Restaurant Rants!

My first table got me a little worked up today. Maybe I was upset for no reason, but our business is to sell food and beverage.

Two women, they both order waters. That really isn’t a problem for me, I usually drink water when I go out these days. When I return to take their order, one has a decidedly reddish color to her water. She has added a “flavor enhancer” to her water. This bothers me. Again, it may be a smaller thing. But these ladies were pretty high maintenance right off the bat, so I may have unnecessarily gotten riled up about this.

A couple of months ago I had a couple sit at the bar later on a Monday night. They ordered 2 waters and asked for menus. I went back to get their chips and salsa, and when I returned, the man magically has a lemonade in front of him. And an empty packet of Countrytime Lemonade next to the glass. We serve lemonade. So I ask if he added it to his water. He says yes. I tell him we do not allow that, we sell lemonade. I say I will let it pass this one time, but if it happens again, I will charge him for the lemonade. His wife punched him, said “I told you not to do that!!” Episode over, they ate, paid, tipped well and left.

Back to today. I discussed it with my manager, we decided to not make an issue of it. But they kept their attitude towards annoying, so I stewed through it all. I know it shouldn’t be a big deal. And I think about other things that have happened. I had a family come in one day, they brought with them a bag of food from Noodles & Co. The rest of the family ate our food. The one kid doesn’t like Mexican, they tell me. I am amazed at their balls. And I don’t know for sure, but it may be against health code. But for sure it is rude as hell.

If you don’t want to pay for a drink, just have water, that is cool with me.

We had another table walk in this evening, coming from the Packers’ game. 2 women carry in their road drinks. A Bud Light and one of those insulated drink containers. Totally illegal. The Bud Light lady left her bottle in the bathroom. The other walks out drinking her mug thing. Yes, she did purchase a beverage from us. But carrying in is not ok. I was off the clock, so it wasn’t my concern.

I asked in the service industry group how they handle this kind of thing. Most said to pick your battles,it isn’t hurting me, to let it go. But most agreed it was pretty trashy. That is you are so cheap to only order water and then flavor it, that I should just lower my expectations on getting a decent tip.

I may have gotten riled up for no reason. I do that sometimes, it is my right as a service industry person. We take a lot of crap, although most people are exceedingly cool. But if you bring food or beverage into a restaurant that serves food and beverage, you are a total and complete tool.

Rant over.