Are you cheap?

In our July issue, Editor Michael Sanson discussed an eating occasion during a hot, sunny day where he sat on a restaurant patio. Four tables did not have umbrellas to shade potential diners and, as a result, the tables sat empty and produced no revenue for the restaurant. Why wouldn’t the restaurant spend a small amount of money to buy umbrellas that would produce revenue for those tables, Sanson asked? Why do some restaurateurs ignore obvious glitches?

I have owned and operated my restaurant for 33 years. You are right on the money. I fix stuff like that on a daily basis. Nice to know that other people notice these things beside just me.

Dennis Smith
Owner
Calabash Seafood/Club Midway
Mechanicsville, VA

We had an air conditioner that was adequate for 98 percent of the days in Portland. On the rare week that the outside temperature went over 90 degrees, our restaurant would heat up to over 80 degrees inside. We had a surprising number of guests who would come in, feel the room and say that they would really like to stay but would come back on a cooler day. I put up with this for a number of summers. My argument to my wife (business partner), employees and an occasional customer was that the 8 or 10 days that we lose some guests couldn’t justify the $15,000 expense of a new air conditioner. Last year we decided to make the investment and the room is wonderful now. I also don’t get the look from my guests wondering why I don’t do something about the heat in our restaurant. I’m not sure of the payoff on my investment, but I know that I should have done it years earlier.

Loren Skogland
Chef/Co-Owner
Milo’s City Cafe
Portland, OR  

Customers are always judging, and rightfully so. It’s incumbent on all industries to maintain their brands. One can imagine the wear and tear that is placed on a restaurant. I am constantly in my restaurants questioning why this is not fixed or what is the permanent solution to this problem. This is a real cost item on any restaurant’s P&L, but it is our duty to follow up and to the best of our ability get it fixed or hire/train the right people to maintain our brand. The reality is that we are inviting our customers to come in and enjoy our product, just like when you invite someone over to your house for dinner. Would you invite someone over to your house without an umbrella on your deck? Would you invite someone over to your house if the bathroom is not working?  I will never say we are perfect at Vapiano, but we do come to play. In this competitive environment you have to keep your eye on the ball, and the ball is our customers. Without them it’s all over.

Bill Bessette
CEO
Vapiano USA
McLean, VA

This is a great reminder that good hospitality is in the eyes of the beholder. Our issue was wobbly tables. It’s a challenge that all restaurants have and one that is so easy to put aside for later. We noticed the problem ourselves and now make sure that it given constant attention. Ironically wobbly tables bother me when I am at other establishments, but we failed to make it a priority at our own. I am not sure what dollar amount I can attribute to having tables that don’t wobble, however I am sure of the aggravation factor that it saves to take care of this minor maintenance issue on a busy dinner shift.

Lea Thullbery
Manager
Finnigan’s Wake
Winston-Salem, NC