A user on TikTok has sparked discussion after showing a peculiar food delivery mechanism in a Long John Silver’s drive-thru.
In a clip with over 152,000 views, TikTok user Courtney (@courtneysloper) films the drive-thru of a Long John Silver’s. Instead of the typical window, this location has a dumbwaiter, meaning that food is raised and lowered to the customer.
The video shows Courtney receiving her order from the restaurant. In the comments section, Courtney reveals that this location did not have a speaker, and employees instead yelled their requests to her from above.
“Long John Silvers be wildin with this dumbwaiter drive thru,” she wrote in the caption.
@courtneysloper Long John Silvers be wildin with this dumbwaiter drive thru 😂 peep the hand coming down @Long John Silver’s #longjohnsilvers #drivethrucomedy ♬ original sound – Courtney
The location in question is on Williamson Road in Roanoke, Virginia. On Google, numerous users have reviewed the drive-thru system, with some claiming it as the “strangest thing we’ve ever seen” and others noting that the experience was “pure nostalgia.”
Back on TikTok, users made jokes about the system.
“Sis is at the Chum Bucket,” wrote a user, referencing a restaurant from the cartoon Spongebob Squarepants.
“Is this to prevent the workers from escaping?” asked another.
“Very fun! It’s like you’re trapped at the bottom of a well,” joked a third.
“Imagine the order gets messed up and having to go through all that again lol,” noted an additional TikToker.
Some wondered why such a system was needed.
“Is the restaurant on stilts on or something? Why is it so high off the ground?” questioned a commenter.
“Did they have a horrible robbery or something???” shared a second.
“Was it a former bank?? We have like 3 Arby’s that do this,” detailed a further user. “I won’t go to them, it’s weird.”
That said, several commenters stated that they would enjoy trying to use such a contraption.
As one user summarized it, “girl you just brought them so much business lmao.”
Update 4:35pm CT, June 15: In an email to the Daily Dot, an LJS Brand spokesperson shared the following: “At Long John Silver’s, we’re committed to making it easier for our guests to enjoy great tasting seafood. When the location docked in Roanoke, VA 50 years ago, only dine-in and take-out were available. When the location added drive-thru years later, this system was necessary because the building is more elevated than the drive-thru area. In recent years, this location also added online ordering for pickup and delivery to continue making great tasting seafood an easy, convenient option for meal-time.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Courtney via TikTok comment.
Update 1:17pm CT, Jul. 7, 2023: In a TikTok direct message exchange with the Daily Dot, Courtney explained how the drive-thru system worked.
“There’s a typical drive-thru ordering sign and speaker that you order through, but when you come around, you have to wait for someone to tell you how much it is,” she said. “They send down the dumb waiter and you put your money/card in the cup to the left and they push a button to bring it up to them.”
Overall, she said she enjoyed the experience.
“I was 100% amused! I couldn’t stop laughing — not in a mean way, of course, but I had never seen anything like that,” she stated. “I love older & nostalgic things, so I thought it was really fun. I didn’t mind waiting at all.”
“I just think it was a fun experience,” she concluded. “I’d love to do a follow-up video!”
