Avanti's Italian Restaurant — Restaurant in Bloomington

We went to enjoy a nice family dinner with my wife & grandsons. I was very disappointed in the changes they have made. You order as soon as you arrive, right there at the front door/greeter! No gathering around at a table to relax and survey the menu. No seeing my little Grandsons look over a menu and decide what to order place themselves to a waitress/waiter politely. The real kicker was not only do we order as soon as we walk in, we pay for it right away & are asked to tip. With the suggestion staring at 18% up to 30% (or maybe it was 28%?). Thinking we would still get a waitress, I tipped $10. Then I find out what happens next. The greeter/order taker gives us all empty cups. We find the fountain drinks way in the back where normally we would see a sign "Workers only". We get our own drinks, straws & napkins. A cook drops off are food and we are never visited by anyone the whole time we are there. We even had to go to the front entry desk to get some take homes boxes. & this was after searching near the kitchen where they had us go for our drinks, napkins & straws. I walk around to find any employee and found no one! I then see some take home boxes on the front door desk and take some. I guess I was allowed to do this?? & these boxes were all very small ones, we had to use several to take home pizza & even then we had to place them on top of each other, so they were stuck together by the time we got home to use something better to store them in. So, as I'm leaving, I'm thinking "why did I tip $10.00?? FOR WHAT?? And why would they ask for a suggested tip 18-28% BEFORE WE ARE SERVED? I thought we tipped on how the meal and service went?? If this is the future of a dining experience, then I will be staying home for dinner a whole lot more, for sure. I if I do go this route, for...

I was eating Avanti's in the late 70s, early 80s in Peoria (original building on Main, across the street from the current building on Main in Peoria) up until current day in Peoria, East Peoria, Bloomington, and Normal. I currently live in Bloomington and used to live in Normal. My kids grew up eating Avanti's. Avanti's food isn't as good as it used to be but it is still worth getting when in the mood for it. Imagine my surprise when my best friend and I (who was with me in the 80s when we went to Avanti's all the time) went to the Bloomington Avanti's today and found ourselves in a long line behind 10 people that didn't move in 10 minutes and saw there is virtually no service. During the pandemic and since if my family wanted Avanti's in Bloomington we would pick it up. This is a nice building and used to be crowded. Was looking forward to dining in today but we left and went to another restaurant. How disappointing! What is going on? Why are other area restaurants running normally but you are not? And your prices are still high even though you are now "self-serve". There is no way I am spending money on what looks like a subpar experience. What you are doing is not working and we won't come back, even for carry out. I don't trust the way this place is being managed. Also, I am always a big tipper but it's insulting to expect a tip with no service. This isn't the...

Had our meal after funeral serves for the family. Room was VERY hot. Air had not been turned on. Told them we would have 50 to 70 people. Room and food set up for 50. We had closer to 60 people for eating. They told us we could sit in main dining room since room wasn't set up for 70. Not only could we not all sit together, one waitress complained to 3 different co-workers about us sitting there. And pointing at us. Said someone was going to be "pissed" because we were there. We could hear AND see everything. The young person in charge came over to the table and we asked about the air and set up. She said they didn't think we would need more than 50 seats. And prepared food for 50. Was not concerned that the room was broiling hot! The waitress complaining about us came over and I told her they said we could sit here. Then I informed her "give the bill to me since I am the one paying". Tried to be sweet then. I guess the people taking care of the main room did great! The people where we were sitting were very RUDE and snotty will...