The year was 1979.
.
Eugene Krabs had just opened his new restaurant, the Krusty Krab.
His delicious Krabby Patties had already gotten his childhood friends hooked back in his first business at the city dump. Some of them even came back just to try more.
Unfortunately, he found out that wasn't enough to gather in the big bucks. So he tried something he never tried before: advertising.
Even though he was cheap, he didn't care how much money was spent for pubilicity. So he paid for anything to promote his product.
Parades:
A big one was being held at Town Hall. It had everything; Krabby Patties in giant Afros to get hip with the younger audience, a full marching band dressed like condiments.
He even gave out $20 samples. They didn't care how much money they wasted; it was worth it.
Commercials:
Krabs paid for costly sets and big named celebrities. All he had to do was get them hooked on one bite.
He already had a cult following, despite his line "WE CHANGE OUR GREASE MONTHLY."
In two short weeks, his one-man business was booming.
But he found out something was missing: competition whose faces he could rub his product in.
Back at his house, he was forlorn. He wondered if what he was selling wasn't competition-material.
Then it hit him. He never actually bragged about his product.
One week later, a commercial came on TV that said: "Eat at the Krusty Krab! Our Krabby Patties are the best in the biz. One bite and everything else might as well be like eating chum."
An unseen hand hurled a brick at the large TV screen.
"Might as well be eating chum, eh? We'll see which product tastes like chum by the time I'm through with you."
After seeing the Krusty Krab's location on the TV, the figure called for a truck.
Back at the Krusty Krab, Eugene discovered it was too much work to both cook and take the orders.
So he posted a want ad in the Bikini Bottom Gazette: "CASHIER WANTED, $7 an hour. KRUSTY KRAB. Call276-5375!"
.
Pretty soon, a young cephalopod named Squidward Tentacles, nephew of Krabs' old navy buddy Squimothy*, saw the ad in the paper.
His real passion was to be a clarinet player and artist, but he realized everyone starts somewhere, him being only 18 at the time.
He was sick and tired of his band classmate Squilliam Fancyson always rubbing his talent in his face, so he volunteered for the job.
After many months of training, he was finally ready.
*See my first story, "Krabs' First Mission"
