Natalia D.
Yelp
Had an absolutely horrible experience when I went to see my friend playing in the band at the Globe. When we came in, like any bar/ restaurant that has live jazz in Miami, you can sit wherever and mingle with the musicians and friends.
I brought 7 friends with me to the Globe where we proceeded to all order drinks and walked to the tables near the stage. We sat down out of the way at an open table on the side of the restaurant that a crammed corner. The waitress came up to us and told us that the table is reserved and we can't sit there and walked away.
Then a huge party which was right in front of the stage got up and left so naturally seeing the opportunity to get close to the musicians we came to see, we sat down.
The waitress came up to me and my friend and with a huge attitude said something along the lines of "if you're going to sit here you have to at least order dinner, or you can go somewhere else." And storms away.
Mind you this was the first communication we had with any of the staff, so it was quite chilling to be confronted rudely as if we had personally offended her or had created an intrusion by our presence.
Not a way to treat people who are willing to pay, nevertheless Miami locals.
The way she said it made it seem like she was taking out past experiences with young people out on us, as if we didn't have money to spend or anything to contribute and were somehow taking advantage.
This kind of attitude and confrontation would be understood if anyone had communicated with us about seating/dining rules, yet when we arrived no one communicated ANYTHING to us, leaving room for us to navigate the location freely, based on our wanting to see the musicians up close.
After she storms away, instead of causing a scene I informed my friends who were still standing that for them to join the table we need to order food, since those were the restrictions she placed on our party, otherwise threatening to kick us out despite us just sitting quietly watching the musicians.
We were all happy to order food and so I tried to get the attention of the waitress with my eyes or my hand, yet her anger prevented her from being able to make eye contact with me as she darted across the room angrily avoiding further contact with me, for some odd reason.
So, I flagged down the other waitress who ROLLS HER EYES, and with a visible frown comes up and silently waits for me to speak.
An incredibly hostile, unwelcoming environment .
What is the point of working in this field when your job is to ensure that the customers are on the same page as your business, which is the REASON for having a hostess or waitress.
No, these ladies seemed happy to cater to the older, whiter demographic , as I observed them laughing and chatting away with a super old white guy.
Mind you, I'm not even visibly POC, and I've never felt discriminated against, but these ladies for the first time made me question what it was about me and the group of people I was with to make us deserve that behavior.
I have dark hair , dark eyes and look Hispanic Forsure , and I'm young and dress well. Some of my friends were dressed very causal , it was a super diverse group that you wouldn't be able to tell what our demographic or financial status is.
Which no human being should ever do or assume, yet I felt as if she was assuming that we were there to take advantage when all we did was bring our business , enthusiasm for the music and sat down.
When the other waitress finally comes up to me , I explain to her that we didn't know you had to order food to sit down, and if someone had just communicated with us we would be happy to do whatever it is they wanted. She proceeds to very coldly explain that you have to go up and ask for a table before you sit down. Finally!
Incredible that I had to be threatened to be thrown out and then ignored, and put in my energy to flag down the other waitress to be told what they expect of their customers.
Usually restaurant staff greets consumers and fills them in warmly on their protocol.
Both waitresses were soooo cold. The second was I guess already in the know or on the other waitresses side for whatever personal problem the first waitress had, since even she who I hadn't even communicated with was also angry and bitter for NO REASON.