Khaopaat wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I've never understood the draw of these types of events. What's a gyros cost -- 5 or 6 bucks? I'd rather just pay for one on a day on which I'm in the mood for one and not waste my time waiting in line for something like this. I can always make more money. I can never make more time.

=R=

Hear hear. If I walked up to someone and said, "hey, stand here in the hot sun for 2 hours and I'll buy you a gyro", he'd probably tell me to get bent. Frame that same situation as "FREE GYRO DAY!!!" and that same person happily sweat his ass off in line & stare at his Blackberry for 2 hours, eagerly anticipating his "free lunch".

Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.

Well, of course, ymmv, but I printed my coupon at 11:25, called in my order, and am currently back at home and 5 bites into my gyro at 11:55. I went to a new place this year. Last year, the place would not allow me to phone in the order. Also, I picked it up in the drive thru.

IMO, it is not worth the wait. I went for the free gyros last year, but won't do it again this year.

Khaopaat wrote:

ronnie_suburban wrote:I've never understood the draw of these types of events. What's a gyros cost -- 5 or 6 bucks? I'd rather just pay for one on a day on which I'm in the mood for one and not waste my time waiting in line for something like this. I can always make more money. I can never make more time.

=R=

Hear hear. If I walked up to someone and said, "hey, stand here in the hot sun for 2 hours and I'll buy you a gyro", he'd probably tell me to get bent. Frame that same situation as "FREE GYRO DAY!!!" and that same person happily sweat his ass off in line & stare at his Blackberry for 2 hours, eagerly anticipating his "free lunch".

Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.

See upthread. (I couldn't help myself...)

Khaopaat wrote:Don't bother justifying yourself to pointless comments that contribute absolutely nothing to the topic at hand. A deal was offered, you took advantage of the deal, end of story. Nothing wrong with that!

If I hadn't been slammed by client b.s. at work yesterday, I probably would have gotten in that long line...standing outside playing iPhone games on a beautiful day beats sitting in the office staring at a computer monitor anytime.

This morning I printed up 4 coupons for the nearest places.

Left the house at 2:30 and was back home by 3:30.

No wait at any of the places.

Darren72 wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:Hear hear. If I walked up to someone and said, "hey, stand here in the hot sun for 2 hours and I'll buy you a gyro", he'd probably tell me to get bent. Frame that same situation as "FREE GYRO DAY!!!" and that same person happily sweat his ass off in line & stare at his Blackberry for 2 hours, eagerly anticipating his "free lunch".

Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.

See upthread. (I couldn't help myself...)

Khaopaat wrote:Don't bother justifying yourself to pointless comments that contribute absolutely nothing to the topic at hand. A deal was offered, you took advantage of the deal, end of story. Nothing wrong with that!

If I hadn't been slammed by client b.s. at work yesterday, I probably would have gotten in that long line...standing outside playing iPhone games on a beautiful day beats sitting in the office staring at a computer monitor anytime.

Damn, I just got served . Well played, sir.

Guess this goes to show the change in mindset I experienced by leaving a mind-numbingly boring job for one that is infinitely more interesting and keeps me relatively busy.

Maybe it's just that playing with an iPhone for two hours is more fun than a Blackberry?

Khaopaat wrote:Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.

I doubt most of the people who wait in line for free food make so much.

LAZ wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.

I doubt most of the people who wait in line for free food make so much.

The phenom of how free food attracts people of all income levels is baffling to me. Recently, at the Iowa State Fair, I witnessed a line of about thirty people waiting for free hard-boiled eggs. One each. They must have spent 12-15 minutes waiting for pennies-worth of food.

Also baffling to me is Iowans' almost British-like proclivity towards queuing. They are really good at it.

David Hammond wrote:

LAZ wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.

I doubt most of the people who wait in line for free food make so much.

The phenom of how free food attracts people of all income levels is baffling to me. Recently, at the Iowa State Fair, I witnessed a line of about thirty people waiting for free hard-boiled eggs. One each. They must have spent 12-15 minutes waiting for pennies-worth of food.

Also baffling to me is Iowans' almost British-like proclivity towards queuing. They are really good at it.

They're inspired by the corn.

LAZ wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.

I doubt most of the people who wait in line for free food make so much.

Judging just from those posting about their free gyros amongst my Facebook folks, this would be incorrect. Not scientific, granted, but seems like a lot of people did this and all that i knew earn > $40K. I could also tell you stories about what people are willing to do to get a free t-shirt from my wine cooler selling days...let's just say that "need" has NOTHING to do with it

boudreaulicious wrote:

LAZ wrote:

Khaopaat wrote:Also, assuming this person makes $40,000/year, and assuming 2,080 hours per fiscal year, those 2 hours spent waiting for a "free" $6 gyro actually cost him approximately $38.50.

I doubt most of the people who wait in line for free food make so much.

Judging just from those posting about their free gyros amongst my Facebook folks, this would be incorrect. Not scientific, granted, but seems like a lot of people did this and all that i knew earn > $40K. I could also tell you stories about what people are willing to do to get a free t-shirt from my wine cooler selling days...let's just say that "need" has NOTHING to do with it

Semi -related -

A very, very, VERY wealthy friend of the family once gave me this tidbit:
(Paraphrased)
I absolutely guarantee that anyone in this country can get rich as long as other ppl think clipping coupons, and getting things for free is for poor people.

Anyway, I was prepared to NOT get my free gyros yesterday if there was a wait longer than a few minutes, but I'm guessing that the long lines of last year deterred folks. If there was a line at the place I went to, my fallback plan was Las Asadas. Win - win, baby.

stevez wrote:

JoelF wrote:A lot fewer suburban locations. Photos (Mt Prospect) is notably absent.

If it's anything like last year's clusterfuck, I'll be absent, too. Maybe I'll go get a gyros tomorrow.

I'm with you and ronnie_suburban...I'd rather pay the $6 the previous day.

Did anybody experience lines? From all of the reports here (and from my experience) there were none.

While there were a few locations that were dropped it appeared to me there were a lot more than last year. Also at Tom's on Harlem they mentioned over the last year they added another spit on a regular and another just for the day for a total of four.

Maybe the promotion was better prepared than last year?

Hey Panther -
Was Petes (Ridgeland / Roosevelt) one of your four spots?

I avoided Tom's because it was pure mayhem last year, I also wanted to try Pete's, but got out later than I wanted to - figured it would be a zoo too. I settled on Pop's because it was newer - figured maybe it was under the radar. Was Tom's a zoo? How about Pete's (if you went, that is, and if so, how was the product?)

seebee wrote:Hey Panther -
Was Pete's (Ridgeland / Roosevelt) one of your four spots?

I avoided Tom's because it was pure mayhem last year, I also wanted to try Pete's, but got out later than I wanted to - figured it would be a zoo too. I settled on Pop's because it was newer - figured maybe it was under the radar. Was Tom's a zoo? How about Pete's (if you went, that is, and if so, how was the product?)

Panther in the Den wrote:This morning I printed up 4 coupons for the nearest places.

Left the house at 2:30 and was back home by 3:30.

No wait at any of the places.

Pete's, The place on Madison, Tom's on south Harlem and then Pop's in Lyons.

I haven't eaten them all except for Pete's and it was well filled and the meat browned. They were all about the same weight.

I was surprised at no lines! Last year there were significant lines everywhere.

Hey Seebee/Panther/others,
I didn't go this year or last year due to timing/schedule issues but I was wondering which of the places you sampled were your favorites in near west or west suburbs. Has anyone been to Young Prince, I actually printed the coupon but couldn't go and Pop's and Margie's were my other choices. I'd like to just know where to get the best gyro in general in that area.

gooseberry wrote:Hey Seebee/Panther/others,
I didn't go this year or last year due to timing/schedule issues but I was wondering which of the places you sampled were your favorites in near west or west suburbs. Has anyone been to Young Prince, I actually printed the coupon but couldn't go and Pop's and Margie's were my other choices. I'd like to just know where to get the best gyro in general in that area.

Gooseberry, I'm not a huge gyros fan. Once in a while, I'll get the craving - maybe twice a year or so. I've never been to Young Prince, but I know exaxtly the place you're talking about - over on Mannheim, right? Anyway, between Tom's Carry Out, and Pop's, I'd pick Tom's every time. Pop's product is the more aggressively spiced (salted) version which I am not too big a fan of. I'd defer to Panther to call out which is best in the Western Burbs tho. The man seems to know his gyros.

David Hammond wrote:The phenom of how free food attracts people of all income levels is baffling to me. Recently, at the Iowa State Fair, I witnessed a line of about thirty people waiting for free hard-boiled eggs. One each. They must have spent 12-15 minutes waiting for pennies-worth of food.

It just makes people feel good to get something for free and probably even more so when they're getting it from an entity that is not the least bit obligated to provide it. Me? I'm topping out at about a 1 minute wait for a hard boiled egg

I will not be the one to judge as I ate one from Pete's and the rest went on ice, unmarked.

I was thinking that they all will be similar since they were all from the same supplier, even the pita, but I guess if one was sitting on the spit longer more juices will percolate out, caramelize and perhaps be saltier.

They were all good with none of the places skimping as you might think with them giving them away for free.

Also baffling to me is Iowans' almost British-like proclivity towards queuing. They are really good at it.

As an Iowan I'm not sure if this is a complement or an insult.

Got my gyro at Pete's on Roosevelt with no line and no wait at all.
If there had been a line at least I would have been able to stand in it.

The gyro was delicious.

hoppy2468 wrote:

Also baffling to me is Iowans' almost British-like proclivity towards queuing. They are really good at it.

As an Iowan I'm not sure if this is a complement or an insult.

Got my gyro at Pete's on Roosevelt with no line and no wait at all.
If there had been a line at least I would have been able to stand in it.

The gyro was delicious.

My daughter is (part) Iowan, so no disrespect intended.

I was talking with some guys we met in Iowa about the tendency of Iowans to form orderly lines. It was apparently the subject of an article in the Des Moines Register not that long ago. The apparently genetic predisposition of Iowans to wait in well-mannered lines was something I, as an uncouth Chicagoan, routinely violated, usually without knowing any better: like at the meat sundae place, I just went up to the register, ordered, and got my food. "That was unbelievably fast," I said to The Wife, who observed, "It would have taken longer if you had waited in line." Indeed, there was a line about 50 people deep, waiting quietly at the door in front of the cashier, not even stepping forward until they got the okay from the cashier, who waited on me without batting an eyelash, letting me cut in line, doltishly, and serving me with a smile. I like Iowans; they let me go first.

I have been a huge fan of Tom's in Lyons for a long time. The place was originally across the street on Harlem, attached to Tom's Fruit Market. Twenty five years ago I use to play mind games with the guy behind the counter as I had never, in years, had seen him crack a smile. I'm sure followers can recall him. The gyros at Tom's is the best I have ever had, by far, and I've had many. When I go to hear blues nearby at Harlem Lounge, I pack a cooler with ice and buy Tom's package deal, enough for 4 people and everything is seperate. They won't heat the gyros, if you prefer. Tom's market is worth checking out as well.

Free gyros are being given out tomorrow. http://kronosfreegyros.com/

Kadner: No coupon for him on Free Gyros Day
Phil Kadner
Last Modified: Aug 30, 2011 02:05AM

This is normally one of my favorite days of the year, Free Gyros Day.

Kronos Foods Inc., the largest wholesale supplier of gyros in the state, offers customers an online coupon that will get you a free sandwich at about 50 restaurants that use its products.

Unfortunately, my favorite gyros restaurant is not on the list of participating stores this year.

“Too much headaches,” is all Karl Kruszecki, the owner of Mickey’s Gyros, 17432 Oak Park Ave., in Tinley Park, would say when I asked him why he opted out.

When I suggested that Mickey’s was so popular it probably didn’t need to offer free sandwiches to attract patrons, Kruszecki said, “Right.”

MORE@ http://southtownstar.suntimes.com/news/ ... s-day.html

Past event is right!
I couldn't open the link to the coupon at work and when I tried now the Kronos website says the promotion is over. On the same website page they say the promotion runs from 10:30am until 11pm. WTH.

I want my gyro!!

Their Facebook page says they closed it at 6pm.

It's back! http://www.kronosfreegyros.com/