As is tradition, after playing “Taps” at 11 this morning, I headed over to Applebee’s for my free entre. It’s a smart promotion on the part of Applebee’s because it corners the market and drinks and appetizers are extra. Also, family members pay full freight.
I do wonder about the economics. Veteran discounts are more prevalent because they cost less. When 10% of the population was one, that was a heavier cost for a business to sustain, especially since that percentage skewed young and male, so entire households would have been swept up with it as veterans bought toys for their kids, clothes, etc.
With a dwindling veteran population (both in relative and absolute terms), discounts are easier to offer and – based on the yearly traffic I see – Applebee’s seems to be packing them in. It’s the Black Friday of food. I imagine dinner is also quite the crowd.
A few years ago, I went maximalist on discounts, picking up whatever and wherever, managing to score a full dinner’s worth of leftovers by the end of the day. Now, it’s enough to get a discounted lunch and chill out for the rest of the day.
On a more somber note, only one person showed up at Veterans’ Memorial Park in Lansing, which was quite sad. The crowd has been getting smaller every year, so it wasn’t a surprise. It was still worth it. Our attendee was visibly moved, and of course I blasted “Taps” out (in part to support the notes) and I hope someone downtown heard it echo and wondered why.
Chateau Lloyd 
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