Creatively Looking at My Second Interview...

The other day in class we had a chance to look at our interviews closer, with a more creative purpose behind it. This turned into being writing poetry by using the words and phrases our person said throughout the interview. I had an emotional interview with my mom after hearing why the Beef Barn is so important to her. I never realized the family connections that she had, which were connections made before her kids, before her husband, but when she was also a kid.
So for this poem, to clarify, it is all in my mom's words and her perspective.
 

Because it Reminds Me of My Mom

My earliest remembrance of the Beef Barn is of going there with my mom and getting a coffee shake.

No where else can make a coffee shake better than the Beef Barn.

It reminds me of my mom.

It reminds me of my memories with her.

My mom loved coffee shakes, so I loved coffee shakes....

She got me hooked.

I introduced my kids to coffee shakes by bringing them to the Beef Barn because it was like sharing a moment with my mom, with her future grandchildren, that she was never able to do.

Granted... none of you guys liked them when you were little-

But now, still to this day, my son cannot go into Beef Barn and not order a shake.

It's community.

It's family.

I go back for the good food,

the service,

the memories.

A coffee shake at the Beef Barn is more than a shake...

It's remembering those short, what seemed like insignificant moments, with my mother.

Every time I order a coffee shake, I feel like I'm sharing that moment with her.

Where I'm Going!

After meeting with my professor, we organized my final paper by how we wanted it to flow. She grabbed a notecard and a pen and simplified everything that I was trying to say. This led to these helpful cards that relieved my stress over this final paper! :) Thanks Dr. Cook!


 





 Here we have the two main topics of my paper. I will be focusing on the cell phone use and how people are distracted at restaurants, and how the Beef Barn is a locally, family owned restaurant in my community. This diagram just breaks down that one main topic into different parts of it, including aspects like my interview with Ashley, one of the waitresses there, and some secondary sources.

This next diagram is what instantly made me feel ready to write this paper! I was very stressed out about how weeks and weeks of research, observing, interviewing, etc on this one little place could turn into an analytical, eye opening, yet emotional piece of writing that I have connected to. That's where this arrow flowing diagram comes in! My goal for the paper is to go full circle. I will start off personal, and end personal. I want to start off with why I'm writing this and what it means to me. Then after using my interviews, sources, and blog posts, I will explain the situation where people are willingly going to a small, family restaurant yet being so distracted!! Bringing it back to a more personal ending, I chose to comment a bit on how these findings will impact me, but not in a depressing, this is what the world is coming to, kind of view. I want to relate it back so that the reader can see me sitting at home with my little family, eating a home cooked meal together, without any distractions of cell phones, tablets, ipods, etc.

Getting over the fear of....

The First Interview!!!

Ahh. Okay, I made it out alive, and that isn't a comment about my interviewee, who was super nice! I think for all of us, the thought of interviewing someone on a topic that we have put so much time into is a little scary! What happens if they don't show up for the interview, what happens if they don't talk, what happens if it doesn't record, what happens if they don't even address the topics you want your paper to be about!?! I can happily say that my first interview extinguished all those fears and I'm excited to use part of the interview in my paper.

I interviewed a current waitress at the Beef Barn, Ashley, who also went to the same high school as me! I was especially excited to interview her for this paper, because we live in the same town, so the Beef Barn is part of her local community too. I felt more comfortable by knowing who I was meeting before hand, and the fact that we met at Dunkin' Donuts was a win-win for me! :)

I learned a lot about myself through this interview... the biggest being I hate the way my voice sounds after hearing it recorded! After getting over hearing that, and some awkward pauses that went on a little too long, I began seeing some patterns with my questions. I had a tendency to go back to topics we already discussed after a long and awkward pause. In some cases, I introduced new questions related back to what she had replied with, but others began with "ummmm..... soooo let's go back to this"! I also caught myself asking some closed questions (a little too late... but I'm glad I know to watch out for that now!) to which she answered a yes or no. This was not her fault for not expanding, because she did exactly what I had asked her to do, just answer my questions. I also recognized that it took a little time to get going with the questioning and answering, which was expected! We both are somewhat shy and more reserved, so I had a feeling the dialog would be more back and forth of us talking, than her going off on one of my topics for a couple minutes. It could also be that we are both the same age, 18, and younger adults are known to expand or talk less during interviews like these, as my professor warned.

Overall though, I could not thank Ashley enough for meeting with me! We talked a lot about her experiences with customers at her tables using their cell phones, and the type of people she normally serves at this local, family restaurant. She addressed the two biggest things my paper will be about, and her first hand knowledge will be a key asset to my final paper on the Beef Barn!

Update...

         Hey guys! For those of you who are wondering where this blog about the Beef Barn is actually going, I'm here to update you all. First of all, after doing some observations that I posed, I am starting to get an idea of where I want my final project to go. The more I go back to the Beef Barn and every time I'm out at restaurants, I can't help but notice the cell phone problem. For example, I was at Panera Bread last night and there was a family sitting at the table next to us... the older gentleman was eating his food, the older woman was on her cell phone, the middle aged woman was reading a book, with her tablet on the table, and the other middle aged woman had headphones in with a tablet! My boyfriend and I was shocked to see this, and hear no conversation occur between any of them! This issue is very interesting to me, and it will be a prominent aspect to my paper. The other main topic I've been looking into is local businesses. I really want to point out the fact that independent restaurants are out there, trying to survive surrounded by all the franchised places. It's important to point out when locally owned restaurants give back to their community! With Small Business Day coming up, I believe it's mid-November, it reminds us all to try and spend our money at local and independently owned small business because they are more likely to give back and use the money compared to giving it to millionaires who own a whole fast food franchise. That will be my goal to all of you... after researching the difficulties small businesses, specifically restaurants, encounter, go out and have dinner at a local place in your home town! Or instead of going to Walmart, try the little place down the road who grows their own produce.
         As for my final paper, my two points will be the discovery of this push and pull relationship. We care about locally, family owned restaurants and bring our family and friends with us to share a meal, yet we ignore them with our cell phones, tablets, laptops, etc. Later on I will post a picture of something called a "mind map" which will demonstrate where I want to go, but in pictures and colors and multiple "stems" branching off...

Reactions to My Second Observations...

I had similar reactions to my second set of observations as my first. In my eyes, this is a good thing because I’m focusing on two topics within studying Beef Barn, that I would like to see consistent results with. One topic is one that continues to disturb me everywhere I go! It is crazy watching people use their cell phones EVERYWHERE! It’s disturbing watching people go out to eat to enjoy their meal with good company-but only look at their phone the entire time. This time there was a group of younger people and a group of older people, which made it clear where the problem is. The younger generations are getting more and more addicted to technology, specifically cell phones. It’s sad when they do not feel comfortable talking face to face to people anymore, or not even feel comfortable talking on the phone because they are so used to just texting people, barely using full sentences. Something that intrigued me relates back to my second main topic I’m interested in, which is the trend behind different food cultures. It’s so interesting that there are trends between each culture. For example, relating back to food, people can study the average time people eat their meals, the amount of meals per day people eat, how large those meals are, etc. It intrigued me that by visiting the site at 4 pm, I could assume that it wouldn’t be the dinner rush yet and it would be busier when I left. I also predicted maybe there would be people hanging out from school, because the high school is up the road from the Beef Barn. It’s cool that most Americans have predicted times they eat, and other cultures may have different predicted times they usually eat. You can learn a lot about a culture by observing the amount of people who eat at a certain time. It surprised me that no one really cared what I was doing. I didn’t have any situations where people were interested in what I was writing about as I looked around. I know if I was eating there and saw someone with a notebook writing stuff, I’d be interested in what they were doing. Maybe I’m just more suspicious than others? :) Overall, I’m glad I noticed the same trends as my last observations.

What the Internet Has to Say About the Beef Barn....

               Today, I went out to the internet to make some observations. I learned the Beef Barn has their own website (http://www.thebeefbarn.com/). These days, the internet can be one of the most helpful sources, so I was excited to see what history, interesting facts, or contact information I could find on their website. My first reaction was disappointment… you can tell that they created it years ago, and haven’t kept up with it. Although it is surprising in today’s technologically advanced society, it represents the Beef Barn. They are a local family restaurant, and they probably don’t feel the need to have a confusing and overwhelming website. There’s also no format to the pages. Maybe it’s just my OCD, but one tab has different fonts from another, or on one page all the pictures are centered going down the page but on another they’re 2 by 2 on the left and right. The nice thing about their website is that they do have pictures! This is where I found the first picture I posted of the front of the Beef Barn. They included pictures of the seating, as well, which is the best part! You can tell from the few things they have, they want to show off their unique dining. After going directly to their site, I wanted to find another related website. I found one on Facebook. Who knew… they would have a Facebook page? Here it is if you want to check it out, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beef-Barn/271246942919878?nr=115184751838221, but it reminds me of their website but with no pictures! It is strictly informative. It gives us the phone number, links to the website, and their address. It’s cool to look at it from Facebook, because it tells me how many people have “checked in” aka said they were at the Beef Barn, and some people even take a picture and tag themselves as “at the Beef Barn” which comes up on this page. Even though for both these sites, I’m judging their lack of a website, I understand why. The Beef Barn isn’t a franchise that is all over the web, people hear about it by word of mouth and they’ve been doing it like that for years. It’s helpful to have their website and a page of Facebook so that people can easily look up their menu, address, phone number, etc. but the people who know about it probably wouldn’t need to look up their website. I can observe a lot about their establishment, from a couple links. Their priority is not networking their restaurant or trying to get “100 likes” on Facebook. They guarantee to make good food in a small, local place that is almost like a “hole in the wall” that people only really hear about from other people. I think the message is clear from their website that they are not worried about followers or attention from the web, because their focus is on the people coming into their restaurant and getting them to come back. At first, I was surprised how little of a website they had, but then I remembered what kind of restaurant it is. You will just have to go there to experience what the Beef Barn is all about, instead of just reading and looking online about it. More people should trust the web less and just go out there and experience the new places, regardless of what the web has to say!

Update on a Previous Post!

I have been thinking more about my post dealing with my different positions. I’ve gotten some interesting feedback, which has made me rethink what I had originally posted, specifically about being objective. Initially I said that I would be able to look at the place and people objectively, because I have acknowledged some of the opinions I have that would make me think biased. Just because I listed out some personal perspectives I have, doesn’t mean I will be able to ignore them. I will never be able to push past them to get a completely objective observation. As my professor said, it’s impossible to be totally objective. One of the big focuses of my study is observing humans, and I can’t be 100% subjective while analyzing my own species. I can try looking at the establishment as an outsider, so I get an overall view of the Beef Barn, but I can’t completely remove myself from the culture and space to observe objectively. I’m really glad my professor cleared this up, and it inspired me to think further about it. By getting a variety of opinions, it makes my overall observation more subjective- but still not entirely objective! Other people have different experiences, pasts, families, opinions, etc. so by combining their perspectives with mine, I’ll get a nice overall sense of the Beef Barn and the people there. In the end, I’m still going to look at the Beef Barn as a local, hometown favorite filled with personal memories. It helps that I have a strong personal connection with this place, because I can influence others to come and try their food! I think that’s how they’ve become popular and successful, by word of mouth. I’ve never seen any publicity or advertisements about it, so people are definitely talking about it! As for the people who are still curious about the name… You’ll just have to come to check it out yourselves! Going there is, in my opinion, a lot better than going to a franchise chain restaurant.  Here, you get personalized, family-like service, with very popular favorites on the menu, which are cooked to order. The design and décor gets people talking about the interesting, faded and yellow old newspaper articles and ads under the glass topped booths, or the interesting assortment of seating you can pick from. There’s something unique about eating in a barn shaped restaurant, and with a name like the Beef Barn, I can guarantee their meat sandwiches will have you coming back for more! Unless you’re like me, who can’t say no to a crispy yet gooey grilled cheese! Mmmm…

Reactions To My First Observation.... Surprising, Intriguing, and Disturbing!

I really enjoyed doing my first set of field working notes. It’s interesting to actually study and observe the site with different eyes. Instead of going with the intent on enjoying a meal with friends or family, I had a different purpose in mind. I definitely noticed more from the Beef Barn when I took the time to observe. The thing that surprised me the most was watching the people. I am so surprised at the amount of people on their phones! The worst part is, I know that I do the same thing… It really made me notice how much we miss from staring at our phones constantly. I saw people smiling and laughing to whomever they were sitting across from, and that person didn’t even see because they were looking down at their phones. It was surprising how dependent we are to our electronic devices. I think I noticed this, this strongly, because I wasn’t on my phone. That just shows you how much more you take in without being so attached to a phone. I guess what surprised me also disturbed me. It kind of bothered me seeing the group of teenagers all together, but not fully there, they were in their phones. It’s hard to imagine how our society will be acting in 20 more years! Who knows if people will even go out and sit down to eat? Or, if people will even hang out face to face then? It was very disturbing to see how much people miss now. It was sad watching one parent be on their phones, while their children were eating and talking. I can’t imagine anything that is more important, on their cell phones, than their children. It’s also hard to comment on people missing out because of their phones, because I’m guilty of it too! I hope that observing it will help me detach a little from my phone, and be able to realize that I am missing a lot. Some things you can’t get back, or relive through reading a Facebook update or watching a YouTube video. On a separate note, I am starting to become very intrigued with food, specifically relating to culture. I am interested in comparing American food trends to a different culture’s trends. I am starting to analyze our habits of getting take out, not having home cooked meals, not sitting down as a family, etc. I think it also would be interesting to compare these new habits to how people were 30 years ago. Comparing these new to old and cultural trends would definitely make for an interesting report. It would allow me to use Beef Barn as my field-working site still, and be able to compare what I observe to not only this establishment, but also other cultural aspects. Overall, I’m happy with my first set of notes after observing my site. I know what I will be more focused on to observe next time, and I’m looking forward to it! I’ll be able to report back with more intriguing, surprising, yet disturbing things that keep us thinking and talking about the Beef Barn! Hopefully the disturbing parts won’t be about the food though… :)

My Perspective...

             Although this picture may seem weird for a blog about the Beef Barn... this picture explains the purpose of this post perfectly! As I am preparing to go out to my field site, I am thinking about some of my perspectives. My biggest concern is that my "rose colored lenses" picture the Beef Barn as some highly regarded establishment where I connect it with family and bonding over food. I am fully aware though, for some people they may see it as a small, inconvenient restaurant with greasy and overpriced food.

With my field site, I can’t foresee having any difficulties getting an objective view of the place or interviews with customers and employees based on my fixed positions. Examples of fixed positions would include my gender, race, where I live, age, etc. Actually, where I live may help me out. The Beef Barn is in my hometown of North Smithfield, and I sometimes recognize people from town eating there. If they know I’m also a “local”, they may be more willing to give me a thorough interview. If I wasn’t American, I’d have a very different view of a place like the Beef Barn. Americans go out to eat all the time and we are known for having fast food places. If I researched a restaurant in a different country, it’d definitely be different than a restaurant here.

Another obstacle is my subjective position. This is what I hinted at earlier, how my life experience and personal history may shape how I see the place. I understand that some people will not have the same personal connection with the Beef Barn. I know some people in my family who are don’t like the taste of the burgers, think the fries are under seasoned and hard, and would prefer McDonalds. Although I don’t agree with it, I respect their views. This means my report back on the Beef Barn may be different from the perspective of a vegetarian who was also studying the Beef Barn. Another interesting aspect is the fact that I grew up eating all my dinners at home, sitting at the table with my family, with the TV off. That is so uncommon now! I don’t know many families who even have home cooked meals. Going out to eat used to be for only special occasions. If it was one of our birthdays, or we were celebrating, we could pick somewhere to eat. Now you see families eating out or ordering take out almost every night, then not even eating together. Some may be in front of the TV, some may be eating in their rooms, and some may not even eat with their family at all. It’d be interesting to ask some of the waitresses and waiters the majority of people they serve, if most of the orders are from families trying to get a quick bite to eat, or from families all sitting together talking instead of everyone looking down at their phones. Another little fun fact is that whenever I go and eat at the Beef Barn I have always ordered a grilled cheese. I am not a vegetarian, but I prefer the grilled cheese to a meat sandwich. So will my view of a heavy, greasy burger from the grill influence how I describe their food? We will have to wait and see if my ordering habits affect how I describe other people’s orders.

The final position some people may encounter problems with is called textual positions. I don’t believe I’ll have this problem because I won’t be using a language that is unfamiliar to the people I’m studying. The ones I’m studying are similar to me, so I’m not an outsider. I won’t be referring to the people who eat in my home town as “those people” because it makes me sound like I’m above them, when I’m definitely not. The language or accent I may use when I talk will be familiar to the people in the Beef Barn as well.

I’m excited to start my research on the Beef Barn! I’m very interested in reading my final report back about the Beef Barn, to see if any of my perspectives leaked into the paper. It’s impossible for me to remain completely subjective, considering my personal history with the place, but it helps when you can recognize that you do have different perspectives from another person.

What in the world is "the Beef Barn"....

The front of the restaurant.

Hello everyone!

First off, the Beef Barn is a restaurant. It's located in my hometown of North Smithfield, RI and it's a small, local place where we all like to enjoy a sandwich, fries, and a famous milkshake. They have a small menu with favorites that keep people coming back again and again. The reason I have this blog is because I want to find out what is the reason people from town and outside of town travel to the Beef Barn. I know everyone has to eat, but what keeps the Beef Barn successful when the chain fast food places (McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Subway, etc) are right up the road? My family and I have been to this place to eat many times, and we have formed memories from sitting in the booths enjoying our meal. I know I come back because it reminds me of family and traditions, but I want to study why other people come back. I'm also curious to see if the "regulars" are mostly families with younger kids, couples, teenagers hanging out, elderly folks, etc. The Beef Barn is definitely not your ordinary restaurant... Their unique seating, small but satisfying menu, and great service are all good reasons to come back. Personally, I keep coming back to continue one of my family traditions. It may sound gross at first, but if you ever take a trip and eat at the Beef Barn, I highly recommend dipping your fries into your milkshake. I learned it from my dad, and from what I've heard more people know about it! That's my secret about the Beef Barn, but I'm anxious to learn more secrets about this place that no one knows!