On Monday, I took my family who was visiting from outside the U.S. to this restaurant. My Israeli friends had recommended the place, and we were excited when we stumbled upon it while walking and discussing breakfast plans. After a short wait, we were seated.

Seating was a bit awkward. The lady at the front was not welcoming or nice but that was okay - at least at the time. Despite several open tables in the main dining area, we were placed in a separate room, right behind the door. We assumed the main room might be reserved, so we didn’t mind. Shortly after, a group of four ladies was seated directly behind us. They became quite loud, and given the size of the room and the many empty tables, we politely asked our waitress if we could move to a quieter spot. She was kind, understanding, and helped us relocate to a table by the window.

We had just placed our drink orders and were looking through the menu when the woman who originally seated us approached. In a surprisingly rude tone, she told us, “You cannot change your table.” I was shocked because this was the first time I’ve ever been spoken to like that in a restaurant, especially one with such a strong reputation.

She went on to explain that switching tables messes up their system, to which I calmly responded that we had asked the waitress, and she said it was okay. Her reply? “They don’t understand how the system works. They’re not in charge. They can’t make that decision.” When I asked who was in charge, she curtly responded, “I am.”

What made the situation even more uncomfortable was the way she spoke to the staff, not just us. She was dismissive and rude to the waitress who had kindly helped us, in front of customers. It was unsettling and frankly unprofessional. No one deserves to be talked to that way, customer or employee.

At that point, we chose not to argue further, but the interaction completely ruined the atmosphere and our motivation to stay. We got up, left and told her that her behavior was very rude. I understand there may be internal processes or frustrations, but this is something that could have been handled with grace and professionalism. A simple backend table update is not worth embarrassing or scolding guests, or your own staff by another staff, over.

If table changes are a serious issue, then staff training, not customer confrontation, is the solution. Teach your team how to handle such requests or clearly communicate table policies beforehand. Guests should never bear the brunt of internal miscommunication.

It genuinely saddens me how poorly we were treated within just 10 minutes of arriving. I was really looking forward to enjoying a special breakfast with my family. Unfortunately, I won’t be returning to any of the locations. I truly hope this feedback helps inspire some training and a greater emphasis on hospitality.