A tale of three restaurants. Nadia and I very often check out a new restaurant by dropping in for a glass of wine. It is opportunity to check ambience, service, and prices. I always explain to the waiter we have already eaten but will visit again. On each occasion during July all restaurants were busy and making up for the famine months. God bless them, the meals weren’t cheap. We call it making hay whilst the sun shines.
Restaurant 1. From one waiter at least there was a friendly welcome and service, good price and a complementary bowl of olives. The views were spectacular and the price very reasonable. We weren’t made to feel unwanted because of the paucity of our order that night.
Restaurant 2. Waiters were harassed and showing it. With all the time in the world we took an unused table. Moments later, we got up to move to another section and the waiter ran after us to implore us to stay.
We did so and then, having explained we had already eaten and on this occasion a bottle of wine and two glasses would be fine, he was sniffily dismissive. He directed us to a small bare wooden table with rudimentary chairs. We two experienced at first hand price-apartheid. It was like being told to use the tradesman‘s entrance.
Restaurant 3. The restaurant wasn’t busy so a couple of wine drinkers would at least have the advantage of showing someone liked the restaurant. Fail! They don’t serve wine on its own; a meal has to be ordered.
In such cases we two could be worth a lot of future custom. When we (and you) are treated well we take friends, associates, we recommend, and we do so over and over again. Such a dry-run visit is a golden opportunity for a restaurant owner to welcome newcomers, become friends, and find out a little about the clients and to set out his stall.
In fact we habitually dine with friends every Sunday. Our party numbers six and our total spend is about €80 x 12 months = €960. Profits: About €850.
Guess which of the three restaurants mentioned will be potentially profiting from our custom in the future. Now you know where the term ‘dumb waiter comes from. One could be philosophical and say well, if they had any brains they wouldn’t be waiters. That could get me shot by the Bolsheviks so I will keep my mouth closed.
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