Where is the Popcorn by Ray Shay

Where is the Popcorn?

By Ray Shay

8.19.14

  

I love our local Ace Hardware Store.  Who would not appreciate walking into a business and being greeted with a smile, an offer of help, followed by an experienced salesperson and a fast check out?  That kind of friendliness and great service seems like it is from a forgotten era.

For over fifty years Griffith Ace Hardware has offered

fresh cooked popcorn to their customers.  Locally, they have been providing popcorn for over thirteen years.  As I began to exit Ace Hardware in 4S Commons Shopping Center on Saturday,  I sensed something was missing.  I stopped and looked around for what it was.  I then realized their popcorn machine was missing in action.  

I turned to speak with two salespeople and said "where is it?" They quickly guessed what I was inquiring about and replied, "The popcorn machine? We had to shut it down.  The County of San Diego wanted all of our employees to take a food handler course, the popcorn machine had to be fully cleaned four times a day and citizens could not touch the red scooper or we would have to formally sanitize it and....(blah, blah, blah)."

I probably rolled my eyes and slightly shook my head side to side.  Ace Hardware was already on the hook if somehow someone got sick from tainted popcorn. I think Government is frequently over the top and foolishly over regulates private businesses.

No More Popcorn

I walked out of the store only to return the following day and ask if I could at least visit the popcorn machine.  An employee led me upstairs where I found it sitting quietly and all alone in the break room.

It was unplugged with it's trademark red handle scooper sitting all alone in the empty bin.  Not to be held by a local school kid as they scooped the deliciously salty popcorn into an Ace Hardware paper bag.

Like John Belushi said in the one of the greatest movies ever made, Animal House, "Did we lay down when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor... No we did not!"  I think our thousands of Eweekly readers should speak up like "Bluto" and voice your opinion when you go to Ace Hardware.  Tell the employees, "We miss our popcorn, please bring it back!"  

Our efforts may not be successful, but this is America and we should exercise our rights. We can't let Dean Wormer's of the world take away what we love.   That just wouldn't be right.  

Have a great week.    

   

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