Bon Ton — Restaurant in Atlanta

Bon Ton Management,

I am writing to formally express my disappointment regarding my dining experience at your establishment on January 25, 2025. This was by far one of the most upsetting and unprofessional experiences I have ever encountered at a restaurant.

My cousin and I arrived for dinner and were met with delays right from the start. After waiting an extended period for our drinks, we stopped a nearby waiter to ask for assistance in locating our server. Rather than helping us, the waiter dismissively stated that he wasn’t our server and questioned why we were asking him for help. This response was rude and entirely uncalled for.

When our food was finally served, my cousin’s dish was visibly burnt. She politely requested a replacement, and the waitress said she needed to consult the manager. However, instead of resolving the issue professionally, the manager approached us with hostility, accusing us of being disruptive before even asking for our side of the story. This accusation was unprofessional and unprovoked. The manager then proceeded to offer an excuse about being short-staffed, stating they had callouts and only one bartender.

To make matters worse, shortly after receiving our food, we were abruptly handed our bills, and the manager, along with two waiters, stood over us, pressuring us to pay and leave. This intimidating behavior was entirely inappropriate. I expressed my concern and stated that I would not pay until I spoke with another manager. At this point, the manager escalated the situation further by threatening to call the police on us.

When we decided to leave, the manager followed us outside, yelling disrespectful remarks and even blocking my car. After waiting over an hour for the police, who never arrived, I sought advice from a detective friend, who instructed me to pay for the appetizer and leave. Upon re-entering the restaurant to resolve the matter, the manager adjusted the bill to $23—something that could have been offered initially as a reasonable resolution to the issue.

This entire experience was unacceptable and reflects poorly on Bon Ton’s customer service standards. I have always been an avid foodie and take pride in enjoying and supporting great dining establishments, but this experience was a complete disappointment. I will not be returning to your restaurant, nor will I recommend it to others.

I hope you take this feedback seriously to ensure no other customers are subjected to such...

The service is not what it should be! They will NEVER get another dime of our money! I’ve been to Bonton approximately 25 times since its opening. My husband works at a nearby hospital, and we go there to get seafood and drinks after he finishes his cases. We usually spend around $200 for our meal, including appetizers and beverages. For the most part, it’s been relatively good—except for a few off nights with thrown-together smoked crab leg scraps meant to impersonate a meal, or times where a server was extremely slow or forgetful.

Today was different. Apparently, if you go there alone, you aren’t worthy of sitting at a table. You must either sit outside at the makeshift patio tables they have placed on the sidewalk and be accosted and harassed by the beggars that frequent the area. The second choice is to sit at the bar and rub elbows (literally) in close quarters with strangers during the new monkeypox outbreak.

Bonton does not think one person deserves to sit at an inside table! Within my zone of vision, I counted at least five empty tables while I was there and I asked to be seated there. The hostess said that since it was just me, my only choices were to go outside or to the bar. Then, her co-worker chimed in and said they were reserving tables for people attending the Chris Rock show at the Fox Theatre. Today is 7/31/22. I understand trying to maximize profits and seating, but it was exactly 5:07 pm, and Chris Rock’s show started at 8 pm. It was only a block away. That’s almost a 3 hr difference. Business logic says that you just don't sacrifice a loyal bird in the hand, for a possible bird in the bush. It's poor business. I'm not saying that you shouldn't honor reservations, all I'm saying is to be reasonable. Three hours is a long time. You can turn that table over three times.

Surely, they could have accommodated one woman’s order for crab legs, a hurricane, and crawfish mac-n-cheese in an hour. I’m willing to bet they probably had multiple no-shows and cancellations. One thing I know for sure is that they will NEVER EVER get our money or the money of anyone that we...

I discovered a METAL SCREW in my fried catfish upon chewing and trying to swallow my food. The screw was cooked into the food making it undetectable to the eye. I scratched my tongue and the inside of my mouth trying to chew and swallow the food as I thought it was a crispy part of the catfish. This was terribly alarming. I immediately returned to the restaurant and calmly asked to speak with the GM or owner.

The GM took my name and contact information and assured me that the owner would be in touch with me on Friday, June 20th. Out of respect, I waited for a call or email… It is now Saturday, June 21st 1:20 pm, and I still have not been contacted, even after sending an email this morning, June 21st, at 9:00am. The lack of accountability and acknowledgement for my suffering is disappointing.

That silence reads loud and clear that this restaurant DOES NOT care. Frankly, it’s unacceptable. It signals a failure in leadership and a disregard for guests' SAFETY and well-being.

When I brought this issue to the GM’s attention in person, her response was not only dismissive but also troubling. She stated, “It’s 10pm—what do you want me to do?” Unfortunately, a life-threatening incident doesn’t work on a schedule! If that screw had been swallowed or caused internal harm, a simple apology or refund would not have sufficed, and honestly, with trauma it has caused, still doesn’t.

Even more disturbing was her admission that she wouldn’t even be able to explain the issue to the cook because he doesn’t speak English. That tells me two things: 1.) She couldn’t possibly communicate the gravity of the situation to him. 2.) There is no way for him to explain how something this irresponsible happened.

That is a serious breakdown in SAFETY, communication, and accountability in your kitchen.

Please note that my interaction with the staff was recorded.

I wanted to give the owner(s) the opportunity to address this directly before escalating to the next steps.

Hopefully, BON TON will take this seriously and respond with the urgency and professionalism this situation warrants and PUT CUSTOMER...