If you like to eat at fast-food or fast-casual restaurants, this episode is for you. Join Andrew and Suzanne as they review useful questions and phrases related to ordering lunch.

Fun fact

Canada’s largest fast-food chain is Tim Hortons, named after the hockey player, Tim Horton. The very first restaurant opened in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario. Although Tim Hortons is often associated with Canada, the chain does have an international presence, with locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, and Ireland.

Expressions included in the learning materials

* Do you want a combo?

* Is that for here or to go?

* Do you want a bag?/can I have a bag?

* Excuse me, I’m missing something

* I’d like to place an order for takeout/delivery

Sample Dialogue

 

Suzanne:

Today’s episode is a Real Talk episode, and in Real Talk episodes, we focus on practical expressions that you can use every day in real-life situations. In today’s episode, we look at how to order lunch.

Andrew:

Very important situation. Everybody’s gotta eat. You need to know how to order lunch, right?

Suzanne:

Yeah.

Andrew:

And so when you order lunch, you will encounter two different types of situations, I think. You know, you might go to a fast-food restaurant, or maybe a food truck or a deli, somewhere where you will order at the counter. But if you go to more of a traditional sit-down restaurant, you’re going to order from a server. So for this episode, we’re gonna take a look at how to order lunch at the counter of a fast-food restaurant. We’ll listen to a dialogue, and then take it apart, piece by piece, and examine the key expressions you can use when you order lunch at the counter of a restaurant, or a deli or a food truck, even. In the next episode, we’ll learn how to order lunch at a sit-down restaurant, so keep your eyes peeled for that episode. It’ll be out really soon.

Suzanne:

Sounds delicious.

Andrew:

So our first situation is ordering at a fast-food restaurant, and we’ve designed this dialogue around Tim Hortons. And Tim Hortons is probably Canada’s most famous fast-food restaurant. Love it or hate it, if you visit

Suzanne:

Absolutely. And I think we call a Tim Hortons’ coffee a Timmy’s, right?

Andrew:

Yeah, a Timmy Ho’s.

Suzanne:

And they have coffee and donuts and sandwiches, breakfast sandwiches, soups. Some salads, I think?

Andrew:

Mmm, yeah. Hopefully, some salads.

Suzanne:

Maybe. Maybe they’ve reached salad status.

Audio/Learning Materials: Culips English Learning Podcast