Top 5 reason you dislike a restaurant, besides the food
I am opening a restaurant and I would like to know what you DISlike about a restaurant so I can avoid these mistakes. Thanks for reading the post.
Joe
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13 Comments:
Intimacy. The lighting sets the mood. The traffic flow and space offer a sense of privacy. The staff's sincere personal attentiveness and policies of the restaurant (i.e., if an unfamiliar vintern's wine is uncorked and I don't like it, my favorite restaurant will offer an alternative). A feeling of unstiffled fun or welcome, even in classic, upscale restaurants. A comfortable place to wait that is not in the middle of the floor or hanging out into the sidewalk or streets. Happy, well-adjusted, diverse employees.
Tarasbrats at 9:39AM on 12/31/06
Here are my restaurant gripes:
Top of my list: Horrendous noise levels. A huge turn-off that will keep me from coming back. This can be caused by the design of the space and/or the kinds of materials used in the decor, i.e., all hard surfaces with nothing to mute the sound. Also, I detest very loud, thumping music. I actually prefer no music at all. But if the restaurant insists, at least keep it musically pleasant and low! In short, I like restaurants that are conversation-friendly.
Next, food served at incorrect temperature. Having to send back hot soup that is not hot and a main course that should be hot but is barely tepid throws off the pace of the meal and ticks me off royally.
Also, I dislike specials being reeled off by the server and with no prices provided. In the age of the computer and printer, there is no excuse for this. Specials *with prices* should be printed on a sheet and inserted into the regular menu. If the server wants to talk about the specials, that's fine, as long as I have that printed list to refer back to.
Finally, seating that is so close and cramped, it would make a sardine feel uncomfortable.
Good luck with your new venture.
RGR at 10:42AM on 12/31/06
Waitstaff should be pleasant, professional, and unobtrusive. I hate snotty waitstaff, surly waitstaff, and friendly waitstaff. I adore waitstaff who know the menu and can advise me about ingredients, and waitstaff who watch my table without coming over and asking me if I need anything. I also like quiet restaurants, but not church-quiet. Some I've been to in Europe were like the Church of Food - no fun at all.
Of course, I'm assuming your food will be fantastic -can you tell us about your plans?
dksbook at 11:04AM on 12/31/06
1. Courses served out of order or crammed in. I dislike receiving my soup/salad with my meal, or receiving my meal before we've even had a chance to touch the app.
2. Being rushed, especially at dinner.
3. Not being taken care of. For instance, there's a restaurant that we used to frequent that insisted on charging us for some severely burnt food (and didn't offer to replace it - we couldn't eat any of it). Another time they didn't comp any drinks where there was a mix-up that meant we waited over two hours before receiving any food at all (they didn't bring us salads, bread, or an app). We were good natured and waited (while drinking wine and beer) and expected to have a drink comped or be offered free dessert or *something*. Nothing, they treated us like it was our fault. We no longer go to this place despite their (normally) great food and close location.
Actually, all of the above were written about one particular restaurant. We would eat there all the time if we didn't feel like we were inconveniencing the staff with our presence.
savvy at 11:31AM on 12/31/06
Another note about the above restaurant... I ordered a bottle of my favorite wine (it's locally made and I drink it very frequently) and it came to the table tasting very, very off. I mentioned it to the waiter and he wouldn't replace it or take it off the bill. A bottle of wine marked up to 4x liquor store prices sat untouched on our table. I was very upset.
savvy at 11:33AM on 12/31/06
Bad Service!!! My good friend recently opened a nice restaurant but the service has been awful - not at all attentive. Friendly, attentive service is the biggest thing to me when I eat out. I used to waitress and I notice, I notice when someone is busy and trying their hardest vs. someone who could care less. Good luck to you, how exciting!
mel at 2:12PM on 12/31/06
1.poor service
2.poor service
3.poor service
4.poor service
5.poor service
Drhow at 2:38PM on 12/31/06
people should let their children work.I mean theres nothing better than seeing a childs face
jmjw1564 at 3:27PM on 12/31/06
My #1 restaurant turn-off is inescapable television. When I'm out dining, I'm not there to watch TV. Put a TV behind the bar and leave the dining room alone. The same goes for the waiting area - let me converse with my party, not compete with the TV.
Another thing that annoys me is when no thought is given to people's sizes when seating is determined. If a patron is short, don't give her the high-top with no foot rest. If a patron is wide, don't give him a narrow booth for squishing into. If she's tall, try to avoid the booth where the hanging Victorian lamp will put the bulb right at eye level. &c &c. Pay attention to the customer's unspoken needs and preferences.
AdamH at 8:59PM on 01/01/07
I would love a restaurant that had a NO CELL PHONE rule! Please, it is distracting and annoying to hear a loud one sided conversation. Dining out is supposed to be a social event with real people looking at eachother and talking in conversational tones.
Also, I love to eat at places where the staff seems genuinely glad you came!
ThatGirl153 at 9:21AM on 01/02/07
1. Poor service!
2. Food not cooked to order
3. Inconsistency
4. Sloppy marketing (a local wine bar/bistro sends out a newsletter that consistently promotes events and forgets to tell you the day and/or time--and occasionally lists the wrong time--they've lost a lot of potential business from me because of this)
5. Noise (I agree with the TV comment for all eating establishments except sports bars where the eating is really secondary.)
Overall, the best restaurants seem to know their market, stick to what will make that market happy, and are clear in their advertising what kind of restaurant atmosphere they offer. Different people want different things out of a restaurant, and I appreciate it when a restaurant gives me realistic expectations and delivers on those expectations.
kuhlimuh at 4:38PM on 01/02/07
You must read "Setting the Table" by Danny Meyer of Union Square Hospitality Group.....excellent book on business in general with his restaurants being the setting....if there is any one book out there that all restuaranteurs (in business or planning on it) should read, this is it...
Seriouspoorcook at 12:52PM on 01/05/07
We tried a new Mexican restaurant in new town in which we live now. The decor was horrendous and the atmosphere had much to be desired. If the food would have been good, we would have continued to eat there. But unfortunately it was just so-so and we won't be going back. My point is that good delicious food can make up for other poor qualities but a great setting and atmosphere cannot make up for crappy food! We had this really cheezy mexican place we used to eat at....so ugly and terribly deocorated, but the food was SO GOOD....it kept us coming back for more! We would even bring our friends and say "Okay, this place is hideous....but when you try the food you won't care" !
ThatGirl153 at 3:49PM on 01/05/07