Show'Chi D.
Yelp
I'm an advocate of second, and maybe third chances in life. We all make mistakes; we all have bad days; there are also bad apples that do not spoil the entire bunch. This is especially true when it comes to customer service in restaurants. While without a significant menu change, sometimes it's hard to give a restaurant the elusive third chance based on the food experience. Due to various reasons, including high attrition rates though, it's more than reasonable to provide more than three chances when it comes to customer service as, chances are you're likely not going to get the same server you had five years ago -- especially in this city!
Today I was craving potatoes for breakfast, so I ventured to a place where I'd encountered bad service a few years ago, B.A.R. or Born and Raised, a local favorite.
For quite some time though, it was not for me. I visited the Warm Springs location back in 2018 and it took nearly 10 minutes for anyone to even say hello to me when I came to place a takeout order. If anyone knows me, that is a huge turn-off for my business. I ended up walking out.
I tried their Eastern location a few weeks later, thinking I would get better service, and actually got worse service. I sat as advised, pulled out my laptop to do some work during lunch, and started glancing at the clock. It had been over 30 minutes since I sat down and not a single server approached the table. Mind you, I greeted the staff as I came in with a friendly hello, as I usually do, so they knew I was in the building.
I ended up walking out again and settling for a nearby McDonald's.
If they didn't want to invest in people with good customer service skills, I decided I was not going to spend my money there.
Fast forward to today- it's been five years. It was within 2 minutes of my office, and their menu also looked different. I figured, let's give them another try.
Even though I was wearing a Blackhawks jersey while entering hostile Golden Knights territory, I was greeted immediately and with a glass of ice water by my server, Alex. He also provided a food menu proactively, though I had it pulled up on my phone already. I ordered the classic breakfast sliders and watched YouTube on my phone while waiting. In less than 10 minutes, my order arrived.
Three sliders, with egg, cheese, and bacon - they came on a bun that had biscuit color vibes but a bun structure, as it wasn't flaky, it was soft and fresh. The sliders were well prepared, the cheese was melted and the bacon was crispy and high quality, which for me means meaty, not fatty. The smashed potatoes that came on the side were also well done, and hugely portioned. I knew I wouldn't finish, so I quickly asked for a box to go and my check so there would not be a delay in me getting back to the office on time. Alex brought both, as well as a cap for my side of ketchup. We had some small talk, and I was given a solid salutation to close the experience.
It appears that B.A.R. had put some solid work into its recruiting process lately. Alex was top-notch in service and I FINALLY got to try their food after staying away for a number of years due to the way I was treated before. I'm glad to add B.A.R. into the rotation of dining choices and a potential spot for a happy hour outing in the near future.