General How would guys have handled this

[Cornhole Champ]

So here's a new one, birthday party last night, reservation for 9 people, the group was told that for every person that doesn't show it's going to be a 50 dollar surcharge. I can't believe restaurants are getting away with this shit.

 

[Lennybishop]

So here's a new one, birthday party last night, reservation for 9 people, the group was told that for every person that doesn't show it's going to be a 50 dollar surcharge. I can't believe restaurants are getting away with this shit.

Yeah screw that. What is your policy? In regards to reservations.

 

[Lennybishop]

Also is this a high end restaurant? That seems like an excessive amount. Per person.

 

[Cornhole Champ]

Yeah screw that. What is your policy? In regards to reservations.

We don't take them, first come first served. Reservations screw you. They never show up on time and sit forever. I actually hate large parties, give me two tops all night long I can churn and burn them.

An example of a large party issue, parking.

We have a local garden club, they like to come in for lunch in the spring so they can do what ever a gardening club does. It's like 20 little old ladies. I had to talk to them last year that I appreciate your business but we need to figure something else out, they all came in separate cars and pretty much filled our parking lot that is visible. We had 2 other tables the whole lunch because people were driving by and saw how busy we were and went somewhere else. I asked if they come in this year that they carpool or park across the street.

 

[Cornhole Champ]

Also is this a high end restaurant? That seems like an excessive amount. Per person.

No

 

[Uncle Tom Doug]

So here's a new one, birthday party last night, reservation for 9 people, the group was told that for every person that doesn't show it's going to be a 50 dollar surcharge. I can't believe restaurants are getting away with this shit.

It's their business, they can do what they want. The community should vote with their wallets.

 

[MountainMedic]

I actually hate large parties, give me two tops

This

 

[NiteProwleR]

I'm not a complainer. I just walk away from a business and don't recommend them. Leave them wondering why they're losing business.

 

[Cornhole Champ]

I'm not a complainer. I just walk away from a business and don't recommend them. Leave them wondering why they're losing business.

Same, when my daughter told me this I was like why the fuck would your friends agree with that, go someplace else.

 

[rmc390]

So my daughter made reservations last night for dinner with her boyfriend and 5 other couples for New Years eve. Spoke to the restaurant several times, yep not an issue, we have your party of 12 all set for 5 oclock.

My daughter gets there early and there is a sign on the door that says parties of 2-5 have 1.5 hours to eat, parties of 6 or more have 2 hours. The sign also mentions mother's day and local graduation only due to being busy but nothing about NYE.

So my daughter and her boyfriend get sat waiting for the rest of the table and she see a menu list in front of her. States it is 95 dollars a head. You have a choice of appetizer, soup, entrée and dessert. Drinks are extra.

None of this is mentioned during the reservation. They thought it was just the regular menu.

My daughter asks the waitress, is this all we can order and do we really only have 2 hours to finish everything? Server said yes, they do this on NYE.

So of course some of the couples are late and everyone finally arrive by 5:20. Appetizers get ordered, meals get ordered.

Appetizers come out at 6. Tick tock.

6:30 the server tells the table you have to be out by 7. My daughter said we haven't even gotten our meals yet. They will be right out.

6:45 meals finally come out, several of them were messed up but they just ate.

6:50 server comes up and says you have 10 minutes, what would you like for dessert and we will pack it to go for you.

7:00 they were basically kicked out. My daughter and her boyfriend paid 300 dollars alone not including tip. Everyone was so pissed that they just came back to our place and hung out with me and mama san instead of going to the bar to celebrate.

I told them all I would have just got up and left, none of that bullshit was disclosed during the reservation process or on their social media.

As a restaurant owner I can't imagine ever doing that to a guest. My daughter said that other tables were grumbling and shocked by it. They totally fucked themselves for any future business. I hope the money and pissed off people was worth it.

But I fed them drinks for a couple hours and they were able to finish their desserts.

Would you have just grin and bared it or noped the fuck out. I would have been gone in 2 minutes.

Whybwould she tip in that situation?!

 

[rmc390]

So my daughter made reservations last night for dinner with her boyfriend and 5 other couples for New Years eve. Spoke to the restaurant several times, yep not an issue, we have your party of 12 all set for 5 oclock.

My daughter gets there early and there is a sign on the door that says parties of 2-5 have 1.5 hours to eat, parties of 6 or more have 2 hours. The sign also mentions mother's day and local graduation only due to being busy but nothing about NYE.

So my daughter and her boyfriend get sat waiting for the rest of the table and she see a menu list in front of her. States it is 95 dollars a head. You have a choice of appetizer, soup, entrée and dessert. Drinks are extra.

None of this is mentioned during the reservation. They thought it was just the regular menu.

My daughter asks the waitress, is this all we can order and do we really only have 2 hours to finish everything? Server said yes, they do this on NYE.

So of course some of the couples are late and everyone finally arrive by 5:20. Appetizers get ordered, meals get ordered.

Appetizers come out at 6. Tick tock.

6:30 the server tells the table you have to be out by 7. My daughter said we haven't even gotten our meals yet. They will be right out.

6:45 meals finally come out, several of them were messed up but they just ate.

6:50 server comes up and says you have 10 minutes, what would you like for dessert and we will pack it to go for you.

7:00 they were basically kicked out. My daughter and her boyfriend paid 300 dollars alone not including tip. Everyone was so pissed that they just came back to our place and hung out with me and mama san instead of going to the bar to celebrate.

I told them all I would have just got up and left, none of that bullshit was disclosed during the reservation process or on their social media.

As a restaurant owner I can't imagine ever doing that to a guest. My daughter said that other tables were grumbling and shocked by it. They totally fucked themselves for any future business. I hope the money and pissed off people was worth it.

But I fed them drinks for a couple hours and they were able to finish their desserts.

Would you have just grin and bared it or noped the fuck out. I would have been gone in 2 minutes.

And now that i've read everything, i would just stay longer. I would completely ignore the server for at least forty minutes. I
Wouldn't order anything else
Incase somebody spits in it for me being "rude". And I would leave zero tip

 

[Cornhole Champ]

Whybwould she tip in that situation?!

Cause my daughter grew up in our restaurant over the past 20 years, I started her out dishwashing at the age of 8. We were at chilis one time when she about 11 and she was critiquing the plates for being dirty.

She moved onto the line when she was 15 and then started bartending/serving when she was 18. Now she is our FOH manager.

She knows that what happened was out of the servers control and would never penalize her for that. Hell there is a local diner that was so short staffed when her and her boyfriend was eating there one morning she got up and started bussing tables for them. I think I raised a good kid.

 

[rmc390]

Cause my daughter grew up in our restaurant over the past 20 years, I started her out dishwashing at the age of 8. We were at chilis one time when she about 11 and she was critiquing the plates for being dirty.

She moved onto the line when she was 15 and then started bartending/serving when she was 18. Now she is our FOH manager.

She knows that what happened was out of the servers control and would never penalize her for that. Hell there is a local diner that was so short staffed when her and her boyfriend was eating there one morning she got up and started bussing tables for them. I think I raised a good kid.

Im not saying you didnt. I'm saying I would not have tipped.

 

[Cornhole Champ]

Im not saying you didnt. I'm saying I would not have tipped.

No confusion at all buddy, I agree. My daughter just looks at things differently since she grew up in the business. Why penalize the server due to the owners stupid decisions.

 

[mysticmac]

It sounds like there are some terrible restaurants around you. Advertise your place, and make more money.

 

[Cornhole Champ]

It sounds like there are some terrible restaurants around you. Advertise your place, and make more money.

We are busy enough, we don't advertise, never have. I believe that word of mouth is the best advertisement and that there is such a thing as being too busy. We take our phone off the hook on friday and saturday nights when we are getting destroyed because the line is getting stressed. We have a very young staff in the kitchen now since covid and I would like to keep them. The labor market is a whole different world right now. I ran grill side all saturday night to give them breathing room and keep them calm.

We have outlived 8 other restaurants that are in our immediate area since we opened 20 years ago. There is only one older restaurant than us, it's a chinese place and they are on their last legs but are refusing to give up the ghost. Covid really fucked up their business model.

 

[rmc390]

No confusion at all buddy, I agree. My daughter just looks at things differently since she grew up in the business. Why penalize the server due to the owners stupid decisions.

Enforcing bad rules? She was "just following orders" right? Haha. (All lighthearted replies)