Abi M.
Yelp
It irritates me that I am not leaving a one-star review based on my experience, but it wouldn't be fair to hurt the reputation of the entire restaurant over the actions of one staff member. And ultimately the situation was resolved correctly.
I've owned a restaurant for three years, and Ive encountered a hand full of situations with customers, but no matter how angered or bothered, I would never handle it the way it was handled here. This is an industry where it's so crucial that owners and managers are not short fused.
A gentleman kindly informed us that the restaurant would be closing soon, so we let the staff know we were just waiting on the check, our card was already down. Our server had been busy, and we understood. The card sat there for a bit, but we weren't in a rush. We were finishing the last half-glass of wine from our bottle and didn't feel like we were holding anyone up.
A few minutes after the card was charged, a woman came through pushing a tree across the dining area and abruptly said--loudly and with visible irritation--"We're closing, you need to leave."
That woman was Cassandra, the manager.
As someone in the industry, I would never speak to a guest that way. As much as I want to rip their heads off at times - customers are the reason we get to do what we do. They pay our staff, our bills, and ultimately determine whether we thrive.
I motioned calling her over to address how she'd spoken to us. She came over rolling her eyes and visibly agitated. I told her calmly that I didn't appreciate the tone or aggression. She gave a short apology, but quickly shifted to blaming and defensiveness, saying things like:
* "Well, you saw me pushing this tree."
* "You should've known we were closing."
* "You have no idea what I've been through today."
I let her know, respectfully, that as a restaurant owner myself, I found her approach unprofessional and inappropriate. She continued to escalate, raising her voice and even insulting me. When I asked for her name, she refused, saying, "I don't have to give you my name." Her lanyard had no name tag either.
I told her if she wouldn't identify herself, I'd tear up the receipt and walk out. She told me the card had already been charged and said it didn't matter. I tore the receipt and informed her that if any additional charges appeared, I had the merchant copy and would treat anything extra as fraud.
I walked away, she continued arguing with my guest and said, "If she owns a restaurant, she must be a horrible owner--and she sucks."
I went to the bartender to apologize for the scene and quietly asked if he could provide her name. Cassandra stormed over again and shouted, "You're going to throw me under the bus?"
At the exit, a few staff members came over and apologized for her behavior. Cassandra interrupted once again, yelling at us in front of them. I asked to speak to a manager, and she shouted, "I am the manager," in my face.
Thankfully, another manager named Isaac and an employee came over calmly to de-escalate. Cassandra walked away. I briefly explained what happened and asked the employee if he was a server, he said yes, and I thanked him for his professionalism, especially in contrast to his manager's behavior.
Isaac handled things with grace. He is a true asset to the team. He offered to refund the check and provide a voucher, which I appreciated, though I told him I wouldn't be returning. I did agree to let him refund the check, with the condition that he charge my card $1 so I could leave a tip for our server.
As for our server Eliana, she was wonderful. Warm, attentive, professional. As someone who runs a fine dining Italian restaurant, I notice details. I was genuinely impressed by her wine service, how she presented and opened the bottle, and her overall manner.
My last note -- Ive been in the hospitality industry for decades, I've seen it all. It was clear from the start of our dinner that they were trying to close early. We were seated around 845, and before we placed our order they turned the lights all the way up to start break down the dining room for close.
