I just arrived home from dinner at Bennigan’s in Columbia, Maryland. It is my wife’s birthday–yes, a big one–and we were celebrating with family and friends. I received quite a bit of teasing during dinner…the restaurant wasn’t up to snuff with either the quality of food or the service, and I was expected to blog our experience. After I ate, I even returned to our car to pick up my wireless PDA, just in case I could log this article while still in the restaurant.
We arrived at 6:00 P.M., and we were seated a bit after 7:00. Our meals weren’t served until a few minutes before 8:00. I realize that we arrived on a Saturday evening, but the restaurant was largely unoccupied. Some of our party thought that the wait staff could have been short handed, but I thought that there were plenty of servers running with meals and trays. Even if the restaurant were short a hand or two, how could the manager have let that happen on busiest evening of the week?
Our waitress was surly and a bit impolite, noticeably to my wife, the birthday girl. Our server was polite to me, but I may have looked like one of the people likely to pay the check.
Our meals were served well past their serve-by times and our table went largely unattended. None of the fou meals that should have sizzled were even remotely hot. All but one of us received cold french fries, and our drink glasses were often empty.
But worst of all, I again received the greatest insult a restaurant can throw: our check included a 15% gratuity. I was a server in my earlier days, and I know how hard it is to work in the service industry, but please, do not assume that group of well-dressed adults with teenage children will stiff you, when it comes to a gratuity. I leave a gratuity of 30-50%; however, whenever I see the gratuity assumed on the bill, I respect it. It’s the server who suffered in this instance, although she deserved it; her service matched the quality of the food. But had the gratuity not been assumed, I would have left at least 30%.
To the manager:
Demonstrate leadership. Teach the three greeters to welcome guests. Consider offering drinks or snacks in the waiting area, especially when the anticipated wait approaches an hour. These don’t have to be complimentary, we acknowledge that you are responsible to make money for the owner.
Teach the servers to say "Thank you" and "How may I serve you," rather than, "What would you like?"
Most of all, under now circumstances allow a dinner party to wait 45 minutes for their appetizers. No restaurant is so busy that you can’t whip up a few buffalo wings in 10 minutes.
When you have improved the quality of food and service at your restaurant, drop a comment to this article. I’ll come back, but not until then!
When I first arrived in MD and moved to Ellicott City I tried Bennigans too, it is only a block away from my house. I was disappointed with the foood, but more so with the restroom. If its one thing I hate it is a dirty restroom in a supposedly ‘nice’ restaurant. If the bathroom is dirty what does that say about the kitchen? So, that does it for me I won’t eat there again. Now, before I order food I will check out the restroom and if its not up to par, I’m gone.