Why Jason’s Deli Is A Millennial Haven In Wichita Falls

The weekday lunch hour at Jason's Deli is always packed with groups of elderly, middle-aged businessmen and groups of soccer moms. It's arguably one of the most popular lunch spots in Wichita Falls for friends getting together for a bite or coworkers on their lunch break. But amidst the deli's usual diners, there are aspects that feel very millennial.

I live in Lawton, but once a week I work in Wichita Falls. Our office is located in Parker Square, so Jason's Deli is an easy walk for a quick and delicious lunch. However, depending on the time we head out for lunch, Jason's Deli isn't always a quick option. If we're going to Jason's Deli, we try to go early or well after noon. The peak lunch hour at Jason's Deli, especially on a Wednesday, is always packed, specifically with retirees.

Despite an older clientele, the lunchtime playlist at Jason's Deli is always playing early 2000s indie pop.

Just this last week we dined at Jason's Deli for lunch, and as I enjoyed my Manager's Special with an Amy's Turkey-O, I heard MGMT's "Electric Feel" playing amongst the lunchtime chatter. I commented to my coworker that Jason's Deli always has a great playlist, which is mostly early 2000s indie pop.

After MGMT, Peter Bjorn and John whistled over the speakers with "Young Folks," followed by "Always Alright" by Alabama Shakes and then "This Love" by Maroon 5. That day, the playlist was a banger to me, mixed with 2000s indie pop and some top trending songs from "back in the day." It was like classic radio for millennials playing for a group who, when the songs first came out, would've just called it "noise."

I wondered if this was the daily lunchtime playlist because a millennial might be the manager at Jason's Deli. Or if it's because iconic millennial music has been dubbed "Millennial Hopecore" and it's the perfect happy-go-lucky music to listen to while eating a sandwich.

@jon.thedad We were young and hopeful, putting Valencia filters on everything, moving into overpriced apartments with IKEA furniture, and genuinely believed every rooftop party was the start of the best years of our lives also there was planking Songs featured: 1901 - @Phoenix Sleepyhead - @passion pit Midnight City - @m83 Kids - @MGMT We Are Young - fun. #millennials #nostalgia #2010s #indiemusic #musiclovers ♬ original sound - Jon the Dad

Jason's Deli also hits millennial nostalgia with its decor, salad bar and free ice cream.

But it's not just the obvious millennial playlist that makes Jason's Deli a millennial haven. The decor, specifically the colors at the Jason's Deli in Wichita Falls, really transports you back to the western-inspired greens, oranges and yellows all moms in this part of the country decorated their homes with in the late 90s and early 2000s. And there are these black and white pictures of areas around Wichita Falls that you could have easily found in an early 2000s internet cafe.

And like millennials, Jason's Deli is anti big light, and offers soft lighting below an industrialized ceiling, which again, was super popular in the early 2000s. Millennials won't be blinded by LED lights in Jason's Deli, and the elderly won't complain about not being able to see because Jason's Deli also has another millennial favorite, lots of natural light.

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A lunchtime staple for millennials growing up was always the buffet and salad bar at the local Pizza Hut. Today, millennials yearn for this kind of lunchtime experience, and wouldn't you know, Jason's Deli has it. The salad bar itself is the only reason most people go to Jason's Deli. It's always packed with people loading up their plates with different kinds of lettuce and an excessive amount of toppings, and that's exactly how it should be.

However, Jason's Deli does not have a pizza buffet, but they do have a cheese pizza and a pepperoni pizza on the kid's menu. And the kid's menu doesn't have an age restriction, so if a millennial needs a pizza with their salad at Jason's Deli, they have options.

And once you're done with your meal at Jason's Deli, you can get a free cone or bowl of soft serve ice cream. The soft serve machine's self-service will trigger memories from times spent at the many frozen yogurt shops. Unfortunately, the post frozen yogurt craze shut every single one of them down, and it often leaves millennials asking, "why couldn't one just stay open?"

So even though the soft serve isn't frozen yogurt, and Jason's Deli only has a few options for toppings, the act of serving yourself soft serve after listening to 2000s indie pop while building your salad under soft warm light, you, as a millennial, may begin to feel hope once again.