DOV Industry View

[nwyles]

It is Sunday morning, the morning after SATURDAY NIGHT. Crazy busy.

I did a quick little math of 2004 vs 2005 Dine Out. As of Friday, we had matched our 2004 volume and $$ and we still had six days to go. It has been very successful for us in every way. The volume has been a little staggering. I am on the phone from the moment I step in the restaurant until I leave ( ok, until about 11:00 P.M. - I leave at 2:00 a.m. - can you get brain tumors from having the cordless phone next to your head all day ) I should have just recorded a simple one word message for Saturday night - No ! - Do you....No ! - Can we...No! If I just come down......No !

I had a post shift with a couple of servers and although there were a couple of "exact change" tables, they agreed that sometimes that happens and it just stands out during Dine Out. By the end of the night, the cooks were not even able to string words together they were so tired. The kitchen looked like a battlezone and they knew there was no second crew coming in to clean it so they just got down to it.

All in all, the staff have responded very well. I had a couple of servers wonder why I was punishing them by making them fold all of the napkins we could after shift on Friday night. It would seem that they could not think past the next five minutes and it was beyond them to think that Saturday night would be busy. It seemed really clear to me as I was telling them that Saturday night would have 100 more reservations than the night they just did. All I got was blank stares, which is the natural state of being for a couple of them.

If the next few days remain as strong as they look in the book right now, without any major snowstorms or floods, we stand to have a 100 % increase in our Dine Out volume over last year. I think that that is amazing as last year was very good for us. Would I do this again ? Yes. would I want to make any changes ? Yes, but that is for another post. Will it fall on deaf ears - I do not think so as the folks at Tourism Vancouver are egullet lurkers !! Take it from me, you never know who is reading your stuff !

[Viola da gamba]

I agree with Andrew as these people create a negative impression for those of us with legitimate allergies.

And it is only because of great chefs like Neil that I can dine out as often as I do without worrying!  I really appreciate it! 

Thank you!

Eric

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Hear, hear! I have a couple of bizarre allergies - fermented peppers (bye bye tabasco and similar hot sauces ) & walnuts/pecans. No, I'm not going to die if I eat them, but I will suffer some really unpleasant effects at around 2 o'clock in the morning - and yes, I underwent the full skin-testing thing (oh that was a fun 24 hours) to find this out. So yes - I do accept food allergies exist and yes - I too really appreciate going places where the restaurant not only takes note, but takes pride in being able to accommodate any such mention. But any bonehead who makes a reservation and then states just as they're ordering that "oh, by the way" - should be shot. Or made to wash dishes. Or have all their tastebuds removed & be forced to eat soft tofu for the rest of their lives.

Don't get me started on the restaurant at Butchart Gardens.

[eatrustic]

Tim Pawsey in today's (Feb. 2) Courier talks about DOV issues as well., echoing much of what has been said here. One restaurant had 40 no-shows one evening (he didn't say who)! That beats La Gavroche's 25.... Sick!

[Daddy-A]

There was an item on the CKWX News (1130 on the AM dial) at around 3:30pm today (Wed. Feb 2) about DOV, and the problems some restaurants were having with customers ... phantom reservations, poor tipping, hot water & lemon.

Sounds like they lifted the story from a certain web site.

A.

[nwyles]

There was an item on the CKWX News (1130 on the AM dial) at around 3:30pm today (Wed. Feb 2) about DOV, and the problems some restaurants were having with customers ... phantom reservations, poor tipping, hot water & lemon.

Sounds like they lifted the story from a certain web site.

A.

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"You never know who is reading your stuff !" - nwyles, Jan 2005

[Irishgirl]

That being said, Vancity is awash with picky eaters who claim allergic status. They outright lie. They're often referred to as a bullshit allergies. With modern POS systems, servers will even type in on their bill to the kitchen, "no garlic - bullshit allergy".

These folks are usually easy to spot and should be drawn and quartered, slapped on a rack and served as a special.

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On Friday night the FOH Manager comes into the Kitchen and says to me:

"I've got a list of allergies for the woman on table 46. What can we do for her?"

These "allergies" included onions, sometimes garlic, celery, cucumbers, bell peppers and Black pepper.

I said to him...."Do these people ever THINK about phoning ahead? I'd love to do something nice for her...but now I'm limited by her own thoughtlessness. All we're offering is the dine out menu...that's all the prep we have!"

He says: "Apparently she did phone ahead."

So I proceed to make this woman something that she CAN eat, meanwhile giving the manager SHIT for not informing the kitchen earlier.

Obviously he took his chastisement to heart, because he tried to track down the person who took the reservation and give them shit......only to tell me that the woman never had a reservation in the first place and didn't phone ahead at all.

THIS IS WHEN I GET REALLY ANNOYED WITH VANCOUVER DINERS!

I know that there are many of you that are considerate etc....but how come it's these freaks that I seem to encounter every 3 days!

Sorry....venting isn't my thing....but I started reading this thread and got annoyed all over again.

[Jeffy Boy]

"I've got a list of allergies for the woman on table 46.  What can we do for her?"

These "allergies" included onions, sometimes garlic, celery, cucumbers, bell peppers and Black pepper.

I said to him...."Do these people ever THINK about phoning ahead?  I'd love to do something nice for her...but now I'm limited by her own thoughtlessness.  All we're offering is the dine out menu...that's all the prep we have!"

He says: "Apparently she did phone ahead."

So I proceed to make this woman something that she CAN eat, meanwhile giving the manager SHIT for not informing the kitchen earlier.

Obviously he took his chastisement to heart, because he tried to track down the person who took the reservation and give them shit......only to tell me that the woman never had a reservation in the first place and didn't phone ahead at all.

THIS IS WHEN I GET REALLY ANNOYED WITH VANCOUVER DINERS!

I know that there are many of you that are considerate etc....but how come it's these freaks that I seem to encounter every 3 days!

Sorry....venting isn't my thing....but I started reading this thread and got annoyed all over again.

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So how did she enjoy the onion-garlic-celery-cucumber-bell pepper-black pepper salad?

[Irishgirl]

"I've got a list of allergies for the woman on table 46.  What can we do for her?"

These "allergies" included onions, sometimes garlic, celery, cucumbers, bell peppers and Black pepper.

I said to him...."Do these people ever THINK about phoning ahead?  I'd love to do something nice for her...but now I'm limited by her own thoughtlessness.  All we're offering is the dine out menu...that's all the prep we have!"

He says: "Apparently she did phone ahead."

So I proceed to make this woman something that she CAN eat, meanwhile giving the manager SHIT for not informing the kitchen earlier.

Obviously he took his chastisement to heart, because he tried to track down the person who took the reservation and give them shit......only to tell me that the woman never had a reservation in the first place and didn't phone ahead at all.

THIS IS WHEN I GET REALLY ANNOYED WITH VANCOUVER DINERS!

I know that there are many of you that are considerate etc....but how come it's these freaks that I seem to encounter every 3 days!

Sorry....venting isn't my thing....but I started reading this thread and got annoyed all over again.

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So how did she enjoy the onion-garlic-celery-cucumber-bell pepper-black pepper salad?

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Ah...but you see, I had already put out her food when the manager came back and told me about the non-reservation.

Personally my favourite part was "sometimes garlic"! How can you be allergic to garlic sometimes?

I also had someone tell me this week that they were allergic to wheat, but that they could eat soy sauce. 99% of soy sauces out there are made with wheat....And anybody who is truly allergic to wheat knows that.

Most chefs out there take the time to know their stuff about food. We are happy to prepare something for people who have legitimate allergies.....or even for people who phone ahead and let us know that they have diet "restrictions"...no problem.

But for those that don't know: Stocks are always made with onions, garlic and celery....so if you have a true allergy to any of these items....phone ahead, and then we can make your risotto without....and your sauce etc.....

Sorry to sound preachy....

[transfattyacid]

as Yoda would say (he would have been an awesome hostess).

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host surely , but not in yaletown he hasn`t the required amount of teeth.

helpusobiwanyourouronlyhope

[Viola da gamba]

Personally my favourite part was "sometimes garlic"!  How can you be allergic to garlic sometimes?

Oh word. Or the people who insist they're allergic to garlic but take garlic pills. Bleh.

Sorry Arne - waaaaay, waaaay OT, I know.

[Andrew Morrison]

At least you don't have this job.