Taiwan is a perplexing place, especially when it comes to it's unique style of capitalism. On the one hand many of the same type of stores/restaurants will be in the same area. For example there might be twelve camera stores on the same block (i kid you not). But on the other hand, Taiwanese strictly adhere to the "rule" that you must patron whichever is the most popular.
Case in point the picture above. It's of a small drink stand which sells "pearl milk tea." At the time of this picture it's not open, but in the evenings and especially on the weekends this small stand can have a line of more than a hundred people. This is because it is the popular one. However there are quite a few of these drink stands in this area but they don't do nearly as much business.
Now as a consumer I'm a big fan of capitalism. If one store has something good, than i'm quite happy if 100 stores rip them off and do something similar or try something new with that thing. Competition is good to force making a better product, providing a better service, or making a cheaper price. We all win. But of course as somebody who always talks (but never acts) about opening up a unique restaurant, it's very daunting as I know within weeks there will be twenty places ripping me off.
Meaning it is nice to see this kind of brand loyalty. I can always look to that long line of people and think that it bodes well for any future restaurant I want to have. Well as long as none of my friends want to wait in that line. Now i must say that there is no way I would have been able to survive in Taiwan without the help of so many great friends, and because of this i try to bend over backwards to be the best friend i can be. But I am ashamed to say that I will give my friends the dirtiest of looks when they want to stand in this line that will take forty minutes to get the drink and it's over 100 degrees outside. Cause really I've had this drink before and it's not worth it, not to mention there are other drink shops around here which I feel are better. And I love voting with my dollars. I feel I shouldn't reward a place for being unable to service their customers quickly.
Besides I'm told ten times a day to "try new things" even if i've had that new thing many times already. So instead of waiting in this line, shouldn't my friends "try new things" and try a different (better) drink shop? I'll get you some email address of friends that you can email to tell them to try other drink shops.
