Friday, March 5, 2010

Past Food: Gino's Hamburgers

I got my first job at 16 as the most important man at Gino's Hamburgers in Collingdale.


That title isn't simply a matter of opinion. Just a week before I started, Gino's had begun an ad campaign stressing their cleanliness, proclaiming (something like):


“Meet David, the most important man at Gino's. He sweeps and clears the tables to make Gino's spotless for you!” There was a shot of a goofy teenage boy sweeping up, as the other employees shouted “Yay, David!!”


I can't tell you how many “Yay, David”s I heard in just my first week as the local goofy teenage boy. I do remember that it felt like great praise from the 6- and 7-year-olds eating with their families, and it felt like I was never going to get a date again from my 16-year-old peer group.


Gino's was a place filled with secrets. First there was the “secret sauce,” to be applied liberally to the Gino's Giant which, if you're not too fussy about copyrights was a lot like a Big Mac. And, since we also sold Kentucky Fried Chicken at Gino's, there was the secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices that the Colonel had turned into a poultry (but certainly not paltry) fortune. There was also a secret about our assistant manager and the night shift fry girl, but that's a story for another time.


I was in on none of these secrets.


It was no secret that the Gino in Gino's was retired Baltimore Colts defensive end Gino Marchetti. What was probably less known that it was his old teammate Alan Ameche who actually ran the business. Having my paycheck signed (I thought personally at the time) by the man who scored the most famous touchdown in NFL history was an honor I tried to work into every conversation I could.


“Baseball practice starts right after school and then I have to go to work for Alan Ameche.”

“Yes, Mr. Sigda, I think I know the cosine of that triangle. Did you know that Alan Ameche co-signs my paychecks?”


Today the $1.25/hour I made at Gino's doesn't seem like any money at all. It's true that even then it wasn't very much. But I learned a lot about the value of work and about being a part of an organization that interacts with a not-always-very-polite public.


Also, at closing time we got to take home all the food that wasn't sold. My mother would make the leftover KFC into chicken salad that lasted for days.


She still thinks it's the best job I ever had.

7 comments:

  1. Gino's is coming back!
    www.ginosgiant.com
    Have they contacted you yet , Jack?

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  2. They haven't, but I'm ready to pick up where I left off, Sixroute!

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  3. Welcome back GInos, been gone too long. Sounds like a good concept, "fast casual" food. No frozen hockey pucks. Hopefully, they won't disappoint.

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  4. the ginos i remember so well was on 9th and booth in chester just like mels in american graffiti cars crusin thru lookin for chics or just something to do man what a time

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  5. We are looking everywhere for this commercial! Do you have it or can you find it on YouTube? Thanks!

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  6. “Yes, Mr. Sigda, I think I know the cosine of that triangle. Did you know that Alan Ameche co-signs my paychecks?”


    What a great line!

    The Ginos closest to me was right across the street from the Bazaar (or Bizarre). So there, I've linked 2 of your posts together.

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  7. Just what the doctor ordered, Jim. Thanks for that!

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