Wendy, We Hardly Knew Ye

When I moved here 6 months ago there was a defunct Wendy's right as you drive into town. On it's sign marquee it said "Thanks Humboldt". It was kind of sad but not really being a huge Wendy's fan I didn't care much and was fairly confident that surely, as with most major fast food chains there would be another one somewhere near by. In all this time being here I never really gave Wendy's a second thought. Until a few days ago when I saw bulldozers tearing down the distinctly "wendy's" looking building. Now I guess you could say "yay for progress" but I kind of got nostalgic for those square patties.

Fast forward to today, when I see this post on VICE.

I'd seen the commercials, and it piqued my curiosity. And if I were back in the Bay Area that curiosity would sit and marinate until the serendipity of me being hungry and looking for a place to eat, and me passing by the next Wendy's restaurant at the same time occurred. ( the locations of which all seared into the fat kid centers of my memory like a flame broiled patty). But after reading this article, which is an awesomely horrible review of the sandwich, it brought that curiosity to the surface of my brain's taste desire region.

"Now that I’ve been sitting here with the burger for around ten minutes the stink of it is really beginning to change. It reminds me more of trash now, but maybe trash someone left out in a nice garden. There are little clumps of either the beef or the bacon in my teeth and gums that appear while I’m kind of sucking my mouth to feel the generally garbage-y feeling that begins to accompany the stink. "  -Vice.com

I know it's bad for me. I know it's awful and low quality.. but look at that bun? c'mon.  Subconsciously my brain started Googling itself for all known Wendy's locations in it's database.. and quickly striking them down based on my location.

2243 LOVERIDGE ROAD PITTSBURG, CA 94565    no!

5943 PACHECO BLVD PACHECO, CA 94553 (925) 686-2790  no!

3455 ALHAMBRA AVEMARTINEZ, CA 94553  no!

Nope, you live 300 miles from those locations now. Damn! Then my brain naturally went to the only one I've seen since I've been here in Eureka but shit, not only was it closed.. it was being bulldozed to rubble as I sit there and drool over some stupid burger. So I quickly search the real internet for the nearest Wendy's location.  There's gotta be one somewhere in the surrounding metropolises of Humboldt County... Fortuna, McKinleyville... they have to have a Wendy's right?

Wrong!

100 fucking miles away? Well there goes that dream....crushed in a pile of concrete and steel, just like the only Wendy's within 100 miles of me.

Best drive-by photo I could get.  

And before you say "why you goin to crappy fast food anyway, there's way better burger places"  There is. Actually there's some REALLY good burger places up here.. but.. they are not Wendy's and they are not the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger. This whole incident, as trivial as it is, really made me realize the things I took for granted when I lived in the "big city". After all, modern convenience isnt really why people come to the heart of Coastal Redwoods. Now that I'm here, I have to just appreciate where I am, and try to not be so burdened by the things I've left behind.  On that note: Currently planning a trip back home. List of things to see include, In-N-Out, Togos, Ikea and if there's time the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger.

UPDATE: I heard from a reliable source (guy who works at Carls Jr) that they will be rebuilding and reopening a new Wendy's. I also read [somewhere] that it closed originally because of ADA compliance issues. I dont know if any of this is actually true but I thought I'd mention it.