I want to see the local FSJ restaurants do THIS:
Guarantee Your Way to Attracting More First Time Customers
================================================================
One of our members is going to attempt what many would
consider a bold (or not so smart) move.
He's going to put a banner in front of his restaurant
that claims they have "the best Asian food in town or
your money back."
Several top restaurant marketing experts are big
advocates of offering a money back guarantee. They claim
it's attention getting and reduces the risk that people
might perceive who have never visited your restaurant.
Many operators are reluctant to make such a vow for fear
of being taken advantage of by people just wanting a free
meal, however, that's not the experience of the vast
majority of businesses who offer similar service or
product guarantees.
For example, here's Hampton Inn's pledge -
"Our friendly service and complimentary amenities are
all backed by our 100% Hampton Guarantee. If you're
not 100% satisfied, we don't expect you to pay. That's
our promise and your guarantee."
They've been making this guarantee as long as we can
remember and it's reported that substantially less
than 1% of their guests claim an unsatisfactory stay.
If you believe you've got really got great food, why
not step up with a bold guarantee, then get the word
out in all of your marketing materials. It may lead
to a stream of first time customers you can than turn
into loyal, long time guests.
================================================================
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
From the Tip Jar
The 49er Steakhouse Diner
Overall opinion: LOVED IT. Let me say that again. Go to the 49er cause they rock GREEK FOOD.
They do calamari the right way. Breaded fresh and deep fried to order. Served with chopped onions and tzatziki for the Greek version....I recommend asking for a side of marinara and lemon wedges for an Italian experience. Those of you who've been with me since the beginning know how big a deal a proper calamari is to me. And I told our waitress so and also mentioned that I would come back to their restaurant just because of its greatness. Oh. Yes.
This is a VERY big deal. I'm practically jumping out of my chair to type this. AHHH!
Side note: previous owners were Greek.
Next in the line up was the Baby Back Pork Ribs, fries, gravy and veggies with Caesar salad. Also, a Chicken Souvlaki with rice, pita bread, tzatziki and Greek salad.
At this point I have high hopes. The waitress is nice, pleasant and wearing a (gasp) genuine SMILE, the calamari is heaven and I don't even care that the decor is peace country/former Greek/weird, plastic Italian man greeting me with the chalkboard specials.
Given that the 49er is a Diner/Dive I forgive many of these oddities ONLY WHEN the food makes up for it with legendary Mom 'n Pop flavour.
The short of it is this. Dish Numero Uno was a fail--burned fries (although they were freshly cut) and tough, tough pork ribs. Even a manly mouth with hunger pains couldn't rip the meat off quickly--though the accompany sauce was deelish with hints of apple and vinegar. By the time I had nearly finished my surprisingly good Greek meal, the man hadn't managed more than two bones of the full rack.
Side note: The Caesar side salad was surprisingly done well. A great dressing choice, real bacon diced on top, freshly cut greens, homemade croutons. I would have lightened up on the dressing amount and served it with a wedge of lemon.
After humming and hawing over a great experience so far my restaurant ninja skills kicked in and I finally said, "They have to know. Even if we loved everything else, they have to know these are not serve-able." The waitress was more than okay making sure my counterpart had something to his satisfaction and brought back a Spanikopita meal. Picture lots of phyllo pastry combined with spinach and gooey cheese. Served with all the fixin's of the Chicken Souvlaki meal.
Back to the food return. It sort of pained me to do this. What was this soft spot I had developed for an obscure, plain diner in my first 30 minutes of sitting within? Maybe it was due to the fact that the 49er had only three other occupied tables upon our Saturday night arrival. We had some great, uninterrupted conversation that was made even better by being the only remaining occupants a few minutes beyond that.
This elated me and worried me at the same time. Why? Because this first-time experience at a non-chain establishment is foreboding. This place WILL close if they don't have more business. Heck, they even closed earlier than their posted hours to save on labour and utilities. I'm seriously biting my nails. Right. Now.
Back to the food. Chicken Souvlaki. Grab some next time you're around there. Great flavour, tender, served on skewers. Rice is pretty bland and their homemade tzatziki is leaving something to be desired. It's missing something.....Greek herbs? The yogurty goodness is a little bit better than okay at this point. The pita bread is prepared nicely with a hint of butter. The Greek salad came complete with all the right ingredients and of course, the lovely kalamata olives and Feta cheese. Yum-o.
Our tab, sans gratuity, was around $50 bones. And we gladly forked it over. Not one other place (mainly full service restaurants) in FSJ could I honestly say that about so far.
GRADE: B+
Tips to improve: Waitress know your specials. Unprofessional to travel to the 'special board' not once, but twice to answer your guests questions. Also, it's tacky to repeatedly correct a customer on the pronunciation of a word. Especially if you're wrong. Greek is tricky so make sure you actually know the correct way to say something.
Figure out how to cook ribs. 'Nuff said.
Decent medium-sized menu. I would like to see it smaller....do less and do it well. None of the pre-frozen business (Chicken Cordon Bleu, etc.) Sure it saves time, but really, we can do that at home and save a load of money, too.
Do some advertising! I heard about the 49er through a few grapevines and that was only after making a stink about lousy places. Take away those coupons! Another foreboding notion. You start offering Buy One, Get One Free and you'll attract the clientele you don't want who don't come back without the coupons and you'll find yourself going under anyway. Wow, what a run-on.
The 49er Steakhouse Diner
8111 100 AVE
250.787.9292
They do calamari the right way. Breaded fresh and deep fried to order. Served with chopped onions and tzatziki for the Greek version....I recommend asking for a side of marinara and lemon wedges for an Italian experience. Those of you who've been with me since the beginning know how big a deal a proper calamari is to me. And I told our waitress so and also mentioned that I would come back to their restaurant just because of its greatness. Oh. Yes.
This is a VERY big deal. I'm practically jumping out of my chair to type this. AHHH!
Side note: previous owners were Greek.
Next in the line up was the Baby Back Pork Ribs, fries, gravy and veggies with Caesar salad. Also, a Chicken Souvlaki with rice, pita bread, tzatziki and Greek salad.
At this point I have high hopes. The waitress is nice, pleasant and wearing a (gasp) genuine SMILE, the calamari is heaven and I don't even care that the decor is peace country/former Greek/weird, plastic Italian man greeting me with the chalkboard specials.
Given that the 49er is a Diner/Dive I forgive many of these oddities ONLY WHEN the food makes up for it with legendary Mom 'n Pop flavour.
The short of it is this. Dish Numero Uno was a fail--burned fries (although they were freshly cut) and tough, tough pork ribs. Even a manly mouth with hunger pains couldn't rip the meat off quickly--though the accompany sauce was deelish with hints of apple and vinegar. By the time I had nearly finished my surprisingly good Greek meal, the man hadn't managed more than two bones of the full rack.
Side note: The Caesar side salad was surprisingly done well. A great dressing choice, real bacon diced on top, freshly cut greens, homemade croutons. I would have lightened up on the dressing amount and served it with a wedge of lemon.
After humming and hawing over a great experience so far my restaurant ninja skills kicked in and I finally said, "They have to know. Even if we loved everything else, they have to know these are not serve-able." The waitress was more than okay making sure my counterpart had something to his satisfaction and brought back a Spanikopita meal. Picture lots of phyllo pastry combined with spinach and gooey cheese. Served with all the fixin's of the Chicken Souvlaki meal.
Back to the food return. It sort of pained me to do this. What was this soft spot I had developed for an obscure, plain diner in my first 30 minutes of sitting within? Maybe it was due to the fact that the 49er had only three other occupied tables upon our Saturday night arrival. We had some great, uninterrupted conversation that was made even better by being the only remaining occupants a few minutes beyond that.
This elated me and worried me at the same time. Why? Because this first-time experience at a non-chain establishment is foreboding. This place WILL close if they don't have more business. Heck, they even closed earlier than their posted hours to save on labour and utilities. I'm seriously biting my nails. Right. Now.
Back to the food. Chicken Souvlaki. Grab some next time you're around there. Great flavour, tender, served on skewers. Rice is pretty bland and their homemade tzatziki is leaving something to be desired. It's missing something.....Greek herbs? The yogurty goodness is a little bit better than okay at this point. The pita bread is prepared nicely with a hint of butter. The Greek salad came complete with all the right ingredients and of course, the lovely kalamata olives and Feta cheese. Yum-o.
Our tab, sans gratuity, was around $50 bones. And we gladly forked it over. Not one other place (mainly full service restaurants) in FSJ could I honestly say that about so far.
GRADE: B+
Tips to improve: Waitress know your specials. Unprofessional to travel to the 'special board' not once, but twice to answer your guests questions. Also, it's tacky to repeatedly correct a customer on the pronunciation of a word. Especially if you're wrong. Greek is tricky so make sure you actually know the correct way to say something.
Figure out how to cook ribs. 'Nuff said.
Decent medium-sized menu. I would like to see it smaller....do less and do it well. None of the pre-frozen business (Chicken Cordon Bleu, etc.) Sure it saves time, but really, we can do that at home and save a load of money, too.
Do some advertising! I heard about the 49er through a few grapevines and that was only after making a stink about lousy places. Take away those coupons! Another foreboding notion. You start offering Buy One, Get One Free and you'll attract the clientele you don't want who don't come back without the coupons and you'll find yourself going under anyway. Wow, what a run-on.
The 49er Steakhouse Diner
8111 100 AVE
250.787.9292
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Curry et cetera, Pouce Coupe.
The good and the bad. TOGO STYLE:
Take out menu is home done. How can I tell? Anyone familiar with Word can notice it. Props for trying to keep costs down.....perhaps print it on heavier stock rather your average printer paper? Really, I'm stretching here. Go to Staples.
Odd hours. Open Wed-Sun (NOT Monday or Tuesday.) Look, if your business is FOOD you should open at least the five main business days of the week and Saturday. Being closed on Sunday is not taboo and is generally accepted everywhere. Culturally speaking, is M/T an East Indian thing? I don't know. But your restaurant is in Canada.
Get a soda machine. Selling soda by the can is tacky anywhere and everyone knows how much they're being ripped off.
Weird menu item: perogies. Look, we know they're Cheemo and no, they don't belong in an Indian restaurant. The fact that you're selling 10 perogies for EIGHT DOLLARS to a community rich in Ukranian heritage, it's sort of an insult. If they were homemade we might give you points for trying, but still, they're not Indian.
Great value for your dollar. We opted for buffet TOGO. Translation: load your container so it looks pregnant and is spilling out the sides. Oh yes. And the food was AWESOME!!! The items we took home were Chicken Curry (nice cuts of diced chicken, flavour was so yummy,) Keema & Peas (spicy and different, but balanced out the non veggie dishes,) Basmati Rice (delish anywhere,) Seasonal Veggies and Bhatura Bread (on the oily side.) For $20.99 including tax, we had about four pounds of Indian goodness. On top of that, the owners were NICE! We also snagged a sample of Fish Pakoras, which is a slightly battered white, flaky fish on the spicy side. A sample of Gulab Jaman (think soaking-wet Timbit) and Rice Pudding (think real rose-flavoured rice pudding. It's different.)
GRADE: B+ This place has HUGE POTENTIAL. First of all because they're doing the food right. Let me say that again. The food is as close to authentic as I would like (if not bang on) and the portions are great for amount paid! Plus you can order large quantities with advance notice. Can we say catering?!!
All I can say is: GO! But not on Monday or Tuesday (when you're heading back to FSJ from a weekend in Edmonton or Grande Prairie.) See Curry, Etc owners? Timing is everything.
Curry et cetera
250.786.5211
Bright green building on that weird "L" street corner in Pouce Coupe. Can't miss it.
Take out menu is home done. How can I tell? Anyone familiar with Word can notice it. Props for trying to keep costs down.....perhaps print it on heavier stock rather your average printer paper? Really, I'm stretching here. Go to Staples.
Odd hours. Open Wed-Sun (NOT Monday or Tuesday.) Look, if your business is FOOD you should open at least the five main business days of the week and Saturday. Being closed on Sunday is not taboo and is generally accepted everywhere. Culturally speaking, is M/T an East Indian thing? I don't know. But your restaurant is in Canada.
Get a soda machine. Selling soda by the can is tacky anywhere and everyone knows how much they're being ripped off.
Weird menu item: perogies. Look, we know they're Cheemo and no, they don't belong in an Indian restaurant. The fact that you're selling 10 perogies for EIGHT DOLLARS to a community rich in Ukranian heritage, it's sort of an insult. If they were homemade we might give you points for trying, but still, they're not Indian.
Great value for your dollar. We opted for buffet TOGO. Translation: load your container so it looks pregnant and is spilling out the sides. Oh yes. And the food was AWESOME!!! The items we took home were Chicken Curry (nice cuts of diced chicken, flavour was so yummy,) Keema & Peas (spicy and different, but balanced out the non veggie dishes,) Basmati Rice (delish anywhere,) Seasonal Veggies and Bhatura Bread (on the oily side.) For $20.99 including tax, we had about four pounds of Indian goodness. On top of that, the owners were NICE! We also snagged a sample of Fish Pakoras, which is a slightly battered white, flaky fish on the spicy side. A sample of Gulab Jaman (think soaking-wet Timbit) and Rice Pudding (think real rose-flavoured rice pudding. It's different.)
GRADE: B+ This place has HUGE POTENTIAL. First of all because they're doing the food right. Let me say that again. The food is as close to authentic as I would like (if not bang on) and the portions are great for amount paid! Plus you can order large quantities with advance notice. Can we say catering?!!
All I can say is: GO! But not on Monday or Tuesday (when you're heading back to FSJ from a weekend in Edmonton or Grande Prairie.) See Curry, Etc owners? Timing is everything.
Curry et cetera
250.786.5211
Bright green building on that weird "L" street corner in Pouce Coupe. Can't miss it.
Northwoods Pizza
First impression. I didn't believe the homemade crust claim. It looked too perfect. Too pre-frozen. Too I'm-trying-to-be-like-Pizza-Hut's-Dip-Dish.
But. The slice DID have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pizza drip going on. You know the one: pick up a hot, steaming slice and the pie just teasingly drops to your arm, you take a bite and the cheese is so thick is stretches and slides everywhere. It's really beautiful.
But, the cheese is really too thick. In fact, surprisingly, the cheese layer is almost as thick as the crust. And so it sits heavy in the stomach. But the delicious flavour is there. Basil in the sauce, thinly sliced meat that doesn't make you hurl because it's so processed. The dough actually tastes good. Light and heavy married together.
The ingredients are layered like only one other place I've seen. Royal Pizza. Oddly enough I was craving this Edmonton location's goodness that very day. Picture the fresh dough, then some sauce, the "toppings" and then the cheese. Oh yes, the very ingredients you ordered are not visible until you take your first, delicious, hot bite.
Our total price tag for two medium pies was $31.45 with tax. They had a special deal happening. Normally, one large 14" pizza would run you in the ballpark of $25 plus tax.
On their flyer they claim a 10% off pick up orders over $20--guess you have to make sure that happens, cause it wasn't on our receipt. But the flyer also says $2 for delivery. Does that mean you have to tip on top of that as well? I'm divided on the issue.
GRADE: B+ Overall, I would definitely come here again. I like Mom n' Pop places that do it right. But I would still choose Olio's pizza for overall taste and non-heavy factor. P.S. Olio's also has a mighty fine Donair. The onions and tomatoes are way too thick, but the meat and tzatziki taste delicious. About $10 per donair. Thought I'd give Olio's that plug since they are making an effort to improve.
Northwoods Pizza
10627 Alaska Rd
(In the Northwoods Inn)
250.787.9444
But. The slice DID have the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pizza drip going on. You know the one: pick up a hot, steaming slice and the pie just teasingly drops to your arm, you take a bite and the cheese is so thick is stretches and slides everywhere. It's really beautiful.
But, the cheese is really too thick. In fact, surprisingly, the cheese layer is almost as thick as the crust. And so it sits heavy in the stomach. But the delicious flavour is there. Basil in the sauce, thinly sliced meat that doesn't make you hurl because it's so processed. The dough actually tastes good. Light and heavy married together.
The ingredients are layered like only one other place I've seen. Royal Pizza. Oddly enough I was craving this Edmonton location's goodness that very day. Picture the fresh dough, then some sauce, the "toppings" and then the cheese. Oh yes, the very ingredients you ordered are not visible until you take your first, delicious, hot bite.
Our total price tag for two medium pies was $31.45 with tax. They had a special deal happening. Normally, one large 14" pizza would run you in the ballpark of $25 plus tax.
On their flyer they claim a 10% off pick up orders over $20--guess you have to make sure that happens, cause it wasn't on our receipt. But the flyer also says $2 for delivery. Does that mean you have to tip on top of that as well? I'm divided on the issue.
GRADE: B+ Overall, I would definitely come here again. I like Mom n' Pop places that do it right. But I would still choose Olio's pizza for overall taste and non-heavy factor. P.S. Olio's also has a mighty fine Donair. The onions and tomatoes are way too thick, but the meat and tzatziki taste delicious. About $10 per donair. Thought I'd give Olio's that plug since they are making an effort to improve.
Northwoods Pizza
10627 Alaska Rd
(In the Northwoods Inn)
250.787.9444
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Silver Creek Cookhouse vs. Humpty's Family Restaurant
Battle of the Breakfasts
Silvercreek looks like a trucker's breakfast joint. It's even next to a tire shop (Integra Tire) that services big rigs (which happens to be a plus if your car is being worked on--go grab a pancake and hot chocolate while you wait!) The parking lot is unpaved and the place smells slightly old when you walk in. The decor isn't anything special.
But. Where the time is spent is on breakfast! I'm mostly okay with a dive as long as the food makes up for where nearly everything else is lacking. Sometimes, dives can be the best places to score a great meal.
I've been to this place a number of times over a handful of years. The smiles are plentiful. Those Silver Creek ladies run a happy show. And breakfast is hot and delicious. I wish I could order breakfast all day. I mean, who says the eggs should stop at 2 pm? I heart breakfast restaurants. By 'Breakfast Restaurant' I mean those places that specialize in the most important meal of the day. Generally, across the board, these places do a pretty job with breakfast. My fave at this joint is any combo plate that includes their eggs, potatoes or pancakes. Yum.
Silver Creek Cookhouse is on the pricer side. A group of four eating a full breakfast will run around $60+.
Humpty's
Here's the setting: Saturday morning. Family breakfast outing. High guest traffic. I expect somewhat of a wait to be seated. Nevertheless, a restaurant should probably be on top of their game, right?
This place is laughable It's supposed to be a FAMILY RESTAURANT and yet nothing about speaks of family to me. Sparse, thrift store decor. Something like TEN tables. The one and only time I've been to this chain and location was here in FSJ. With teenagers waiting on tables and practically running around with their heads cut off to the disgusting, foul-mouthed old men who make me want to sanitize my hands when they look at me...well, this isn't a place I'd bring my family OR myself back to. Ever. The food is less-than-mediocre. (Remember my Happy Breakfast Mantra? Not here.) The service isn't even service. I left NO tip and waited way too long for everything because of Ms. Chicken Head forgot everything we told her. Yup. Didn't write anything down. And then she forgot more things during our dining experience. Get this, she didn't even come back for our money. We could have walked out without paying, that's how chaotic this place was being run.
I think I'm a magnet for horrible and yet, in retrospect, humorous dining experiences.
Here's the thing:
I would like to see smaller menus. Have a handful of items to choose from and present them well. Big menus give the customer a chance to get lost, take longer ordering and thus backing up the entire process. Big menus offer a lot more room for staff error--kitchen mistakes, wait staff not knowing answers to basic questions, ordering mishaps, juggling too many fresh ingredients and countering waste.
What I want to see is a two-sided menu and that is all. You know what? You'll also figure out very quickly what your customers love and what they hate. You can rotate a few features every week/month and try on the chef hat that way. SImplicity is the key. Ever been to a home where every wall is covered with something? It's like your eyes don't know where to look and one can't appreciate any beauty. Rather there is confusion and chaos. Same with giant menu. Less is more. Really.
Silver Creek GRADE: B. Develop a small, awesome lunch menu (or get rid of it altogether,) stay open later, and keep up those smiles.
Open 6am -2pm
10104 Alaska Rd
250.785.4888
Humpty's GRADE: Fail. I will never recommend this place and never return. Anywhere. I don't care how many improvements you say you'll make.
Located somewhere along the Alaska Hwy. That's all I'm gonna say.
Ship to Shore II
Five Visit Critique
1. Pile of deep fried goodness to share among friends...tab around $80 before gratuity. Meaty, delicious fish and fries. Table set with an array of condiments.
2. Recipient of complimentary giant sushi combo platter. Impressed in two ways. Wanted more. Wanted to support the establishment.
3. Dined in on sushi with young children. Craziness but great. Owner brought our BBQ eel and shrimp sushi just to try. Despite busyness, stopped by to satiate our sushi questions. All wait staff should know what menu items taste like, textures, allergens, etc. Otherwise, they're just ignorant wait staff--which reflects on the business.
4. Dined in again to try for Indian Candy. Still none after two weeks. Claims of Olympics stealing their orders.
5. Spouse tried for takeout recently. Still no Indian Candy. Look if something is so popular, get it in. Get a new supplier if you're getting the shaft OR take it off the menu for the time being. Stop disappointing the customer.
Improvements: Nobody wants to see the kitchen unless its actually part of the house layout.
Great Aspects: Friendly, helpful owner. Fun decor. Interesting weekly offers to bring people in continually. Fun waitress from New Zealand. Complete with accent.
GRADE: A-. Overall this place is good. Buy fresh seafood, order it fried, sit in a comfortable environment. Obviously I like it enough to frequent it AND I'd choose S2S above Mastaro's Sushi anyday. ANY. DAY.
Ship to Shore II (near Sobey's)
10403 100 Ave
250.785.3839
1. Pile of deep fried goodness to share among friends...tab around $80 before gratuity. Meaty, delicious fish and fries. Table set with an array of condiments.
2. Recipient of complimentary giant sushi combo platter. Impressed in two ways. Wanted more. Wanted to support the establishment.
3. Dined in on sushi with young children. Craziness but great. Owner brought our BBQ eel and shrimp sushi just to try. Despite busyness, stopped by to satiate our sushi questions. All wait staff should know what menu items taste like, textures, allergens, etc. Otherwise, they're just ignorant wait staff--which reflects on the business.
4. Dined in again to try for Indian Candy. Still none after two weeks. Claims of Olympics stealing their orders.
5. Spouse tried for takeout recently. Still no Indian Candy. Look if something is so popular, get it in. Get a new supplier if you're getting the shaft OR take it off the menu for the time being. Stop disappointing the customer.
Improvements: Nobody wants to see the kitchen unless its actually part of the house layout.
Great Aspects: Friendly, helpful owner. Fun decor. Interesting weekly offers to bring people in continually. Fun waitress from New Zealand. Complete with accent.
GRADE: A-. Overall this place is good. Buy fresh seafood, order it fried, sit in a comfortable environment. Obviously I like it enough to frequent it AND I'd choose S2S above Mastaro's Sushi anyday. ANY. DAY.
Ship to Shore II (near Sobey's)
10403 100 Ave
250.785.3839
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tony Roma's
Four Different Perspectives for Your Vote
Pub side visit. Decor is more appealing, nicer lights, better colors. Poor service and it wasn't even busy! Possibly intoxicated server. She looked important with a key dangling from her arm, but smelled of cigarette smoke. Major turnoff. Didn't offer specials/features of the evening, didn't upsell drinks or desserts, forgot side items mentioned while ordering, didn't pay attention to drink levels....really, I could go on.
But let's talk about the food.
Burger and the sandwich. We wanted something fast and quick. From the picture, the Turkey Melt Sandwich looked on the light, fresh side. Sort of like a really awesome grilled cheese. This thing was as soaked in grease as it could be. Fake cheese and too much bacon, thick onion slices that no one could bite through without the eyes watering and the throat stinging and too much butter slathered on the grill. Yuck. I hate it when the pictures look so much tastier and prettier than the thing on your plate. Subway, anyone? They do a great job with that.
The Bistro Burger had a much nicer go at it. With caramelized onions, tomato pesto and caprino (think really tangy cream cheese) this one was a winner. This combo complimented the beef quite nicely. Good size and quite filling. The picture and the plate matched.
Room service. Onion loaf. Fast. Threw in extra BBQ mayo. Plus side! Would order at the Pomeroy again.
Take out. Two full orders of those famous ribs. Burned. Taking them out had nothing to do with this quality. I completely understand that my food is going to be on the cooler side with my 10 minute drive home in the dead of winter. I get that. I anticipate it (see previous pizza post with awesome pizza bag. Ninja.) If I was dining in at that particular moment, I would have sent them back and requested non burned beef. Oh yes. I'm that person. But, since TR probably doesn't care about what its customers think (just like every other darned food business in FSJ) we'll have to settle for a little rant 'n rave on THE CRITIC'S website, hmm?
Dine in times three. Overall: Slow service, despite varying levels of customer traffic. Average menu knowledge in staff. Excellent quality in ribs.The biggest missing factor: No Team Players. The wait staff seems to have their own agenda. They don't look out for each other or the customer. The black-clad females around the greeting area don't look the slightest bit interested in making sure guests have a nice experience. Sullen faces, no smiles, attitude problems. I've come in ugly, I'm come in gorgeous, doesn't seem to matter.
As a guest I really don't care if you (the manager/owner) don't have enough staff, product, whatever. Not My Problem. Your problem, comprende? I bring my moula to fill my belly full of meaty goodness. Not to hear about or experience your employment problems. Don't tell me about it. Put on a good show. Manager, take care of me yourself if it needs be.
Another idea, the concept of "open floor plan" in restaurants seems like a great idea IF YOU HAVE A FULL HOUSE AND STAFF TO ACCOMMODATE THEM. Otherwise, as a guest, it seems rather empty and weird. 'nuf said. Put up a few dividers and throw in some shrubbery to offer privacy and a sense of intimacy. We customers will love it. And we'll come back.
Suggestions for future Tony Roma's goers? If you haven't had the ribs you must try them. Don't go to a place that's famous for something and not give it a go.
Let your tip truly reflect how you felt about the service. After being in FSJ over two years now I have not seen ONE wait staff experience that is deserving over the 15% gratuity. Lately, I've been tipping around 8-10%. And NO, do not tip people that are not actually waiting on you at a table. Tip Jars/ tip options at non full-service restaurants is plain tackiness (generally you'll see them at the cash register.) It reflects poorly on the establishment and makes for an uncomfortable situation. You might as well just open your wallet and let them go fishing.
GRADE: C. Fine tune that service and food consistency.
Tony Roma's
11308 Alaska Rd
250.262.2040
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