Travis B.
Yelp
This used to be my absolute favorite restaurant in town, in fact I've easily told hundreds of people who were visiting my hometown to eat here.
While I'm back in town and tried to go in for breakfast today with my father, and things have changed for the worse.
The experience started off with the hostess stating both that the bar seats were open seating and that they were on the waitlist following it up with "it is hard to explain". Without a clear understanding of the policy we were waiting inside for bar seats to finish closing out their checks, as it's February and cold outside. We were waiting just inside the entryway/doors, along with another party of two, and after a couple minutes we were told we had to "wait across the street at Starbucks". (Please note Tally's is not associated with Starbucks, the Hotel Alex Johnson, nor Liv Hospitality.)
When we were told this both parties, along other restaurant customers, expressed confusion about by this. The other party then asked to speak to manager, in order to verify this policy and after a few minutes (in fact I had already sat at two bar seats that opened up) the manager Dee came over reiterated the policy and said we all "had to wait at Starbucks". I proceeded to verify with Dee that Liv Hospitality, the owner of the Starbucks, was aware of and condoned this policy, and Dee proceed to explicitly state that they had permission to send customers there and that "nobody else had ever complained". (Based on other recent negative reviews calling out this policy, Dee blatantly lied about this. I'll also update this review after verifying with Liv Hospitality, if they are in fact aware of this policy.)
When one of the other gentlemen stated that if they were forced to wait at Starbucks they wouldn't be back, Dee responded "that's fine we don't need your business!" (This was said in a spiteful and condescending tone.) She then proceed to demand that all 4 of us leave the restaurant and wait across the street, even though 6 bar seats (2-1-2) were available along with multiple other tables. Not to mention that we were already sitting at two of the seats next to friends I knew who were eating at the bar.
Based on this extremely negative experience and massive customer service failure, I can no longer recommend Tally's to people. These policies and the attitude of the management is a great way to run off long term and very loyal customers. It will also do irreparable harm to Chef Klinkel's reputation.
In order to help address these shortcoming. First, ensure your policies are clear and implemented with consistency with regard to bar seating (as my friends that were eating at the bar said it was open seating when they arrived 30 minutes prior.)
Second, if Dee's statement about not needing loyal customers is the official position of Tally's Silver Spoon and Delmonico Grill owner Chef Klinkel, I would be shocked based my prior conversations with him and his commitment to both his restaurants and reputation. If this is in fact not his position, this point of view/attitude of his staff needs to addressed; as a number of recent reviews have cited a similar position/attitude from various staff members.
Third, directing, in fact demanding, that your clientele essentially trespass and wait at a competitors business causing their seating to be occupied is improper. Especially when it is misrepresented by management that permission has been provided for this to occur.
Fourth, Dee is not equipped and should not be serving in the role of manager nor in any customer service capacity. Not to mention that she was willing to lie directly to customers about items which are easily proved false with a quick google search.
