Recently I've been thinking about when I was in the Southeast working as a migrant aircraft mechanic some 25 years ago. For a while I was in Alabama and then here in Atlanta working at Charlie Brown Airport. (That's the actual name of the airport.)
Anywho, I was living in motels so most of my meals were in restaurants (like Waffle House, hey I was trying to save money, so I ate cheap) or fast food places. The one thing that sticks in my mind from that period is how many times I heard the phrase, "Sorry it took so long" as I got handed my food order. Even at Krystal Burger, which is the Southern version of White Castle.
Now, 25 years later, I seldom hear that when I go out to eat. I don't know if the service has improved or if they no longer care and have stopped apologizing.