6 months ago
Responding to yet another excuse of the owner: That seat wasn’t empty, it had a jacket on it the entire time. Expecting a guest to sit there is unreasonable. This feels like deflecting blame rather than addressing the issue. Responding to second respond from the owner: Thank you for the follow-up, but your response continues to misrepresent what happened. I was not standing in a “corner” or any clearly marked “keep clear” area. I was at the bar in plain view. If I was in the wrong spot, your staff should have said something. Instead, I was ignored. Blaming a guest for not “seeking interaction” is not how hospitality works. A basic acknowledgment like eye contact or a simple greeting is the bare minimum. Regardless of shift status, taking or reserving a bar seat next to a standing paying guest without acknowledgment is unprofessional. Perhaps, If I was able to sit there, I won't have to stand at your so-call "Keep clear" area. I mentioned being Asian to describe how the experience felt from my perspective, not to “play a card.” When you’re the only person of your background and are ignored while others are engaged, it stands out. That’s context, not an accusation. Deflecting to “regulars” or dismissing my expectations doesn’t change the fact that I stood at your bar and was ignored. That’s the issue. My original review and first respond to the answer still stands below: I visited last Saturday around 10 PM and unfortunately felt very unwelcome. As the ONLY Asian customer when I visited, the treatment I received felt noticeably different from others around me. None of the staff greeted me when I arrived, and the bartender mostly avoided acknowledging me. They were pretty interactive with others. The only interaction I had was when I ordered a drink. I was standing right next to the only available bar top seat when the same bartender who took my order came out and took the seat himself without even asking if I'd like to seat. While sitting there, he kept his back turned specifically against me while interacting with other customers or his phone. The overall experience left me feeling ignored and excluded. Definitely won't recommend going there if you don't look like locals. Following up on owners's reply below: Your response is unfortunately just as disappointing as the service I received. To set the record straight: The 'Corner': I was not 'standing in a corner.' I was standing directly at the bar’s service area. Your staff had to pass me constantly to get in and out, yet I was completely ignored. There was zero eye contact, no greeting, and not even a simple 'excuse me' as they brushed past. If a guest is invisible while standing right at the bar, that is a failure of your staff’s attentiveness, not a lack of 'interaction' on my part. Professionalism: The fact that the employee had finished his shift doesn't explain why he would leave his seat and use his jacket to 'reserve' it instead of offering the spot to a guest he saw standing right next to him. Furthermore, drinking while 'settling accounts' on a device, whether it’s an Orderboy or a phone looks incredibly unprofessional to any observer. The 'Regulars' Card: The fact that you have Asian regulars is completely irrelevant to my personal experience. Quality service should be extended to every guest equally, regardless of their background or how often they visit. Using long-time customers as a shield to deflect valid criticism from a new guest is a weak argument. Hospitality begins with a simple 'hello.' Expecting a guest to beg for acknowledgment isn’t a 'two-way street', it’s just poor service.
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