The Assembly Rooms - JD Wetherspoon — Restaurant in Epsom and Ewell

DON’T USE THIS PUB! I visited The Assembly Rooms in Epsom to have dinner. I arrived at about 20:55/21:00, and ordered food on the app at 21:12 to be exact. I then had the manager come over to me at about 21:25 asking me for ID which I didn’t have on me at the time. She said I can take my food boxed up or get a refund and then walked away. When I went inside, I asked for a refund which two other staff members were processing until the assistant manager came along and rudely pushed the food towards me saying I had to take it and go. I politely explained I didn’t wish to have my warm food to takeaway and didn’t ask for this, I came to have warm food on a plate and unfortunately couldn’t due to the policy not being clearly displayed on the premises. I didn’t order alcohol so the need to ID me was questionable however I can understand each franchise have their own rules. My friend and his girlfriend were served their alcoholic drinks and food, yet my friend didn’t provide his ID but was provided with his goods. This is clearly shown on your CCTV as you had view of our table. Apparently you take obligations under the equality act very serious, yet felt the need to take my money not provide the goods I asked for although my male friend was provided goods without being ID’d. I explained to this manager I have a life long disability which doesn’t allow me to walk far distances in which she replied ‘you can just go get it it’s down the road’, when my car was 10minutes away which is assuming I’m the same as every other person. If she has done training in vulnerable people, she should not assume I’m the same as everyone else and can walk these distances at ease. I received disgusting treatment and felt discriminated against due to my disability and sex. I was served my drink past 9pm and not served my food on a plate which I came out for and felt this was unfair. Any other place would refund my money in these circumstances but due to poor training, this staff member failed. As I was not allowed on the premises, my friend decided to finish her drink out the front of the building. The manager then ran out and snatched the jug out of my friends hand and assaulted my friend who is autistic and suffers with BPD which we can prove. Due to poor handling, the jug fell over the lady as she snatched it out her hand. The picture shows it’s down her right leg, not chucked all over her as she claimed, which was down to her assaulting a customer first!! Whetherspoons still allow this disgusting creature to work on their premises disregarding the assault and discrimination. I have attached an image below of the animal who attacked my friend outside of your premises and in the public space which I am allowed to do. Neither is she allowed to follow customers outside of your premises and take it upon herself to retrieve property. I have also attached an image following the assault after the ‘assistant manager’ attacked my friend retrieving the jug and cut her hand. Customer services are disgusting which is reflected upon their reviews, their response had no professionalism and was bias based on the true events of what happened. When speaking to Wetherspoons Epsom themselves, the assistant manager handled my complaint and not the manager running the site. Yet again, poor handling. The man I spoke with based his response on the managers events of what happened which was simply untrue and is reflected on my video evidence or my calm conversation and then surrounding video evidence on your property which shows no abuse was made towards your staff. The reason to decline my refund is still not clear and is based on opinion when I have video evidence proving otherwise. Wouldn’t use this pub in a million years, the fact this manager can’t even manage a Wetherspoons is...

I popped in there yesterday having arranged to meet someone. The side entrances were locked. I made my way to the front, and there, was a security guy guarding the way in. It was 5.30 pm or so, I asked if he was expecting trouble, considering the obvious security. The guy, either misunderstood me or was having a bad day. He decided, to confront me rather aggressively for daring to ask the question! He was very annoyed that I did. I managed to appease him, and told him it was a question not an attack. As I went in I heard him say something but didn't quite catch what so ignored it. I was at the bar moments later waiting to be served, when the guy, highly agitated by then, came to me and said " I told you to remove your cap" I had one on. Given the verbal and body aggression displayed , I asked "why", "it's the rule, either remove it or turn it round", he meant wear it back to front. "Why" I asked, "it's the rule" he muttered. "I don't know what you are talking about" I replied " I have never been asked to take my cap off coming here before". "It's the rule, if you don't, I'll have to take you out" he said. By then he was wagging a pointed finger at me, and that meant a step too far doing his job. I politely asked him to stop pointing and to call a manager as I didn't want this to escalate further. What he wasn't aware of, is that I have been teaching martial arts for 45 years, and I didn't fancy spending the evening at a police station giving explanation as to why the guy was in hospital. So I laughed as he called the manager. In the meantime, the barnan witnessing it all, asked me if I wanted to get a drink as I waited, he wasn't aware of this rule either, we laughed together. Other patrons I could see around me also had caps on, I asked the guy why they were allowed to wear theirs, he had no answer. A young chap standing near, heard it all, he had a cap on, said the guy was equally agressive with him. Point taken. The manager arrived, and explained the rules, this is apparently what they do at weekends, some doors are shut, caps must be worn back to front. But there were no signs anywhere to state this! I then had a choice either swap my cap round or walk out, as a matter of principle, I walked out. I tried to figure out the back to front wearing of a cap, I could find no plausible explanation. But to intimidate some customers with excessive use of power, in words or the threat of physical assaults, both avidly carried out by the eager doorman, isn't conducive to good customer service! Advices to TAR, display rule signs in visible areas and don't employ staff that have obvious mental issues, and certainly to learn to never get aggressive with customers. They are there to relax and have fun, not to be threatened verbally or with violence for something they are not aware of in the first place. Otherwise, it was a good, but short time there. Will I go back? What...

Recently had a £1.3 million "Revamp" (mainly to the kitchen, apparently?). Waste of money! Some things have improved (the extra plugs are cool) but an awful lot has gotten an awful lot worse. The two coffee machines (which badly need replacing) have been pushed together at one end of the pub. This means the area to get coffee is very cramped and you have to wade through a maze of tables to get to it. There's a stupid barrier put up around the machines that crowds people together, which sometimes leads to disagreements & friction between the customers. There are often long queues for coffee as the knackered machines often breakdown. Despite the apparent upgrade to the kitchen, there is no noticeable improvement in the quality of the food or the speed at which it is being served. Often the food arrives cold. By far the worst issue now though is pub has even more of a pack-em-in feel then it did before. There are far too many tables laid out and the tables themselves are too big, as are the new arm chairs. The new atrium at the front only serves to rob the place of even more internal volume (I wonder what the local fire-officers would make of this?) I don't like going in there very much now because it's so cramped. Beer still good & cheap though & the staff, have certainly improved as some of the more 'surly' ones have been replaced by new members, but overall it's not a comfortable or desirable place to be in....