Clay Hale
Cook Out is the place to be in Oxford.
The fast-food chain’s signature car line to the road on a bustling Friday night perfectly compliments Cook Out’s competition-crushing four-and-a-half star rating on Tripadvisor. Even so, is the staff inside Oxford’s midnight heart aware of just how important Cook Out is to the college community?
Cook Out employee and University of Mississippi psychology student Jakayla Smith says she has been conscious of the fast-food phenomenon’s relevance since her first day on the team almost two years ago, and it is showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
“I am very aware. Every night we have what feels like 20 or 30 cars going by every second,” Smith said.
In reality, there are about 40 cars requesting service every hour on an average evening after 11 p.m., Cook Out General Manager Kyle Savage said. This is not including the consumers inside the restaurant lobby waiting for their meal every hour.
Numbers like this can become stressful for the humble college student working the late shift at Cook Out, or for any staff member at any job, for that matter. To keep his team’s spirits high, Savage offers optimism and a unique perspective to his employees.
“We try to make people view the lines and the business as a good thing; we kind of get hyped about it,” Savage said. “It’s difficult to explain, but it’s almost like a game — how fast we can get the line gone or how fast we can push the food out. And as everybody gets better at their stations, it’s kind of like a competition of who’s going to be the best and push the hardest.”
As for what created the stir around the Oxford location, Savage and Smith tag-teamed their explanation.
“Well, it’s good food. It’s quality food,” Savage said. The menu is packed with burgers, barbecue, chicken, hotdogs, shakes and more. “We make it hot, fresh (and) delicious.”
Smith also pointed to the cost-benefit factor.
“I feel like it’s cheap food for all that they get. They get a lot for $8,” Smith said.
A low-cost meal that comes out in a hurry seems like the dream deal for the average broke and busy college student, so it checks out for Cook Out to target UM students as the main demographic at Oxford’s variant of the national chain.
The infectious, affordable, quick-moving establishment earns a triple-wide check mark from UM sophomore Rachel Taylor, who, as a frequent Cook Out guest, values saving money and time management.
“As a college student, I don’t have all the money in the world, so Cook Out is a good way to get an affordable meal, while also getting a good amount of food,” Taylor said.
Taylor went on to say that the quesadillas were her go-to meal from Cook Out, something Savage and Smith say echoes the consensus of most consumers from the establishment.
Ultimately, it seems that Cook Out’s staff is, in fact, rather aware of their impact on the Oxford community and Ole Miss. As for what distinguishes this Cook Out from the sea of other Cook Outs across the nation, Savage thinks it is the connection formed between employees and the UM customers.
“(There’s) a relationship we’ve formed with the college kids because they come here three nights a week, four nights a week, five nights a week, some every night. So, they see us all the time,” Savage said. “We appreciate them and they appreciate us.
The Oxford Cook Out is located at 2195 Jackson Ave W., Oxford, MS 38655. The restaurant is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. (4:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).
