Thursday, May 14, 2009

Farrell's comeback begins?

Farrell's announces the first new non-franchise store in a long, long time.

I worked at the Farrell's in the Southcenter Mall in Seattle in high school and the early years of college. Farrell's is an 1890's theme ice cream parlor chain that started in Portland, Oregon and once stretched across the country.

Three days after I took the job at Farrell's in the late spring of 1979 I got an offer to work at a bookstore. I have always been glad that I stuck with Farrell's (even though it went strongly against type) because of all I learned, including both a lot of labor economics and how to get along well with the stoner / party crowd that largely ran the restaurant. Employees who could function on Saturday and Sunday mornings were particularly valued at my store.

Oh, and I still have my hat and little tie.

Ann Arbor readers may be surprised to know that there was once at Farrell's at Briarwood Mall.