Secret menu item at Walker Bros.

On Saturday morning eatchicago and I picked up eat's sister who was in town for a visit and we three headed to Walker Bros. for brunch. It wasn't hard for me to decide what to order because I usually order the same thing -- Palestine Pancakes.

They're plain crepes, rolled with sour cream and a hint of cointreau and then dusted with powdered sugar. The cointreau gives the sour cream a very subtle flavor.

I've been ordering them since I was old enough to eat solid food. However, these babies are no longer on the printed menu. Well, they're on the printed menu...in my mind! About 15 years ago, Walker Bros. changed/updated their menus and they rudely left off the Palestine Pancakes. I was crushed. So I asked the waitress at the time if I could still order them. She said "sure, kid" and ever since then I've been happily eating my PPs.

The funny thing is, every time I order them the server just nods and writes it down like it's no big deal. Just once I'd like someone to acknowledge me with a wink or an elbow jab, or some kind of comment! Apparently other people must order them with some frequency b/c the entire waitstaff is familiar with them.

So this gets me thinking...are there other secret items on the Walker Bros. menu?

Hi,

Just last week I saw Palestine Pancakes as a menu item, described exactly as written above, at:

Davi's Restaurant & Ice Cream
609 E Irving Park Rd,
Roselle, IL 60172
(630) 893-1080

I mentioned to the waitress this was an off menu item at Walker Brothers, which she was well aware of.

I didn't select them for my lunch, maybe next time.

Regards,

The 49'er Flap Jacks and the Swedish pancakes are also crepe based pancakes at Walker Bros.

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Just last week I saw Palestine Pancakes as a menu item, described exactly as written above, at:

Davi's Restaurant & Ice Cream
609 E Irving Park Rd,
Roselle, IL 60172
(630) 893-1080

I mentioned to the waitress this was an off menu item at Walker Brothers, which she was well aware of.

I didn't select them for my lunch, maybe next time.

Regards,

you ate at Davi's without any terrible after effects? consider yourself one of the lucky ones

Meet the table busser who’s worked at the same Wilmette pancake house for 54 years, and still makes minimum wage

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... story.html

54 years making minimum wage??
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME

hell world story for sure

irisarbor wrote:54 years making minimum wage??
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME

By actually reading the story, I discovered that he had been offered promotions through the years, and turned them down. Also noted is the fact that he gets tips, a bonus every year and other "help" as needed, so the headline is a bit misleading.

stevez wrote:

irisarbor wrote:54 years making minimum wage??
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME

By actually reading the story, I discovered that he had been offered promotions through the years, and turned them down. Also noted is the fact that he gets tips, a bonus every year and other "help" as needed, so the headline is a bit misleading.

Perhaps I read it a bit differently.

I wondered what on earth those promotions were that he would turn them down?

And then I thought okay, ethically, even if he did turn them down, how would I feel keeping him as my employee for over 50 years making whatever the prevailing minimum wage was? I somehow feel this wouldn't fly for me as an employer.

I know, I know but this piece made my stomach churn. Somehow, I don't think he would have turned down more money, at least not while raising his family, unless he calculated the risks and thought they were too high, some sort of "bird in the hand being better than several in the bush". He came up in a time, and place, where black boys were killed for looking at white women (he's from Mississippi, and Emmett Till's murder was about 10 years before he came to Chicago. Yes. She admitted it never happened, but that won't bring Till back. ). Mr. Loggans was 18 in 1964 when he got to Chicago according to the piece. Emmett Till was 14 when he was killed. Mr. Loggan lived 60 miles away from where Till was killed. He was 9 when it happened.

In June of 1964, three Civil Rights Workers disappeared, in Mississippi. All three were found dead, in Mississippi, a couple of months later. Two of the three were young white men from up north. The third was a young black man from Mississippi.

I reckon that background has something to do with why he was "[J]ust happy to be free of Mississippi."

He is due far more than that.

It does not sit well with me either. His loyalty and dedication deserved more than just minimum wage even if he did turn down promotions.

So, there shouldn’t be a single wage for bussers. They should be paid on sliding scale based on seniority. Or should loyalty and longevity pay increases only set in at 40 years, or 30 or....

The Berghoff is the other place that comes to mind where I at one point had known waiters who had been there proudly for 50 years in essentially the same capacity, recognizing of course that waiter is different from busser. I want to think they had some ownership stake or generous longevity package but I am just not sure. The engines that keep the veneer of our society lustrous are often worryingly inscrutable.

The headline is very misleading if you read the story. It is a free market system. I am assuming the "extra's" made up for the minimum wage being fixed. At the end of the day, a food joint can only pay so much for that position. If business is good enough, there are the "extra's." If it is not, then how could they stay in business if you crank the hourly wages up??? Kiss of death for small joints that need flexibility.

Santander wrote:The Berghoff is the other place that comes to mind where I at one point had known waiters who had been there proudly for 50 years in essentially the same capacity, recognizing of course that waiter is different from busser. I want to think they had some ownership stake or generous longevity package but I am just not sure. The engines that keep the veneer of our society lustrous are often worryingly inscrutable.

Presumably, the long term waitstaff have developed a coterie of regulars who keep them busy and well tipped.

Waiters and other employees at the Berghoff were unionized.

Getting back to the original question -- I remember Palestine Pancakes being on the Walker Bros. menu when I was a kid. If they're not still there, I'd guess it was probably because it became an issue -- but everyone who grew up in Wilmette in the '60s would probably remember them -- and those folks probably just kept on ordering those pancakes, not even bothering to look at the menu.

So they didn't start out as secret menu items. Interesting to know that they linger on.

Jamie wrote:Waiters and other employees at the Berghoff were unionized.

Until the restaurant ‘closed’ for a few days, busted the union, and reopened hiring staff as required.

Several years ago.

Cynthia wrote:Getting back to the original question -- I remember Palestine Pancakes being on the Walker Bros. menu when I was a kid. If they're not still there, I'd guess it was probably because it became an issue -- but everyone who grew up in Wilmette in the '60s would probably remember them ...

My father used to order them. Walker Bros changed the name to "Continental Crepes" in the late '90's or early '00's. They were eventually taken off the menu. Likely because consuming that much sour cream became socially unacceptable.

bweiny wrote: They were eventually taken off the menu. Likely because consuming that much sour cream became socially unacceptable.

As compared to the ultra healthy apple pancake?

Panther in the Den wrote:

Jamie wrote:Waiters and other employees at the Berghoff were unionized.

Until the restaurant ‘closed’ for a few days, busted the union, and reopened hiring staff as required.

Several years ago.

Exactly what I was coming in here to post.

Kid Charlemagne wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:

Jamie wrote:Waiters and other employees at the Berghoff were unionized.

Until the restaurant ‘closed’ for a few days, busted the union, and reopened hiring staff as required.

Several years ago.

Exactly what I was coming in here to post.

Yep. The Berghoff is the last place on earth that should be cited as an example of a place that treated their long-standing employees well. What they did was shameful. And I'm glad it was mentioned here because it should never be forgotten.

What I don't understand about this situation is why Mr. Loggan was never given a single raise above minimum wage over his 54 years with the company, irrespective of the declined promotions? Bonuses are fine but are discretionary and provide no assurance of permanent advancement to employees. They obligate the employer to nothing. Yes, it's a free market but this is just a shitty way to treat an employee of value. If it's policy, it's a short-sighted, self-serving one.

Who at Walker Brothers thought this was a reasonable way to treat such a loyal employee? Does Montgomery Burns work there?

=R=

scottsol wrote:

bweiny wrote: They were eventually taken off the menu. Likely because consuming that much sour cream became socially unacceptable.

As compared to the ultra healthy apple pancake?

While the customer may always be right, they are anything but always rational.

ronnie_suburban wrote:
What I don't understand about this situation is why Mr. Loggan was never given a single raise above minimum wage over his 54 years with the company, irrespective of the declined promotions?

He is making more than minimum wage from what the story indicates.

There appears to have been a correction:

An earlier version of this story and headline incorrectly characterized Mr. Loggan’s base salary as minimum wage. After 54 years, he makes $2.75 more than the minimum wage before tips.


The paragraph now indicates it's closer to $15/hr with tips before tax.

Just clarifying that point as the upthread posts didn't have that info.

Willkat98 wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:
What I don't understand about this situation is why Mr. Loggan was never given a single raise above minimum wage over his 54 years with the company, irrespective of the declined promotions?

He is making more than minimum wage from what the story indicates.

There appears to have been a correction:

An earlier version of this story and headline incorrectly characterized Mr. Loggan’s base salary as minimum wage. After 54 years, he makes $2.75 more than the minimum wage before tips.


The paragraph now indicates it's closer to $15/hr with tips before tax.

Just clarifying that point as the upthread posts didn't have that info.

Thanks, Bill. Much appreciated.

=R=

The recommended minimum wage in Cook county is going up to $13 an hour in 2020, and the Village of Wilmette has just agreed to go along with that, Evanston raised their minimum wage to $10 an hour a while back, and Hecky Powell replied that he would have to lay off a few people if he was forced to pay that much. He hires a lot of people though that Walker Brothers would not touch, and spends a lot of time training them.

What I don't understand about this guy is why he did not relocate closer to the restaurant. Granted somebody that makes $15 an hour could not afford to live in Wilmette, but Rogers Park is a whole lot cheaper, and is not that far from Wilmette. This guy I am sure receives social security too, and his wife works too, and so it is not as bad as it first appears.

NFriday wrote:Hecky Powell replied that he would have to lay off a few people if he was forced to pay that much.

And the Village Inn in Skokie threatened to close up shop if Skokie raised its minimum wage. Once again, when your success depends on paying your employees the least amount the law will allow, it's time to re-evaluate your business model. Hecky does just fine.

Hi- Hecky does help out the Levy Senior center in Evanston quite a bit. I live in a condo building on Ridge about three blocks South of his restaurant, and one year we were having a cook out in the front of our building. Hecky happened to be driving by and noticed it. He then drove to his restaurant and came back a few minutes later with a free bottle of his bbq sauce. Hecky does hire a lot of drug addicts that are trying to come clean and other people that other restaurants won't touch.

There are a lot of small organic growers that hire interns to work on the farm for a year, and they usually only pay them $100 a week, and then give them free housing, and all the veggies and eggs they want to eat. These interns also work at least 40 hours a week on the farm. My Sister that has the farm, has used a lot of foreign interns that she also provides free housing too, but she also pays them more than minimum wage.

Willkat98 wrote:He is making more than minimum wage from what the story indicates.

There appears to have been a correction:

An earlier version of this story and headline incorrectly characterized Mr. Loggan’s base salary as minimum wage. After 54 years, he makes $2.75 more than the minimum wage before tips.


The paragraph now indicates it's closer to $15/hr with tips before tax.

Just clarifying that point as the upthread posts didn't have that info.

Walker Brothers sent out the following blast to those on their e-mail list, to highlight the retraction mentioned in the post quoted above:

Walker Bros wrote:From: Walker Bros The Original Pancake House <walkerbros@walkerbros.net>
Subject: A Note to Our Customers
Date: Sep 8, 2018 11:14 AM

A Note to Our Customers...

Walker Bros. is happy to see that Othea Loggan received a unique recognition by being featured on the front page of the Chicago Tribune. He is a dedicated and loyal employee. We are very grateful to his years of loyal service. He is truly a great man. Unfortunately, the article’s headline was inaccurate and some people have voiced their concerns. Mr. Loggan has been paid well above $14/hour for years.

The attached link is the retraction made by the Chicago Tribune author.

Furthermore, we regularly review our compensation and benefits practices and policies to ensure we are in line with industry standards as a locally owned, family casual restaurant.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/corr ... story.html

Kid Charlemagne wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:

Jamie wrote:Waiters and other employees at the Berghoff were unionized.

Until the restaurant ‘closed’ for a few days, busted the union, and reopened hiring staff as required.

Several years ago.

Exactly what I was coming in here to post.

thanks for the reminder never to eat at the berghoff again....

pairs4life wrote:

stevez wrote:

irisarbor wrote:54 years making minimum wage??
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME

By actually reading the story, I discovered that he had been offered promotions through the years, and turned them down. Also noted is the fact that he gets tips, a bonus every year and other "help" as needed, so the headline is a bit misleading.

Perhaps I read it a bit differently.

I wondered what on earth those promotions were that he would turn them down?

And then I thought okay, ethically, even if he did turn them down, how would I feel keeping him as my employee for over 50 years making whatever the prevailing minimum wage was? I somehow feel this wouldn't fly for me as an employer.

I know, I know but this piece made my stomach churn. Somehow, I don't think he would have turned down more money, at least not while raising his family, unless he calculated the risks and thought they were too high, some sort of "bird in the hand being better than several in the bush". He came up in a time, and place, where black boys were killed for looking at white women (he's from Mississippi, and Emmett Till's murder was about 10 years before he came to Chicago. Yes. She admitted it never happened, but that won't bring Till back. ). Mr. Loggans was 18 in 1964 when he got to Chicago according to the piece. Emmett Till was 14 when he was killed. Mr. Loggan lived 60 miles away from where Till was killed. He was 9 when it happened.

In June of 1964, three Civil Rights Workers disappeared, in Mississippi. All three were found dead, in Mississippi, a couple of months later. Two of the three were young white men from up north. The third was a young black man from Mississippi.

I reckon that background has something to do with why he was "[J]ust happy to be free of Mississippi."

He is due far more than that.

well said, ava. this tribune article brought tears to my eyes for several reasons...your post is a sad reminder of why mr. loggan is satisfied with what he has, even if some of us believe he deserves better from his long time employer: such as regular raises and health insurance. an employee shouldn't have to depend on the whims of their employers for bonuses, free clothes and an informal '$50 set aside each month for his retirement'.