complaint with restaurants (which dosen't make sense to me)

[Sigarms]

....but they don’t really pay the wait staff to do their job. Technically they usually pay some pittance, often not even minimum wage. Waiters don’t earn their money from the company, they earn it from tips from the customers; by good service and sometimes doing “extra” things that might not be part of company policy to get a better tip.

The flip side, is they want to increase the bill total as much as possible since the tip is usually a percentage. “Another drink?” “Dessert?”, “No, you have to order from the adult menu, it’s company policy”.

So, should a waiter try to get a better tip percentage on a smaller bill, or figure they’re going to get the regular percentage and try to up the bill total? Two different waiters, two different solutions.

You might of missed how I started this...

Ultimatley, it comes down to the restaurants policy IMO to what they are holding their wait staff to. As a worker, I would expect to be terminated if I knowingly broke a company policy.

At the end of the day, that's $175 (with tips) that the restaurant got from me feeding my family within a month (my dad can be a picky eater, so when he finds something he likes when we're out, I tend to go back there and I knew the pricing going in, added their filet mignon is worth every bit of the $28 they charge vs another place I know that charges $40 for the same steak off their dinner menu.

There are some restaurants that don't have seniors menu and they won't allow a senior citizen to order off the kids menu (generally smaller portions) and this is a business practice that doesn't make any sense to me, particularly for a "higher end" restaurant.

Their business, their choice, I get that. Just seems like you're leaving money on the table by saying "no" to old folks.

As I mentioned, YEARS ago we found a good local Italian place we use to go to for family gatherings (in laws and wifes sister) on weekends somewhat regularly. The waitstaff knew us as regulars, and the one time my dad was with us when he was visiting, he wanted to orde off the kids menu and they said no. Talking with the owner, he said it's his policy that seniors can't order off the kids menu even though he didn't have a seniors menu. I told the family I didn't feel like spending any more money with this guy and we walked out and never went back. I just see it as the owner losing a crapload of money over a $4 to $7 dollar meal when I'd guess his margins are about the same on a regular priced "adult meal" due to the portion sizing. Don't know why that restaurant went out of business some years later, but didn't care.

 

[CobyRupert]

No, I didn’t miss your initial post.
Obviously “they” (the servers who you happened to have) don’t consistently apply the kids menu “policy”. If they have one.
What I’m saying is if your server “interprets” the rules to your favor, you might tip 20% on the $80. You spend $96, server gets $16 tip, house gets $80. You and server win.
If the server says no adults can order from kids menu, you might only tip 15%. You spend $109.25, server gets $14.25 tip, and house gets $95. You and server lose, house wins.

....but server is only motivated to bend rules if they think you’ll tip a little extra. Otherwise it’s their interest to apply the rules and make the total as large as possible.
As others have noted, if this extra tip is given early in the process, then server is more motivated to work for your shared interests.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sometimes, maybe all too often, flexibility is just abused by the public. Now how about my Balemic (sp?) sister. Can she eat off the kids menu too?

It isn't very nice when a company policy changes depending on who you are dealing with. But understandable. Worse. And my cross to bear often it seems. Establishments saying they can't do something for you, and after it gets ugly and the mood has turned fowl, it's been done. Easy peasy after all it seems.

 

[Sigarms]

No, I didn’t miss your initial post.
Obviously “they” (the server who you happen to have) don’t consistently apply the kids menu “policy”. If they have one.
What I’m say is if you server “interprets” the rules to your favor, you might tip 20% on the $80. You spend $96, server gets $16 tip, house gets $80. You and server win.
If the server says no adults can order from kids menu, you might only tip 15%. You spend $109.25, server gets $14.25 tip, and house gets $95. You and server lose, house wins.

You missed where this same thing happened to myself where I was told no adults can not order off the kids menu.

I didn't tip anything nor did I spend anything, I walked out and didn't spend a penny.

I lost as it was more time to go to another restaurant (and some family was pissed at me for leaving LOL), but the "house" lost because we never went back again after that (probably after spending about $1,000 there with all my family that had gone in the past year).

At the end of the day, if you have a 8 year old or a 75 year old, Idon't think the portions will vary that much between the two, and it's no change out of your pocket to allow senior citizens to order off the kids menu if you don't have a seniors menu because they will eat the same.

If I was in the restaurant business, I'd always offer a seniors and a childrens menu as long as the person buying the meal fit the age per requirements.

 

[Sigarms]

Sometimes, maybe all too often, flexibility is just abused by the public. Now how about my Balemic (sp?) sister. Can she eat off the kids menu too?

Can she produce a medical statement from her doctor stating that she is bulimic?

If yes and she doesn't fit the age catagory for either a child or a seniors menu, I'd let her eat off either menu if one was available.

I've got to ask, if your sister is really bulimic, why would she go out to eat in the first place?

 

[Industrial Toys]

It doesn't seem like a cheap restuarant. Once in that league that serve Filet Mignon, their client base changes. Not as many penny pinchers. Those, usually just wrap up the uneaten garlic bread and take it home, (Like I would) but few would ask for a discount. Hey, maybe it's different in the states.

Sorry, as for my sister, I was just making a point. Where does it end?

 

[goeduck]

I cannot go to a buffet and get out of there without a "reaction" that sends me to the restroom.

from a food safety site:
Salad bars are essentially a breeding ground for contamination and bacteria. Food is often left out for too long, not kept at proper temperatures and/or expired.

Salad bars are actually worse than hot buffets! Heat kills many viruses, but salad bars are typically cold, thus transmitting viruses and bacteria.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I always knew there had to be a reson I was a meat and potatoes guy. Buffet. Straight to the Roast Beef/Prime Rib and some Torpedo Shrimps for Desert. Then back to the Roast Beef. At the end of the night, the guy (guarding the beast with a sharp knife) knows me by name.

Why in the world anyone would go to a buffet and eat bread, or food you have to work to eat like unpeeled shrimp or crabs legs, is beyond me.

 

[Sigarms]

Problem solved. Just call in for take out and you can order whatever you want.

 

[Sigarms]

It doesn't seem like a cheap restuarant. Once in that league that serve Filet Mignon, their client base changes. Not as many penny pinchers. Those, usually just wrap up the uneaten garlic bread and take it home, (Like I would) but few would ask for a discount. Hey, maybe it's different in the states.

Sorry, as for my sister, I was just making a point. Where does it end?

I don't disagree with you, but then why even have a children menu that offers smaller portions?

Hey, if you don't have a childrens menu or seniors menu, it is what it is and you can't complain.

If I'm running a restaurant and see some very old guy who is in his 70's or 80's with a family and I offer a childrens menu but no senior menu, I'd have no qualms letting him order off the kids menu for smaller portions. As mentioned, I would assume the percentages are the same per gross profit off the meal.