It was a beautiful 65 degree sunny winter day. My date and I decided to go to an upscale restaurant for my birthday. We knew that they had a breathtaking view of intercoastal waterway located in West Central Florida.
Upon arrival at 2:15 PM in the afternoon we wanted to sit outside on the deck. We were surprised that the restaurant was not busy at all; there was only one other couple sitting at a table. The waitress came up and brought us to our table. However, before we were seated, my date asked if we could sit at the corner table because it was in the sun and it had a better view. We didn’t think this would be a problem since the deck was empty other than for the other couple. To our surprise the waitress said no. We asked why and she replied the table was reserved for five or more people; she then sat us at the table next to the table that we wanted.
The waitress came back to take our order and I asked her again if we could sit at the other table which was in the sun. She said that this was the rule and that she would have to get permission from the manager. She said it might take a while because the manager was busy with other guests. I said fine, we will wait. She asked if we would like to order something and I told her we would wait until we saw what the manager said before we ordered anything.
As we waited my date and I agreed that if we couldn’t sit at the table we wanted, we would just go someplace else. We thought why pay this kind of money if we can’t be comfortable. A few minutes went by and the waitress came back with two women who were introduced to us as the assistant manager and the product coordinator. Once again we asked why we couldn’t sit at the corner table next to us. The assistant manager replied that it was a six top table and that they are reserved for five or more people. I responded by asking her, “Where are they?”
The assistant manager replied, “Where are who?”
“The five or more people,” I replied.
“I DON’T KNOW.”
“Well are they coming or not; if the table is reserved then where are they?”
I could tell that she was getting angry with me. She said back to me in a harsh tone, “This is the rule and the table is for five or more people.”
I looked at my date in shock and said let’s not eat here and she agreed. On my way out I said loud enough for people to hear, “I wonder what the health department would feel about the poor treatment we received here today?”
The assistant manager yelled back, “We just had a health inspection and passed with flying colors.”
I yelled back, “Great, but I hope you go out of business and I’m sure you will being the way you treat people!”
As we were going to the car she yelled out across the parking lot, “GET THE FUCK OFF THIS PROPERTY!”
I yelled back, “VERY PROFESSIONAL. DO YOU TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN LIKE THAT?”
She yelled back, “A MATTER OF FACT, YES I DO, AND I SAID GET OFF THIS FUCKING PROPERTY!”
Meanwhile I noticed about eight of the Red Hat Society women witnessing all of this. My date was appalled; we could not believe this just happened. We were both in shock and were just amazed that we were treated liked this at such a high scale restaurant. To end the story, we went to a fun beach type restaurant where we were treated like royalty.
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
good for you!
I’d have thrown you out too. People like you have no clue that you aren’t the center of the universe.
You people are the idiot rednecks that every restaurant owner and employee hates. Go to Red Lobster where you belong. Be sure to tip at least 6% on your split fried shrimp, too. A-holes.
You were snotty and feeling terribly entitled. The restaurant didn’t owe you an explanation and you certainly had no business being so obnxious.
And any idiot knows that the health department won’t give a damn about your hurt feelings.
Please don’t send idiots like these to Red Lobster…. I wait tables there! I’m in Michigan on the Canadian border, I’d pay good money to be able to say “GET OFF THIS FUCKING PROPERTY!” Followed by Cheddar Bay Biscuits flying at their heads….
You people have got to be kidding me, I’ve been in the hospitality industry for nearly 30 years. These people wanted to sit at an empty table in an empty restaurant and were told NO and to get the fuck out and you think THEY are the ones with the problem? Amazing!!!
so sorry that your party of 2 didn’t get the table made for 6.
idiot.
entitlement freaks like this should stay home.
A reserved table is a reserved table. Get over it, move on. Considering it was the ONLY table in the ENTIRE empty restaraunt you wanted to sit at, maybe it’s a fairly popular table, which usually requires reservations to get. Even if the party wouldn’t be there for an hour, how does the staff know they will be able to get you finished up and away from that table when the party arrives? If you arrived at a restaraunt and saw people sitting at the table you made reservations for you might get a little pissed at the place for giving away your table. They were right in this situation, you were wrong.
PS The health department has NOTHING to do with the way you are treated. I laughed out loud when I read that.
However, she shouldn’t have cursed at you no matter how big of a self-entitled jack ass you were being. Kill em with kindness!
Unbelievable. You are so incredibly rude! And you have absolutely no concept of how conceitedly you behaved. Do you live your entire life like this? Demanding that everyone lick your shoes? While you treat them like dirt and speak to them as if they’re slugs?
No wonder your date was embarrassed; at a guess, you were the cause of the embarrassment. If it had been me, I’d have gone “to the restroom” and disappeared leaving you with the bill.
YOU are the reason that people hate Americans. This was a perfect example of the stuck up self centred behaviour that gives your countrymen a bad name.
re-read: the table was not actually reserved for a particular party, but reserved for parties of 5 or more. there was no reason at all other than … well…none that they could be seated at that table.
if you dont like your job…find a new one.
Ok, it’s understandable to be upset because you are denied your table of choice without a reasonable explanation. However, restaurants have their own rules, and they can’t just toss them aside at the whims of their diners. There is no way this person’s behavior is justified. It’s this stuck-up, conceited behavior that makes the serving industry so difficult. When someone is upset and resorts to the childish behavior of provoking their server, I say they deserved their ‘bad’ treatment. Also, if you’re going to make an idiot of yourself by making a scene, at least get the facts straight (health department has nothing to do with service).
What the hell does the health department have to do with what happened there?
Pull your head out of your ass.
What is wrong with you people? The only reason not to let them have the table they wanted was if there was a reservation for that table. The place was empty. The staff was beyond rude and not fit to work at Red Lobster or any other restaurant. They (the staff) need to pull their heads out of their asses.
Wait a second. You got into a verbal fist fight with people you don’t know, while you were on a date?
I don’t care how wrong they were. You screwed up big time.
A polite date is, ah…I don’t like the service here, is it ok is we go somewhere else?
I’ll bet you a hundred bucks your date will say yes every time.
No ‘date’ should involve yelling in the parking lot at any time.
But thanks for the story. Your kind of class can stick to the open buffet’s. Oh, no, please, have another chicken leg.
Forget the Health Dept. Call or email the Better Business Bureau. They handle situations like that. If a table is available you should be allowed to sit there. I was a server/bartender for 9+ years and never had the balls to be like that. I wish I did sometimes though. =)
Personally, both parties involved failed to display the class and politeness of educated well mannered people.
The Table is made for 5+ people…..unless you had 5+ waiting with you then your arguement is invalid. The employee of the resturant over shadowed your rudeness by using inappropriate language. In the end though, by throwing down a threat that made no sense, you failed to prove your point or get “revenge”. All your petty threat did was make you look childish.
I loved this one. The two diners acted very obnoxiously and were absolutely clueless about it. Sure, if the restaurant were empty you could argue that they don’t need to hold the larger tables for big groups, but why do it? A party of 5 or 6 could have walked in a minute later. And the implied threat to make a false complaint about the sanitation of the restaurant (since the treatment the diners received had nothing at all to do with the health department), was way over the line. The write seemed to have left with a “Well, I sure told them!” attitude. What a jerk.
They were wrong for not moving you, but you were MORE wrong for your behavior. How dare you threaten them with a health department visit, when this had NOTHING to do with ahealth issue. Mentioning calling the BBB might have been appropriate, but not the health department. Did you ever think that you might have ruined the meals of the other diners there with your childish rant?!?!? You sir, are a douche-bag!
A bad job handling this by all parties concerned.
I agree that the couple should have been given the table they wanted in this case, but I also think that the birthday girl was an idiot when she said made the Health Department comment. What does the Health Department have to do with service? Nothing, that’s what.
If a table is reserved don’t question it. Places often have a limited number of large tables to accommodate larger groups. Other times, it is a tradition for a group to sit at a certain table. People who have reservations, even if running late, always have precedence over walk-ins. Especially walk-ins who feel entitled.
Think about it this way, how would you feel if a large group of friends had a specific table at a favorite spot that you ALWAYS sat at. One day you are running a little late and arrive to find that a couple is sitting at the large table. Even worse, there is a limited number of large tables, so your large group has to be split between two smaller tables so that the walk-in couple can enjoy all that space. It’s not fair, huh?
first come, first serve. they should have got the table
I do not care how ill treated you felt you were- your behavior was embaressing, crude and childish. If I were your date there would never have been another one. ADULTS do not yell over small issues- and this was a small issue. You talk to the management, if you’re not satisfied you leave and go somewhere else or suck it up. What you did what instigate a situation that did not have to get so out of hand. Grow up.
butthurt whiner.
The way you handled this probably has some kind of resonating echo in the dating future you had with the person you were with. Was she suddenly busy every time you called?
I love being in hospitality and you morons are the STUPID customers that we bag out after the night is over. Stupid muppets with no fu#%%&@ idear about the industry.
….Health department…..ha ha ha
Well well. What do we have here? You are a walk-in patron to a restaurant that is empty bar one other table. You request the table which is set for 5 or more because it is the only table in the sun and has a better view. That’s ok, what I don’t get is firstly the server explains why it is not possible for you to sit there, yet you persist in questioning that. You can’t say that just because that one and only table in the sun would be comfortable and not any of the others. What I also don’t get is that the server and so called manager’s didn’t go out of there way to accommodate you at the table in the sun. You are not going to tell me that at 2.15pm with a near empty restaurant that the only table for 5 or more was that one!! I don’t think so. It was just a matter of some or all of the staff just not wanting to go that bit further to make you feel accommodated. On the other hand had they explained that the table was for a regular group that were running late or whatever I’m sure that you would have accepted it.
The next thing that I don’t get is why the so called manager was so over the top with her reaction. As a manager you should know better how to deal with this situation. Maybe that is why the place was so empty, poor management. Maybe next time you will book before and maybe next time the manager will gladly take your money!!!
You, my dear, are a douchebag and an asshat!
Idiot! The manager meant that the table was reserved for parties of 5 or more people. Not that a reservation had been made for the table. Who are that you feel entitled to take up a presumably much bigger table then you need?? And what if a bigger party came in, like those Red Hats? Then they would have to wait for your pompous ass! Just be happy that the were trying to do what they thought would appease your sorry ass by sitting you as close as possible to where you wanted to be sat. The nerve of you to cause a scene when you couldn’t get the table you wanted, what are you 5 years old??? Next time go on a picnic at the beach if you want the sun shining on your self-important ass!
Any half decent restaurant would have given you the table, you were better off out of there.
And BTW, what on earth is an Asshat?
an asshat is someone with their head so far up their ass, they are wearing said ass like a hat. asshat.
not that complicated.
No way, no how is this restaurant a 4 Star. I can not believe how many of the comments here that are mainly sanctimoniously full of vitriolic bullshit. A true restaurant would have no qualms about seating patrons at that table. It’s in the middle of the afternoon. I have a hard time believing that so called manager would go off like that unless it was a biker bar. And yes, truly, the Health Dept. has nothing to do with customer service. Plus, a deck normally has plastic chairs and tables, or easy to move chairs and tables. It ain’t rocket science to move tables together. Every restaurant does it. A no brainer.
Why on earth would you call the health department for service you thought was rude? Empty threats are classy, for sure.
Not to mention, a reserved table means reserved. It doesn’t matter if they weren’t RIGHT THERE OMG when you arrived or when you were waiting.
You should’ve waited until that lady came out to go home, and run her over.