So, I think I started a movement. Now, clearly I'm not talking about some huge significant movement which creates picketing, rioting or, you know, the typical looting that comes; but I may have single handedly brought down a local pizza establishment.
Let me rewind for you. Bear with me, folks, this is going to a bit long winded, so here's hoping that all 10 8, okay maybe five of you stick with it until the end! It all starts with a T-Ball game...
This t-ball season has been plagued by rain. Seriously, this poor team has hardly had the opportunity to practice, let alone play a full season worth of games. Because of the constant H20, the Sand Gnats (yea, that's really our team name - go fighting fleas!), made up a game yesterday evening. Being that the game ended well after 7:00 p.m., there is no way I was cooking dinner afterwards! We were a hungry bunch, so we headed out to a local pizza buffet, one which will not be named in this post. Hotty McHubster and I ordered dishes off the menu and ordered said buffet for B and A. Now, I should preface this story by stating that this particular establishment very staunchly opposes buffet sharing of any kind. Seriously - signs EVERYWHERE. I get it - one should only eat the food they pay for!
So here we are, kiddos enjoying their pizza, H.M.H. and I enjoying our calzone and nachos. All around great family night. Seriously, does it get much more Americana than Friday night baseball and pizza?! B asked for another slice of pizza, so I take her back up to the buffet for more food. On the way back to our table, I see the manager of the restaurant talking to H.M.H, and just naturally assume she's clearing away plates and chatting. As I get closer and can pick up the conversation, I hear her ask "My owner wants to know how many of those slices of pizza you're going to pay for!" Understandably confused, I ask her what's going on. She proceeds to accuse us of eating pizza off the buffet when the restaurant clearly states that no sharing is allowed.
At this point I am utterly confused. As it turns out, while taking B up for more food, A offered Brad a bite of his own pizza. Now, what parent is going to turn down an offer from their three year old to share? I mean, as a parent, isn't sharing a core principle we teach our children? It's not as if Brad was ACTUALLY sharing Aiden's food - it was a SINGLE.BITE. The manager then waves her hand at Brooke's plate of half-eaten pizza. I explain to her that Brooke eats only the toppings, ergo the pizza being half eaten (let me tell you, it was three small pieces of abandoned pizza, not a mass amount of food we're talking about here!). She doesn't care and holds firm that we are stealing from this restaurant. Mind you, this was at our table in full view of other restaurant patrons!
Now, I am mad. Not just mad - seething - here we are, accused of being thieves, not only in front of other people, but our three-year-old twins, who have no idea what's going on! I tell this manager that we are long-time patrons of said establishment, that we frequently order carryout and delivery, as well as dining in, but no longer will they receive any of our business. Manager shrugs her shoulders and says "good." I shuffle the kiddos out the door while Brad asks to speak with the owner of the restaurant in private.
Here's where the story gets REALLY good, my friends, so kudos to you for having stuck around this long! The owner comes around from the back of the restaurant, looks at Brad and says, "What you got?!" The manager, meanwhile, is standing next to her, snapping her towel, hopping foot to foot and ads, "Bring it on! I've had one bad-ass week!" Yes, this really.happened. Brad asks to speak with the owner privately so as to not cause a bigger scene than has already been caused. The owner refuses and continues to accuse our family of stealing from the restaurant. Clearly, this situation was going no where, so Brad throws up his hands and leaves.
By now, I have the kids buckled in the car. The owner follows Brad to the car, cursing and yelling at him, and screams at us, "You know what? You are not ever welcome back here ever again!" Meanwhile, the kids are in the back seat, confused, scared and, let's be honest, still hungry! B looks at me and says sadly, "But, Mommy, I wasn't done with my pizza!" Yea- try explaining that situation to a three year old! This whole confrontation took place over the course of probably no longer than 5-6 minutes.
Now, you must understand, I am a bit of a social media junkie. Admittedly, I utilize Facebook probably 10 times a day. I'm a recruiter - I search candidates to see how they present themselves via social media. Heck, I've even been a guest lecturer at a local college, speaking to students about their social media presence and online image! So after this whole event took place, you can bet I was going to publicize this! I am a member of a local Facebook page for our area. This page has about 20,000 followers and is set up as a place for area residents to post reviews, ask questions and converse about topics related to events in the area. Five minutes after I posted a synopsis about what had happened earlier in the evening, 25 people had commented. Five hours later, there were 350 comments. As I sit here typing this post, that number is nearing 800. Many of those comments are supporting our decision to publicly post what happened to us and relate their own bad tales from this restaurant. Some, of course, are bashing us and accusing of of theft. Oh, and then there was the owner who posted and accused H.M.H of raising his fists and coming at her. Seriously, that was an actual post from her (deleted within a few hours after I threatened to a libel suit). Another local business owner even offered our family a meal on the house to show that not all local business owners treat their customers so poorly.
Doesn't this whole story sound crazy? The whole situation is just that - CRAZY! I cannot believe the situation happened in the first place, let alone the response that has been received because of it. Residents of our area - lots of them -are now boycotting this restaurant which, I believe, was struggling already. While this was not my intended outcome and I don't want to gloat, it just goes to show you: while the customer is not always right, no business owner should EVER EVER treat patrons the way we were treated, ESPECIALLY in front of our children! So, anyone looking to buy a pizza buffet?!
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