Would You Stand in Line for Pancakes?

You might respond, "It depends on the pancakes!" Lesa and I just spent the weekend in Gatlinburg nestled in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Besides the Titanic Museum and her favorite Christmas Place, she asked if we could have breakfast at the Pancake Pantry. I was familiar with the location in Nashville and had witnessed the long line of people wrapped around the building but we had never experienced it ourselves. Country stars like Vince Gill call it one of their guilty pleasures. A buddy of mine sat next to Taylor Swift during one of his visits. The location in Gatlinburg is the original and these are the only two locations. We arrived on Sunday morning and as expected the line was wrapped around the building. We took a number and I asked myself, "why?" We could not count the number of pancake places from the time we entered Pigeon Forge to our hotel in Gatlinburg but we guessed there had to be at least twelve or more in that ten-mile drive. Why were people willing to wait in line, on a very cool fall morning, for an undetermined length of time and did not seem to mind? Everyone was happy and talking with no complaining. Furthermore, when you get to the front door, there is a sign that informs you that they do not take checks or credit cards, cash only! They let you off the hook by telling you they have an ATM inside. When we were seated we asked our waitress why she believed the restaurant was so popular and she responded, " We have been here for fifty years. The food is delicious and consistent. People know what they are going to get." The food was excellent. The service was quick and efficient. We left there thinking, "We should do this again!" We compared this to the consistently long lines at Chick Fil A where we had lunch on the drive there and arrived to this conclusion. They consistently have a great product and impeccable service. They have a great reputation and you feel you are part of an experience. Why do you believe a business can create this kind of loyalty and success while other businesses just sell pancakes and chicken? Please comment below. By the way, Lesa had the Sweet Potato Pancakes and highly recommends them. Have a great week! Pierce