I typically never leave negative reviews because I know how difficult customer service and the…read morerestaurant industry can be. We all have bad days, and I truly understand that. However, after witnessing how my elderly father and his group of friends were treated during lunch on Wednesday afternoon, I felt compelled to share this as constructive feedback.
My father and several of his friends, all gentlemen in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, met for lunch. There was some confusion about the final size of the party. Initially, they thought there would be six people, but as more friends arrived, the total ended up being eight or nine. One of the gentlemen immediately apologized for the mistake.
I completely understand that changing table arrangements can be frustrating. However, what upset me was the way the hostess handled the situation. The first group of gentlemen had already been seated when additional members of their party arrived. Rather than simply moving them to a larger table, the hostess appeared visibly annoyed and began squeezing more and more chairs around the small round table they were already sitting at, repeatedly reminding them that they had said six people. She rolled her eyes, rushed them along, and spoke to them in a curt manner that made these older gentlemen seem like an inconvenience rather than valued guests.
What made the interaction particularly confusing was that the dining room on that side of the restaurant was largely empty at the time, aside from people coming in for takeout slices. From my perspective, there appeared to be plenty of room to comfortably accommodate everyone, which made the frustration and lack of patience all the more surprising.
As I dropped my father off, I witnessed this interaction myself. I was honestly shocked by how little grace and patience were shown. When the hostess later laughed it off to me and remarked that "they didn't know how many people there were," I simply replied that mistakes happen and that these are older gentlemen who deserved patience and kindness. Before leaving, I even asked that they please take good care of my father and his friends.
When my father returned home, I asked how the lunch went. He mentioned that while the server did her job, she and the hostess were both rather rude throughout the experience. I wasn't present for the entire meal, so I can't speak to every interaction, but I can speak to what I personally witnessed, and it broke my heart.
If you have an elderly parent or loved one, you understand why this upset me so much. But honestly, this isn't even about age. No one should be made to feel belittled or like a burden. My father taught me to respect my elders, and I was disappointed to see so little respect shown in return.
The reason I'm giving two stars instead of one is because the food itself was enjoyed, and thankfully my dad's friends have a wonderful sense of humor. By the end of the day, they were actually laughing together about how mean the ladies had been. But that doesn't change the fact that kindness and patience are just as much a part of hospitality as the food itself.
This review is meant as constructive criticism. Service is hard, and everyone can have an off day, but I hope management takes this as an opportunity to remind staff that a little patience and compassion go a long way. For the record, I watched these gentlemen arrive, and there was no complaining, arguing, or rude behavior from them whatsoever, just an honest mistake about the headcount.
People remember how you make them feel, and unfortunately, that is what will stay with me most about this visit.