Geno's -- which together with its chief rival, Pat's King of Steaks, forms the epicenter of an area described as "ground zero for cheesesteaks" -- has posted small signs telling customers, "This Is AMERICA: WHEN ORDERING `SPEAK ENGLISH."' "They don't know how lucky they are. All we're asking them to do is learn the English language," said Geno's owner Joseph Vento, 66. "We're out to help these people, but they've got to help themselves, too." Vento, whose grandparents struggled to learn English after immigrating from Sicily in the 1920s, said he posted the sign about six months ago amid concerns over immigration reform and the increasing number of customers who could not order in English when they wanted Philly's gooey, greasy specialty -- fried steak, sliced or chopped, in a long roll, with cheese and fried onions. Of course, it's not as if native Philadelphians speak the King's English either. A Philadelphian might order a cheesesteak by saying something like, "Yo, gimme a cheesesteak wit, will youse?" ("Wit," or "with," means with fried onions.) To which the counterman might reply: "Youse want fries widdat?" The traditionally Italian community near Geno's has become more diverse over the decades. Immigrants from Asia and Latin America have moved in, joining longtime residents and young professionals seeking reasonably priced rowhouses. In the past 10 years, an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 Mexican immigrants -- many of them here illegally, community leaders say -- have settled in South Philly. Vento said his staff is glad to help non-native speakers order in English and has never turned someone away because of a language barrier. But the policy has "really upset a lot of a people," said Brad Baldia of Day Without An Immigrant, a coalition of immigrant groups. "For some people, I think we're just going to say, `Le gusta Pat's."' Juntos, a Hispanic neighborhood organization, said it plans to send people to Geno's to try to order in Spanish and may pursue court action, depending on what happens. "His grandparents encountered the same racism and the same xenophobia," said Peter Bloom, the group's director. "Why would he begin that process over again?" Vento said he has gotten plenty of criticism and threats. One person told him they hoped one his many neon signs flames out and burns the place down, he said. But he said he plans to hold his ground. Customers placing orders on a recent morning seemed unfazed. Angelica Marquez, 22 and originally from Puerto Rico, ordered in well-spoken English, but said some of her relatives struggle with the language. "They always come and just say `cheesesteak,"' Marquez said, adding that the policy "bothers her some" but not enough to keep her away. When a non-English speaking customer showed up at the window a short time later, a clerk patiently coached him through the process. Eventually, both said "cheesesteak." Vento, a short, fiery man with a ninth-grade education, arms covered in tattoos and a large diamond ring in his ear, also sells "freedom fries" to protest France's opposition to the Iraq war. He rails against Mumia Abu-Jamal, the black man who was convicted of killing police Officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981 and has become a cause celebre among some death penalty opponents. Memorials to Faulkner are posted at his shop. Those who market the city, often using images of Geno's and other famous steak shops, are watching with concern. "I certainly wouldn't want a national audience to think it represented all of the wonderful cheesesteak makers in the whole city," said Meryl Levitz, president and chief executive of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. "This isn't representative of the Philadelphia attitude." Competitors are seizing on the controversy. Tony Luke's issued a statement saying it welcomes all customers "whether or not they speak a `wit' of English." And a manager at Pat's, Kathy Smith, said of Geno's English-only policy: "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life. I'd rather listen to the Spanish than the foul language of the college students." |
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| Aqua Letifer | Jun 9 2006, 07:47 AM Post #2 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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Not really the nicest way to go about it, and it's probably unnecessary, but oh well. In all the restaurants I worked in, it wasn't explicitly stated, but we all had that same policy. It was an unwritten rule that you had to order in english. It was an unwritten rule because nobody who worked there spoke spanish (or any other second language) fluently, so it was impossible to do anything else. And of course, you could always just resort to pointing at stuff. |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| Optimistic | Jun 9 2006, 07:53 AM Post #3 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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How hard is it to pronounce "cheeseteak"? About a consonant off from the Spanish pronunciation of bistec, actually. ("beesteak") If I went to Germany, I'd do my hardest to pronounce their words as they're written on the menu, even though I'd probably butcher them horribly. Hopefully, as long as they're enacting this "English only", they're going to be willing to work with some pronunciation stumbles and have at least the bare minimum of patience. |
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PHOTOS I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up. - Mark Twain We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. -T. S. Eliot | |
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| Rick Zimmer | Jun 9 2006, 07:54 AM Post #4 |
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Fulla-Carp
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Any business man has the right to limit his customers like this if he so wishes. This guy is basically doing the same thing as ethnic business people do whose signs are not in English and who conduct their business in their ethnic language. I don't understand why a business man would turn away a sale from a perfectly good customer, but he has a right to do so. Just seems like a silly way to run a business to me. But then, I have done enough business revitalization work for cities to know that many people are small businessmen and will always be small business men not because of choice but because they are only capable of thinking like small businessmen. (I wonder how many customers this guy has had who ordered in a language other than English that he felt compelled to make it a rule). |
| [size=4]Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul -- Benedict XVI[/size] | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Jun 9 2006, 07:56 AM Post #5 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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I'm glad someone brought this up. Exactly right, Rick. And I suppose they do it in the interest of time. When trying to get an order out of one non-english-speaking customer, you could have received at least 2 others from those who can speak the language. |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| LWpianistin | Jun 9 2006, 08:07 AM Post #6 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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It's pretty hard to get an order right when the order-ee can't speak a word of english. At our deli, there are a few guys who come in, and we have to hold up all of the stuff so they can point at it. Hot peppers, sweet peppers, onions, turkey, tomatoes, roast beef, potato bread, wheat, reg mustard, hos mustard. The list goes on. It's very tedious and more than slightly annoying. |
| And how are you today? | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Jun 9 2006, 08:20 AM Post #7 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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Well it depends on where you're going, obviously, and it depends on the setup. Mexican immigrants would have no problems at Subway, for example, but other places might prove to be more difficult. |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| Rick Zimmer | Jun 9 2006, 08:44 AM Post #8 |
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Fulla-Carp
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Why would it be annoying? Isn't your job to sell to the customers? What else do you have to do but help them decide and then take their order? |
| [size=4]Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul -- Benedict XVI[/size] | |
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| George K | Jun 9 2006, 08:48 AM Post #9 |
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Finally
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Cheeze Teek?
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| tcmod | Jun 9 2006, 08:48 AM Post #10 |
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Senior Carp
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I have plenty of hispanics that don't speak a word of english come in for eye exams. in almost every case they are very polite and extremely thankful that I can speak enough spanish to get through the exam. imagine how most boorish americans would act if they lost their glasses or contacts in a foreign country. |
| Dead girls don't say no, but you still have to buy them flowers | |
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| Optimistic | Jun 9 2006, 08:56 AM Post #11 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Yes. Yes, that may very well be more along the lines of how they would pronounce it Even still, if that was what came out, I doubt the worker taking the order at Pat's Steaks would reply with a "Huh?" And let me just say again, I hope the employees at this place are willing to work with not-quite-up-to-par pronunciation. As long as someone is giving his best attempt at the language, he should be met with patience and civility. |
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PHOTOS I must have a prodigious quantity of mind; it takes me as much as a week, sometimes, to make it up. - Mark Twain We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. -T. S. Eliot | |
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| QuirtEvans | Jun 9 2006, 09:05 AM Post #12 |
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
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By the way, as Opt suggests, Geno's is not the best cheesesteak in Philly. Not even close. Pat's is. |
| It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010. | |
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| LWpianistin | Jun 9 2006, 09:08 AM Post #13 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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good point....
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| And how are you today? | |
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| LWpianistin | Jun 9 2006, 09:12 AM Post #14 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Yes. Well, this deli isn't Subway. They're really nice about it, and usually ist's ok, but if, like this weekend, there are huge lines of people and only 3 workers...well...it gets tedious and annoying. |
| And how are you today? | |
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| LWpianistin | Jun 9 2006, 09:15 AM Post #15 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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A lot of people don't really know what they want on their sandwiches. It's very weird. Annoying??? See post above. We're very busy on weekends, and don't have time to cater to people who can't speak the language of the country they live in. If they try, that's great, adn I don't mind at all. They are really nice, as I said. It would be better if they at least knew how to order a sandwich, though. |
| And how are you today? | |
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| ivorythumper | Jun 9 2006, 09:16 AM Post #16 |
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
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Geno couldn't buy this sort of publicity! What a great business move!!!
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| The dogma lives loudly within me. | |
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| LWpianistin | Jun 9 2006, 09:19 AM Post #17 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Although, I don't think I like that idea of Geno's. Not cool. I'd rather be annoyed than deny people food. |
| And how are you today? | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Jun 9 2006, 09:19 AM Post #18 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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Bah, I doubt he needs any publicity; Geno's is pretty durn famous as it is. LW has a point. I'd rather get a guy who doesn't know a LICK of english (but is trying to work with me), than some jackass who actually asks ME what he wants (as that's happened many a time). |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| LWpianistin | Jun 9 2006, 09:24 AM Post #19 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Yeah, and then the jackass usually doesn't thank you, after getting angry about something that was probably his fault. Ok. work rant over. Today is my day off AND pay day! I'm about to go get my money right now.
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| And how are you today? | |
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| big al | Jun 9 2006, 09:25 AM Post #20 |
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Bull-Carp
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I assume you aren't looking for and wouldn't accept if offered any commissions from other than English speaking clients, IT. Big Al |
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Location: Western PA "jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen." -bachophile | |
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| ivorythumper | Jun 9 2006, 09:30 AM Post #21 |
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
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Why do you say that, Big Al? I just assume its a marketing move -- sort of like Macy's pandering to the gays and then pandering to the straights. Why are you trying to personalize this? |
| The dogma lives loudly within me. | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Jun 9 2006, 09:34 AM Post #22 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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I don't think so, IT. Geno's is one of the two most famous cheesesteak shops in the Northeast. I seriously doubt they need any advertizing. |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| ivorythumper | Jun 9 2006, 09:40 AM Post #23 |
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I am so adjective that I verb nouns!
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That's hardly the point. Why does Coke still spend millions advertising? |
| The dogma lives loudly within me. | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Jun 9 2006, 09:43 AM Post #24 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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Well I'm not in advertizing, but I believe that the wackier schemes are used by smaller companies only. Coke advertizes plenty, but I don't remember the last time the brewed up controversy in a publicity stunt. Besides, this is a restaurant in Philadelphia; they're at risk of losing as many customers as they'd gain, doing something like this. The only positive thing I can see come out of this is getting their name out, and they certainly don't need to. |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| big al | Jun 9 2006, 10:11 AM Post #25 |
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Bull-Carp
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I was just curious if what you described as a great business move had any applicability in your area of service. Big Al |
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Location: Western PA "jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen." -bachophile | |
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4:51 PM Jul 10