Cash Only for 52 Years and Still Crushing It
Our Schedulefly crew visited The Original Salt Works in Wilmington, NC this week.
They’ve been open for 52 years. They’re still cash only. I first ate there in 1996—and nothing has changed since then. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a great thing.
It’s why people flock there. It’s why they’re still crushing it five decades after opening.
Don’t have cash? No problem. They’ve got an ATM out front. And this sucker looks like one of the first ATMs ever made.
No POS. No digital menus. No dedicated web site - just a Facebook page. And, most importantly, no tech stack designed to “take them into the future.”
Just consistency. Simplicity. And genuine hospitality. Shift after shift, say after day, year after year for 52 years.
We went there because they’re cash only—not in spite of it.
In a world that’s racing to modernize, sometimes you just want to step into a place that reminds you how amazing simple can be.
The funniest moment? I asked our server how they get their work schedule. She said, “Oh, we use an app called Sling.”
Wait, what?
No POS. Cash only. But using Sling?
Now THAT needs to change.
We’re on the case.
-Wil