Set up a camera at the entrance to every applebee's in the country on Sundays and I guarantee over 50% will show traffic from pentecostals. Within one mile from my church: applebee's. Within a half mile from a close fronds church: applebee's. Our district campground was built in the middle of a one horse town. What's there besides a horse? Applebee's.
So is the church gravitating toward applebee's or is applebee's gravitating towards the church?
Perhaps you're saying "it's only because of half off apps!"Oh no no no. The origins of the Pentecostal infatuation with applebee's can be traced long prior to the inception of half off appetizers.
The church I grew up in had a Wednesday night ritual: church then applebee's. The waitress, who we were on a first name basis with (Carmen), knew what time we were coming, had our drinks ready and one year we even took her a birthday cake. I visited the church Im at now roughly ten years ago. Guess where we went after church.
The infatuation stretches far prior to half off appetizers.So what is the root of the obsession? It's simple. We're pentecostal, and Pentecostals do what they've always done, in all areas of life. It's a laziness thing. Applebee's is the go to option because it's what we're used to. It requires no thought or deliberation. Inevitably we land on applebee's because it's the path of least resistance, and requires no thinking or originality whatsoever.
It also stays open til 11 giving us plenty of time to talk w/o keeping the staff late. Steak n Shake is also a favorite for that reason. I've never known anyone to go to Applebee's after Sunday morning service, only the night services. Buffets are reserved for Sunday lunch :)
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