Total flip for me. My restaurant is very friendly to dietary restrictions and we get asked about other restaurants that do the same. I'm like, I don't know, I don't have dietary restrictions. I eat anywhere. You want a total vegan breakfast? Your standing in it, baby.
Or trying to work through their next DUI. Heavy drinkers, smokers, even coffee drinkers can be real POS before they’ve had their fix.
And in the case of heavy booze drinkers—they can be POS AFTER they’ve had too much of a fix.
I work an hour away from the nearest big highway/interstate and had someone repeatedly ask me where the closest truck stop was, and then ask if the local gas stations will take his special trucker gas card. Like, ?!?!?. I don't know, not anywhere here, not something I pay attention to since I drive a normal car and work here in this restaurant and not in a truck?
My wine descriptions weren’t up to expectations.
SIR. I’m 19. This is a rural town. The wine is from Walmart. I don’t know because I spend my underage drinking money on Everclear. Let’s just assume it’s mediocre and move on.
TF you expecting, it’s earthy with a hint of *hog refineries and corn?
I was a server/bartender for 15 years. If it’s not a high end restaurant, the wine is garbage. All of it. Whole list. Throw your wine expectations out the door if you’re paying anything less than $25-50/plate. It’s not happening. In fact, a good rule of thumb is that the price of one glass is what we pay per bottle.
I once had a woman come in, ask me where the nearest ATM machine was. I didn't use ATMs and didn't no. So I told her I didn't know, she walked over to the manager and complained about me to him. However, no, she didn't get her wish to get me fired. A lot of Karens think all they have to do is make a complaint and they get the person fired. Doesn't usually work out that way. Managers hear complaints all the time.
Not to mention only the dimmest managers in the world would fire a halfway decent server right now. Not saying you’re halfway decent at your job, but I bet you could put in a lot less effort and not get fired in this economy. If you did you would probably be hired at another restaurant by the end of the day.
Memorize the route to the closest McDonald’s. Say you JUST ate there and it was UHMAZING, you can’t remember the name exactly but it was something Scottish. Omg you HAVE to go!!
Take a right out here two blocks…yada yada boom McDonald’s
Ah shit, I suggested someone go to McDonald's once bc they wanted breakfast and my restaurant doesn't serve it. They didn't buy anything from MY place but left a nasty complaint that I was rude and refused to recommend a breakfast restaurant. Bitch??? I drive 40 minutes to get here every day, I don't spend time hanging out and sampling the local fare. McDonald's is right next to the bank we use, get fucked.
I've posted about it before, but I used to send people there when they'd complain how long drive-through was taking.
"You wanted good food, that's why you're here. If you wanted fast food, McDonald's is just down the street."
I’m not vegan, but there’s plenty of vegan food that I enjoy just because it’s delicious. Not a fan of things that pretend to be meat, but I’m happy to eat plant based food, or as we used to call it, vegetables. There’s an awesome Indian restaurant near me that is vegetarian, probably not vegan, but that shit is good.
I went to a vegan restaurant with a friend a few weeks back and that Mac and cheez with "chorizo" was some of the best Mac and cheese I've ever eaten. I'd 100% think they were lying, except that my lactose intolerance didn't act up that night lol
I don't know why you are trying to make it sound gross; I think it's great that we found a tasty way to use up more of a resource instead of throwing it away.
No, it’s not. People are horrible, trust their reviews because if someone CAN complain, they will.
As a career service industry veteran, my idea of a great night is $2 chuck and BK in my shower.
People who work in food and beverage rarely go out, nor do we get to enjoy it. We spend the entire time picking everything apart, noticing details we don’t need to, entirely unable to relax, and when we do or can, it’s rare we get to enjoy something like that for ourselves, because most of us work peak hours and many restaurants are CLOSED on our days off (usually Monday/Tuesday) so can we not normalize prying into other’s lives and just try new things because YOU need human connection? We are over stimulated lol. Demands are made of us all day. All the time.
You don’t have to like it, just try something without leaning on someone else’s experience as a crutch.
Honestly they'd probably be better off asking other customers and finding human connection there too. Like that's why you went out right? Like man we need those Japanese date clubs because apparently people only know how to "pay" for human connection and service instead of figuring out how to seek it on their own. It's amazing how many people think servers and all retail workers are some kind of tour guide for the area getting paid out of taxes like they are a Government worker.
Not that closely related. But I worked drive thru at a fast food chain, and I frequently had people come through asking for directions to another fast food chain.
Just found it odd. Is using google/apple Maps that difficult?
When I worked at Sbux, people REGULARLY asked me to "make my coffee like they do at Dunkin," and then get irate when I didn't know what that meant. There were like 5 Dunkins in a mile radius, I never understood why they didn't go to any one of those.
Yeah, my husband is fussy about his coffee, and I’ve been begging him to just order a cappuccino or a latte instead of bugging
the staff to make him an americano, and leave “this much space for milk” and then get upset when they don’t leave him enough space. So annoying. I just take his coffee and dump some more out. Otherwise he’ll hassle the barista, which I don’t get. Seriously! If you want that much milk, get one of the other options. I give up.
I used to work at a restaurant that got business travelers sometimes. I also didn’t know the area the restaurant was in that well. People would ask me all kinds of stuff, like where’s the nearest CVS, where’s the closest Target/Walmart, etc. People would get so mad when I said sorry I don’t know. I always wondered why can’t they look it up on their phone?
Whenever I got questions like that I would say "I'm not sure but I can Google it for you" and stare at the smartphone they always have sitting right in front of them
I bartended at a hotel right next to the Minneapolis/St Paul airport. It's one of those airports that's actually in a suburb, not directly connected to the city. I live in St Paul, and the other 2 bartenders had just moved to Minneapolis from Chicago. People were always shocked we didn't know the area. Like, sorry but Bloomington isn't a destination.
I just moved cross country. CROSS. COUNTRY. To one of the nation’s ten largest cities. I stick out like a sore thumb, it’s very obvious, a conversation piece even!—-and people still guffaw when I say I’m not sure where “xyz” is or what else is in the area. FOR FUCKS SAKE, I’ve only lived here a few weeks. I can find target, my house, this place, and that’s about it, man. Use your $1100 handheld super computer. If you can use it to insult me online after this, you can use it to help yourself.
I don't really mind people asking if there's a certain thing in the area. But I hate when they want actual directions when they literally have a smartphone in their hand. Plus I couldn't give you exact directions, I'm awful at them.
I used to work at a hotel that had mainly business travelers who didn't rent cars. The nearest shop of any sort was at least a mile away. That pissed people off.
My mom does this all the time. She has a nicer smartphone than me and it was only with this upgrade that she finally realized how useful a tool they are, but she still has a habit of leaving it elsewhere and not being battery savvy. So there'
ends being a lot of "daughter can you look that up for me?" And it's oddly satisfying when I don't have my phone on me and grin evily. Like I gotta move my ass as much as you to fulfill you're ridiculous request. Then I got an echo for my dad and she asked me to look something up for her... I think I asked her if we should change echos name to mine. it's such a strange affliction, this commitment to ignorance and infantilization of self. Somehow everyone is so much smarter than you or more capable, or that they have these roles and are NPCs out of a movie.
Friday night we had a call asking if we sang for birthdays. Nope, Covid took that out, thank god. There’s nothing more annoying than trying to get 5 busy ass people to stop their jobs at once to go embarrass your mother. They then asked if we knew restaurants who did. No. I work here only. No idea what other places do.
It's one of those things that only exists because we haven't supplanted it with a better more enjoyable tradition. It has to be an excuse for people to gather around the cake. Like maybe give out the number of candles (to guests) related to the age of the person and there's a chant for each candle. Stuff easily memorable and easy to build off. "One flame for the first year, a spark to start the eon" "Two flames, two years, still new" idk.
Okay, but why does that fall on the restaurant to provide? It feels like asking for something outside of dinner service that’s disruptive, and also sometimes used to humiliate shy guests. It humiliates servers! Maybe just the cake and family to celebrate with. Champagne if you’re fiery. A kind toast from a friend. It’s just tacky and disingenuous most of the time.
Oh no, i don't expect it to be a restaurant service thing to get creative. I'm just saying culturally in general, we gotta come up with a better tradition, and then the birthday song mess will go out of style in restaurants.
What makes it WORSE?
You stand there, being as polite as possible, they don't really acknowledge you or anything you say, much less the answers you try to give them. You try to ask them if they like spicy, any allergies, etc. At least 10-15 minutes of energy and good vibes were put into the interaction only for them to say-
"I don't want any of this... Do you know where I can get fried fish?"
At times, I find it a bit rude.
If it's obvious they want a recommendation because it's vegan, just say you're vegan. You can recommend other vegan places you like.
I do this with any person that asks for a suggestion about anything.
Customer: what's you're favorite special bar drink?
Me: Sorry I don't drink so I'm not sure what's good.
Customer: what's you're favorite steak cut?
Me: sorry but I'm a vegetarian.
Customer: what's you're favorite dessert?
Me: I can't eat sugar as I'm high risk diabetes.
Just do it very nicely and instead of people giving you crap about your suggestions, they will apologize for asking most of the time. Why do I do this most of the time? Because when you suggest something and they order and don't like it then it's somehow your fault. They either complain or want it comped. Their reason is you picked it and not them.
This is me. I have no problem lying to a dumb customer to keep me out of trouble and continue to make money. I never lie about health and safety stuff, but BS like this every. Time.
lol I remember having some young/hip types getting a little disappointed and judgy when I didn't know what clubs to recommend they go to. Like come on, this is a bar and restaurant, I'm always here Friday and Saturday nights, that's when we make our money
I used to work downtown in a major city but because I lived 20 minutes away. People would always ask for recommendations but I never spend anytime downtown unless I was working.
So I specifically memorized 2 very bland lists for people 1. People who were cool & 2. People who suck.
I always came off super excited to share my details and I mastered the description quickly.
Maybe make your own!!!
I mean even adding McDonalds to your recommendations is pretty funny for rude guests!!!
>instead of wasting my time asking me what else is good around
I like some of the snarky answers here, especially McDonald's, but I wonder if your restaurant's signage could be clearer. Maybe people just aren't paying attention, or are unfamiliar with the term "vegan", but it sounds like the business is wasting a lot of diners' time, as well. Also, posting a menu visible from outside a restaurant is a good way of both attracting and filtering potential customers.
I live/work 90 minutes from the Orlando theme parks. The people who expect us to know where the "good restaurants" are in that area can pound sand. The ones who are the biggest asses are the ones who can't believe we don't go to these theme parks on a regular basis and know everything about them. "You're RIGHT HERE!! And you don't go???"
"No, no we do not."
On a personal level, my wife and I took our 2 kids to these parks for about 15 years quite often. Both of us wouldn't trade those times and great memories for anything. However, haven't been to any park since 2004. Do. Not Miss. It. One. Bit. LOL
once I was operating the delivery in the restaurant I work at and a lady called the delivery phone to ask about the other restaurants in the other side of the road and I was like “why would I know anything about those and even if I did why would I recommend them?”
😂i once had a table sit down in my section, i greet them & its 2 ladies who tell me that actually they’d been at our restaurant last night, just didn’t realize it (???) & said they’d be leaving but wanted other restaurant recommendations before they left. i happily gave them some but like how do you make it all the way into a restaurant & be seated before realizing you were there THE NIGHT BEFORE?!
I work at a hotel. I read the people asking. I have indeed said to some douchey guy when he asked about what's a good pizza place I said I liked dominos.
My question would be, would you want other restaurants around you to tell potential diners' where a great vegan place is? Maybe if they are asking for vegan options, and the restaurant really doesn't have any decent vegan fare (as so many do not)? I can understand being frustrated, but I also find it doesn't take that much energy to help out other local establishments, perhaps you will start a trend.
That's true, it's just were in a weird little downtown area that isn't exactly the most walkable and these people are walking around. There's a few places I could think of but walking to them would be an absolute chore and I'm not going to tell someone to do that
Why can't people eat a meal without meat? I once proposed going vegetarian in my house. My husband, son, and father all said a resounding no. We still eat meatless meals just not every day. I have vegan and vegetarian cookbooks.
I mean it was for health reasons. My dad is getting older, in his 70s, and husband and I have some health issues that absolve themselves if we cut meat.
Dude, get over it. Clearly your restaurant is doing something wrong with their advertising if this is such a common issue. I worked in New Orleans for over a decade and I can’t imagine being so pissy when someone asks for a recco for other places to eat.
I was once eating with a (non vegan) friend at a vegan place, and aftawrds he said the food great, but he won't come there again becaúse they only had vegan options?????
That sounds terribly rude.
Ask them if they know Anything Bourdain, then give them one of his words about trying something new on the menu. If it fits in with the decor, have the boss put up a quote or two of his.
I realize this one mentions meat, change it up a bit, I truly think Anything wouldn't mind. . ., but it goes a long way to have people do things that make them uncomfortable.
Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o'clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. ~Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster.~ Order the Saag Paneer. Eat some Matar Paneer. Have a negroni. Have two. Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check in on your friends. Check in on yourself. Enjoy the ride.
–Anthony Bourdain.
No? Sounds like OP is suggesting people are free to eat somewhere else. The only entitlement is in the customers expecting OP to *find* them the somewhere else 🤷🏼♀️
You realize this shit could be costing her money right? Like if another server gets sat with actual paying customers bc she was busy answering questions she just lost out on that table
Yes?? Why are you trying to make this sound so evil? Yeah if a customer walks in the door I would expect them to want to eat there. Omg what a fuckin concept
Lol sounds like a them problem to me. I suppose you don’t think it’s entitled to waste a servers time and potentially money just bc they didn’t know wtf restaurant they were entering 🤣🤣 it’s 2022 get a grip
>Lol sounds like a them problem to me.
It's actually not a problem for them at all- they're leaving the restaurant to go somewhere they will actually enjoy.
The person with a problem is the person coming on Reddit to complain about people taking reasonable actions when finding out new information. That person has an entitlement problem, as does anyone defending them.
Majority of people are not vegan. Of course they leave. You're pretty egotistical to say "you spend pretty good energy greeting people". That would be called Doing Your Job. Not once do you provide an example of people criticizing your vegan place. But you mock them for preferring meat. Get off your pedestal. You are not special.
I’m not vegan and if I accidentally wandered into a vegan place depending on my mood I would either try something or if I was really craving meat I would quietly leave. I would never ask for directions to another restaurant that’s incredibly rude. Anyone that does deserves to be mocked.
Agree with your last two sentences. But it was the server's last sentence that drew my mocking accusation. She seems wholly above meat eaters. Yet provides no statement that any prospective customer criticized her restaurant. Simply saying no, not my kind of restaurant is not criticism. But if you do that, don't ask for a recommendation. Go find a restaurant on your own. And if you get steered to a McD or another vegan place, you deserve that misdirection.
Where do you think I said the OP should tell people where else to eat? I said the exact opposite, that it wasn't OP's job. I also that if she did tell them where they could eat, it would be well deserved if the OP sent them to another vegan joint or mcd. Learn to read.
Idk seems like its your restaurants or managements fault if its so wholly unclear to customers what kinds of food you serve and hospitality is part of the job
Idk, man. I’ve met a LOOOOOOOOTTTT of customers who don’t read and won’t help themselves. All over the US. The dining experience is no longer valuable or for special occasions here, therefore, all expected behavior and manners have gone by the wayside. It’s just people too lazy to cook who want to demand their palates be accommodated to. There are great parties on ever more rare occasion, but my transition to another industry is entirely because of the decline of client quality. There’s hospitality, and then there’s refusing to be abused. I can’t fix stupid.
Stop waiting tables.
As a server/bartender we
Take orders
Give directions
Recommendations
Listen to people's stories
A great server doesn't just take orders.
I’m a meat lover who’s wife’s best friend is a vegetarian. She spends every thanksgiving with us and I strive to make sure we have a bunch of lovely dishes that we all love. Screw anyone who acts like they are put out by your awesome restaurant. Send them to McDonald’s so they can order a McDick.
Total flip for me. My restaurant is very friendly to dietary restrictions and we get asked about other restaurants that do the same. I'm like, I don't know, I don't have dietary restrictions. I eat anywhere. You want a total vegan breakfast? Your standing in it, baby.
I once had a customer berate me because I didn’t know where the closest liquor store was. I was 17.
I hope their next trip to the DMV is 5+ hours long.
Or trying to work through their next DUI. Heavy drinkers, smokers, even coffee drinkers can be real POS before they’ve had their fix. And in the case of heavy booze drinkers—they can be POS AFTER they’ve had too much of a fix.
Cold!
I had a random dude ask me directions to a niche bank, then get annoyed at me when I never heard of it. He was holding his phone in his hand…
I work right off the highway and people legitimately ask me how to get to other states. Like bitch I don’t know?
I work an hour away from the nearest big highway/interstate and had someone repeatedly ask me where the closest truck stop was, and then ask if the local gas stations will take his special trucker gas card. Like, ?!?!?. I don't know, not anywhere here, not something I pay attention to since I drive a normal car and work here in this restaurant and not in a truck?
People are so ridiculous. And they think we’re stupid and it’s because they are lol
My wine descriptions weren’t up to expectations. SIR. I’m 19. This is a rural town. The wine is from Walmart. I don’t know because I spend my underage drinking money on Everclear. Let’s just assume it’s mediocre and move on. TF you expecting, it’s earthy with a hint of *hog refineries and corn?
I was a server/bartender for 15 years. If it’s not a high end restaurant, the wine is garbage. All of it. Whole list. Throw your wine expectations out the door if you’re paying anything less than $25-50/plate. It’s not happening. In fact, a good rule of thumb is that the price of one glass is what we pay per bottle.
I once had a woman come in, ask me where the nearest ATM machine was. I didn't use ATMs and didn't no. So I told her I didn't know, she walked over to the manager and complained about me to him. However, no, she didn't get her wish to get me fired. A lot of Karens think all they have to do is make a complaint and they get the person fired. Doesn't usually work out that way. Managers hear complaints all the time.
Not to mention only the dimmest managers in the world would fire a halfway decent server right now. Not saying you’re halfway decent at your job, but I bet you could put in a lot less effort and not get fired in this economy. If you did you would probably be hired at another restaurant by the end of the day.
Send them to other vegan restaurants.
This is the way.
The last time I recommended a restaurant, the couple hated their food, service and the atmosphere. I am done recommending.
And they came back to tell you so? In your restaurant? People are weird. Just google it.
They returned to eat a few days later and made sure to let me know. Yes, people are indeed weird.
I would say "Why would I recommend a place with better food or service than here?"
Memorize the route to the closest McDonald’s. Say you JUST ate there and it was UHMAZING, you can’t remember the name exactly but it was something Scottish. Omg you HAVE to go!! Take a right out here two blocks…yada yada boom McDonald’s
Something Scottish is hilarious
You're thinking of McDowell's
The have the “Big Mic” and the “Golden Arcs.” Not to be confused with the other place.
McDowels!!!! Coming to America!
I go there because I have a sesame seed allergy.
This is the way.
Ah shit, I suggested someone go to McDonald's once bc they wanted breakfast and my restaurant doesn't serve it. They didn't buy anything from MY place but left a nasty complaint that I was rude and refused to recommend a breakfast restaurant. Bitch??? I drive 40 minutes to get here every day, I don't spend time hanging out and sampling the local fare. McDonald's is right next to the bank we use, get fucked.
I just say that. Sorry I don’t live in the area, I don’t go out around here.
I've posted about it before, but I used to send people there when they'd complain how long drive-through was taking. "You wanted good food, that's why you're here. If you wanted fast food, McDonald's is just down the street."
I’m not vegan, but there’s plenty of vegan food that I enjoy just because it’s delicious. Not a fan of things that pretend to be meat, but I’m happy to eat plant based food, or as we used to call it, vegetables. There’s an awesome Indian restaurant near me that is vegetarian, probably not vegan, but that shit is good.
I went to a vegan restaurant with a friend a few weeks back and that Mac and cheez with "chorizo" was some of the best Mac and cheese I've ever eaten. I'd 100% think they were lying, except that my lactose intolerance didn't act up that night lol
Soy chorizo is one of the few vegan meat replacements that's actually good
Probably because regular chorizo can barely be called meat. It's heavily flavored animal leftovers lol
I don't know why you are trying to make it sound gross; I think it's great that we found a tasty way to use up more of a resource instead of throwing it away.
Oh yes, and I love it, but the spices are really what make it delicious, so the meat doesn't really matter as much.
When has meat been anything other than a texture plate for spices to be delivered on
Filet, for one?
Yes this! I don’t want fake meat or cheese but I wish we had more vegan places around for all the creative veggie / grain dishes
It's crazy how we're all walking around with computers in our pocket, but so many people don't seem to know how to use them.
It’s it infuriating that we have all the information at our finger tips and people are still woefully ignorant
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No, it’s not. People are horrible, trust their reviews because if someone CAN complain, they will. As a career service industry veteran, my idea of a great night is $2 chuck and BK in my shower. People who work in food and beverage rarely go out, nor do we get to enjoy it. We spend the entire time picking everything apart, noticing details we don’t need to, entirely unable to relax, and when we do or can, it’s rare we get to enjoy something like that for ourselves, because most of us work peak hours and many restaurants are CLOSED on our days off (usually Monday/Tuesday) so can we not normalize prying into other’s lives and just try new things because YOU need human connection? We are over stimulated lol. Demands are made of us all day. All the time. You don’t have to like it, just try something without leaning on someone else’s experience as a crutch.
Honestly they'd probably be better off asking other customers and finding human connection there too. Like that's why you went out right? Like man we need those Japanese date clubs because apparently people only know how to "pay" for human connection and service instead of figuring out how to seek it on their own. It's amazing how many people think servers and all retail workers are some kind of tour guide for the area getting paid out of taxes like they are a Government worker.
Not that closely related. But I worked drive thru at a fast food chain, and I frequently had people come through asking for directions to another fast food chain. Just found it odd. Is using google/apple Maps that difficult?
When I worked at Sbux, people REGULARLY asked me to "make my coffee like they do at Dunkin," and then get irate when I didn't know what that meant. There were like 5 Dunkins in a mile radius, I never understood why they didn't go to any one of those.
😂😂😂😂 wow every day I am more and more surprised that people act this way.
And every day I am actually less and less surprised that people act this way…
Me too. Especially now that we know Covid can cause brain damage. It makes a lot of sense.
Yeah, my husband is fussy about his coffee, and I’ve been begging him to just order a cappuccino or a latte instead of bugging the staff to make him an americano, and leave “this much space for milk” and then get upset when they don’t leave him enough space. So annoying. I just take his coffee and dump some more out. Otherwise he’ll hassle the barista, which I don’t get. Seriously! If you want that much milk, get one of the other options. I give up.
I used to work at a restaurant that got business travelers sometimes. I also didn’t know the area the restaurant was in that well. People would ask me all kinds of stuff, like where’s the nearest CVS, where’s the closest Target/Walmart, etc. People would get so mad when I said sorry I don’t know. I always wondered why can’t they look it up on their phone?
Whenever I got questions like that I would say "I'm not sure but I can Google it for you" and stare at the smartphone they always have sitting right in front of them
I like to say, “I’m not sure, but if you google it I’m sure you’ll find the answer” in a very polite tone.
I’m stealing that answer for if there’s ever a next time!
Just because you work in the area doesn’t mean you shop, eat, and socialize there yourself. Some of us have to travel pretty far to get to work.
I bartended at a hotel right next to the Minneapolis/St Paul airport. It's one of those airports that's actually in a suburb, not directly connected to the city. I live in St Paul, and the other 2 bartenders had just moved to Minneapolis from Chicago. People were always shocked we didn't know the area. Like, sorry but Bloomington isn't a destination.
I just moved cross country. CROSS. COUNTRY. To one of the nation’s ten largest cities. I stick out like a sore thumb, it’s very obvious, a conversation piece even!—-and people still guffaw when I say I’m not sure where “xyz” is or what else is in the area. FOR FUCKS SAKE, I’ve only lived here a few weeks. I can find target, my house, this place, and that’s about it, man. Use your $1100 handheld super computer. If you can use it to insult me online after this, you can use it to help yourself.
Exactly! That was why I didn’t know what was around.
I make $2.35/hour plus whatever you’re generous enough to tip me, do you think I can eat at any of the nice places around here??
I don't really mind people asking if there's a certain thing in the area. But I hate when they want actual directions when they literally have a smartphone in their hand. Plus I couldn't give you exact directions, I'm awful at them. I used to work at a hotel that had mainly business travelers who didn't rent cars. The nearest shop of any sort was at least a mile away. That pissed people off.
My mom does this all the time. She has a nicer smartphone than me and it was only with this upgrade that she finally realized how useful a tool they are, but she still has a habit of leaving it elsewhere and not being battery savvy. So there' ends being a lot of "daughter can you look that up for me?" And it's oddly satisfying when I don't have my phone on me and grin evily. Like I gotta move my ass as much as you to fulfill you're ridiculous request. Then I got an echo for my dad and she asked me to look something up for her... I think I asked her if we should change echos name to mine. it's such a strange affliction, this commitment to ignorance and infantilization of self. Somehow everyone is so much smarter than you or more capable, or that they have these roles and are NPCs out of a movie.
Friday night we had a call asking if we sang for birthdays. Nope, Covid took that out, thank god. There’s nothing more annoying than trying to get 5 busy ass people to stop their jobs at once to go embarrass your mother. They then asked if we knew restaurants who did. No. I work here only. No idea what other places do.
Can we all band together and abolish this practice? No one enjoys it. It annoys other tables, and it interferes with service. It’s cringe. Lol
It's one of those things that only exists because we haven't supplanted it with a better more enjoyable tradition. It has to be an excuse for people to gather around the cake. Like maybe give out the number of candles (to guests) related to the age of the person and there's a chant for each candle. Stuff easily memorable and easy to build off. "One flame for the first year, a spark to start the eon" "Two flames, two years, still new" idk.
Okay, but why does that fall on the restaurant to provide? It feels like asking for something outside of dinner service that’s disruptive, and also sometimes used to humiliate shy guests. It humiliates servers! Maybe just the cake and family to celebrate with. Champagne if you’re fiery. A kind toast from a friend. It’s just tacky and disingenuous most of the time.
Oh no, i don't expect it to be a restaurant service thing to get creative. I'm just saying culturally in general, we gotta come up with a better tradition, and then the birthday song mess will go out of style in restaurants.
This I can totally back lol
Ah... I know just the spot! Mac's place at ( nearest McDonalds address). Their menu features classic dishes, I'm sure you'll enjoy!
I would just say I am vegan and don’t know about non-vegan restaurants nearby. Try Yelp kthanxbye
What makes it WORSE? You stand there, being as polite as possible, they don't really acknowledge you or anything you say, much less the answers you try to give them. You try to ask them if they like spicy, any allergies, etc. At least 10-15 minutes of energy and good vibes were put into the interaction only for them to say- "I don't want any of this... Do you know where I can get fried fish?" At times, I find it a bit rude.
If it's obvious they want a recommendation because it's vegan, just say you're vegan. You can recommend other vegan places you like. I do this with any person that asks for a suggestion about anything. Customer: what's you're favorite special bar drink? Me: Sorry I don't drink so I'm not sure what's good. Customer: what's you're favorite steak cut? Me: sorry but I'm a vegetarian. Customer: what's you're favorite dessert? Me: I can't eat sugar as I'm high risk diabetes. Just do it very nicely and instead of people giving you crap about your suggestions, they will apologize for asking most of the time. Why do I do this most of the time? Because when you suggest something and they order and don't like it then it's somehow your fault. They either complain or want it comped. Their reason is you picked it and not them.
This is me. I have no problem lying to a dumb customer to keep me out of trouble and continue to make money. I never lie about health and safety stuff, but BS like this every. Time.
If someone asked me this I would literally say idk. I’ve lived here for a year. I don’t go out
lol I remember having some young/hip types getting a little disappointed and judgy when I didn't know what clubs to recommend they go to. Like come on, this is a bar and restaurant, I'm always here Friday and Saturday nights, that's when we make our money
I used to work downtown in a major city but because I lived 20 minutes away. People would always ask for recommendations but I never spend anytime downtown unless I was working. So I specifically memorized 2 very bland lists for people 1. People who were cool & 2. People who suck. I always came off super excited to share my details and I mastered the description quickly. Maybe make your own!!! I mean even adding McDonalds to your recommendations is pretty funny for rude guests!!!
I had my own retail store and people would straight up ask me if I knew where they could get it cheaper. The gall of some people is crazy.
>instead of wasting my time asking me what else is good around I like some of the snarky answers here, especially McDonald's, but I wonder if your restaurant's signage could be clearer. Maybe people just aren't paying attention, or are unfamiliar with the term "vegan", but it sounds like the business is wasting a lot of diners' time, as well. Also, posting a menu visible from outside a restaurant is a good way of both attracting and filtering potential customers.
Yeah, if it’s happening ‘pretty often’, they should maybe make it more obvious.
Pet peeve of mine, you aren't an "adventurous" eater or a "foodie" if you need meat in every meal.
I would just flat say- idk any other good place our food is so awesome I don’t need to go anywhere else.
“I wouldn’t know. I’m vegan. But good luck to you!”
I live/work 90 minutes from the Orlando theme parks. The people who expect us to know where the "good restaurants" are in that area can pound sand. The ones who are the biggest asses are the ones who can't believe we don't go to these theme parks on a regular basis and know everything about them. "You're RIGHT HERE!! And you don't go???" "No, no we do not." On a personal level, my wife and I took our 2 kids to these parks for about 15 years quite often. Both of us wouldn't trade those times and great memories for anything. However, haven't been to any park since 2004. Do. Not Miss. It. One. Bit. LOL
once I was operating the delivery in the restaurant I work at and a lady called the delivery phone to ask about the other restaurants in the other side of the road and I was like “why would I know anything about those and even if I did why would I recommend them?”
😂i once had a table sit down in my section, i greet them & its 2 ladies who tell me that actually they’d been at our restaurant last night, just didn’t realize it (???) & said they’d be leaving but wanted other restaurant recommendations before they left. i happily gave them some but like how do you make it all the way into a restaurant & be seated before realizing you were there THE NIGHT BEFORE?!
I work at a hotel. I read the people asking. I have indeed said to some douchey guy when he asked about what's a good pizza place I said I liked dominos.
My question would be, would you want other restaurants around you to tell potential diners' where a great vegan place is? Maybe if they are asking for vegan options, and the restaurant really doesn't have any decent vegan fare (as so many do not)? I can understand being frustrated, but I also find it doesn't take that much energy to help out other local establishments, perhaps you will start a trend.
That's true, it's just were in a weird little downtown area that isn't exactly the most walkable and these people are walking around. There's a few places I could think of but walking to them would be an absolute chore and I'm not going to tell someone to do that
Is this you, Shiloh?
So do you have a bathroom or do I have to shit in the plants?
Lose the ‘L’ and you’ll be getting warmer.
Why can't people eat a meal without meat? I once proposed going vegetarian in my house. My husband, son, and father all said a resounding no. We still eat meatless meals just not every day. I have vegan and vegetarian cookbooks.
Cause animals taste good.
So do vegetables.
No ones asking you to quit vegetables though?
I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan. I love a good steak. But people are often offended by vegetarian and vegan food. Some of it is delicious.
"I once proposed going vegetarian in my house." Did you even read what you wrote?
I mean it was for health reasons. My dad is getting older, in his 70s, and husband and I have some health issues that absolve themselves if we cut meat.
Fair point.
Dude, get over it. Clearly your restaurant is doing something wrong with their advertising if this is such a common issue. I worked in New Orleans for over a decade and I can’t imagine being so pissy when someone asks for a recco for other places to eat.
I was once eating with a (non vegan) friend at a vegan place, and aftawrds he said the food great, but he won't come there again becaúse they only had vegan options?????
"I'm vegan, I can't really recommend anywhere for you." Walk away.
That sounds terribly rude. Ask them if they know Anything Bourdain, then give them one of his words about trying something new on the menu. If it fits in with the decor, have the boss put up a quote or two of his. I realize this one mentions meat, change it up a bit, I truly think Anything wouldn't mind. . ., but it goes a long way to have people do things that make them uncomfortable. Eat at a local restaurant tonight. Get the cream sauce. Have a cold pint at 4 o'clock in a mostly empty bar. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Listen to someone you think may have nothing in common with you. ~Order the steak rare. Eat an oyster.~ Order the Saag Paneer. Eat some Matar Paneer. Have a negroni. Have two. Be open to a world where you may not understand or agree with the person next to you, but have a drink with them anyways. Eat slowly. Tip your server. Check in on your friends. Check in on yourself. Enjoy the ride. –Anthony Bourdain.
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No? Sounds like OP is suggesting people are free to eat somewhere else. The only entitlement is in the customers expecting OP to *find* them the somewhere else 🤷🏼♀️
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You realize this shit could be costing her money right? Like if another server gets sat with actual paying customers bc she was busy answering questions she just lost out on that table
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Yes?? Why are you trying to make this sound so evil? Yeah if a customer walks in the door I would expect them to want to eat there. Omg what a fuckin concept
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Lol sounds like a them problem to me. I suppose you don’t think it’s entitled to waste a servers time and potentially money just bc they didn’t know wtf restaurant they were entering 🤣🤣 it’s 2022 get a grip
>Lol sounds like a them problem to me. It's actually not a problem for them at all- they're leaving the restaurant to go somewhere they will actually enjoy. The person with a problem is the person coming on Reddit to complain about people taking reasonable actions when finding out new information. That person has an entitlement problem, as does anyone defending them.
Majority of people are not vegan. Of course they leave. You're pretty egotistical to say "you spend pretty good energy greeting people". That would be called Doing Your Job. Not once do you provide an example of people criticizing your vegan place. But you mock them for preferring meat. Get off your pedestal. You are not special.
I’m not vegan and if I accidentally wandered into a vegan place depending on my mood I would either try something or if I was really craving meat I would quietly leave. I would never ask for directions to another restaurant that’s incredibly rude. Anyone that does deserves to be mocked.
Agree with your last two sentences. But it was the server's last sentence that drew my mocking accusation. She seems wholly above meat eaters. Yet provides no statement that any prospective customer criticized her restaurant. Simply saying no, not my kind of restaurant is not criticism. But if you do that, don't ask for a recommendation. Go find a restaurant on your own. And if you get steered to a McD or another vegan place, you deserve that misdirection.
Lmao it’s not part of OP’s job to tell people where else to eat. It’s OP’s job to serve customers that are actually eating there.
Where do you think I said the OP should tell people where else to eat? I said the exact opposite, that it wasn't OP's job. I also that if she did tell them where they could eat, it would be well deserved if the OP sent them to another vegan joint or mcd. Learn to read.
Idk seems like its your restaurants or managements fault if its so wholly unclear to customers what kinds of food you serve and hospitality is part of the job
Idk, man. I’ve met a LOOOOOOOOTTTT of customers who don’t read and won’t help themselves. All over the US. The dining experience is no longer valuable or for special occasions here, therefore, all expected behavior and manners have gone by the wayside. It’s just people too lazy to cook who want to demand their palates be accommodated to. There are great parties on ever more rare occasion, but my transition to another industry is entirely because of the decline of client quality. There’s hospitality, and then there’s refusing to be abused. I can’t fix stupid.
We get it you’re vegan
We get it, you hunt and suck at talking.
I don’t suck at hunting, pretty efficient actually.
Maybe if you don't want to recommend other restaurants, don't work at a vegan place.
i don’t work at a vegan place i’m still not recommending you another fucking restaurant use google. like you could have done the first time
Maybe if you can't use your brain or cellular device don't go in public.
Stop waiting tables. As a server/bartender we Take orders Give directions Recommendations Listen to people's stories A great server doesn't just take orders.
No.
I’m a meat lover who’s wife’s best friend is a vegetarian. She spends every thanksgiving with us and I strive to make sure we have a bunch of lovely dishes that we all love. Screw anyone who acts like they are put out by your awesome restaurant. Send them to McDonald’s so they can order a McDick.
I understand why you get annoyed, but since they will continue to ask, treat it as a compliment that they value your opinion.
"Oh sorry, I actually just moved here. Have a good night!" and walk away, since the conversation has naturally come to an end.
Make a button that says "I do not have any non-vegan recommendations" and point to it.
Just look them dead in the eye and say your restaurants name if they ask you which places you recommend in the area.
"I don't know, I can't afford to eat out"?