A new type of restaurant opened in the last couple of weeks in Las Cruces that calls itself “The Roasted Rooster.”
Its specialty is waffles and chicken, but they have several other things on the menu, including an odd-sounding green chile and cheese waffle. The chicken is baked, not fried as you would expect from a regular chicken and waffle menu item, and the waffles are a kind of soggy whole wheat variety.
What is interesting about the place is that it has 15 spaces to plug in your Tesla while you await your order at the restaurant. In fact, there are more parking spaces for Teslas than there are for regular cars that rely on that oh-so-yesterday fossil fuel. There is a drive-up window where idling gasoline powered vehicles can spew carbon-based gunk into the air while they wait a long time for their chicken and waffle combo to be hatched, baked and toasted.
I think it’s actually an interesting marketing concept. It’s located right next to busy Interstate 10 — just block from either the west or east-bound lanes. And the menu seems to be geared towards people I think would most likely buy a Tesla — lots of vegetarian options with recyclable serving accoutrements.
However, I think there’s one flaw with the operation. It was built adjacent to the city’s sewer processing station and waste disposal site. On a windless, cold evening with a temperature inversion pressing the atmosphere close to the ground, the smell around the surrounding area is — well (if you’ll pardon the pun) — fowl.
So if you’re caged at the Roasted Rooster on one of those nights for one to two hours while your Tesla gets charged, you may lose your appetite (or worse) while you wait. I’m sure many Tesla drivers will not have a fond memory of their stop in Las Cruces if they require a charge on one of those days.
There are other dining options nearby if Tesla drivers are willing to “cross the road to get to the other side” and visit the nearby Shell or Pilot truck stops. But of course, you may be forced to smell diesel exhaust fumes while waiting there. And maybe you’ll figure out the answer to that age old question.
aero-cordero.com 