Astro Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Los Angeles

For owner's reference, so staff may be coached to enhance customer experience:

I had a TERRIBLE experience last Saturday 08/31 early morning.

It wasn't bad at all first 2 hours I was there; great customer service by the night crew and waiter. I sat by the round table seat area as I HAD to do some work. I had my laptop with me and mouse (please tell me if there is a written policy against that because I was treated as if there was?)

I came for the first time to Astro Family precisely because I saw that it is a 24/7 restaurant that even is recommended by a source online.

I went and sat and of course I ordered something to eat, breakfast and coffee, spent over $30 total and simply continued working from 2:30 ish until after 5 a.m.

At that point is where I experienced an issue, with the incoming day manager (I believe) María started her shift. She looked at me and not long after the told me I HAD to move and take all my stuff with me because they had to clean the whole area (ok?). I was in a corner table, ate at another table earlier, and mine was completely clean...I was working on my computer. Also, why exactly did I have to move and stand up so it would be cleaned? Do they clean blowing up dust with leafblowers? That's wasn't the case barely a broom and tables wiped, so I was clearly KICKED OUT of the area for no apparent reason. She kicked me out, Maria wanted me gone. I had spent about 2 to 3 hours there and consumed (is that a crime?, is it written I have to dine and dash quickly somewhere? Please explain).

Ok great, I stood up and took my stuff as she KICKED ME OUT that area, it seems she was hoping I would leave the restaurant entirely but didn't, I went to another (remote) corner on the other edge, again not disturbing absolutely no one, not a sound.

I continued doing some work for about 1.5 hour more...waiting for a commitment for which I would leave at 6:30 am I clearly remember, so less than 4 hours total and consumed over $30.

Minding my business, I noticed the additional waitress that was not there earlier in the night, don't have her name but recall "goldish" hair. I noticed she was being a sweetheart basically with two gentlemen two tables from me; constantly checking in on them asking if they needed more coffee and refilling more than once while COMPLETELY ignoring me; I also had a cup of coffee at that point empty.

So I called her asking if she could; barely looked my direction and IGNORED my question and left. Shortly after María came by to tell me, as incredible as it sounds: "WE CAN'T REFILL YOUR COFFEE BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN TOO LONG HERE", and "YOU ARE TAKING UP SPACE as it is a busy weekend"

What? Space from whom exactly at 6:00 am saturday? The other 3 or 4 people in the entire restaurant? From them? Without talking to anyone how exactly am I a disruption!? I was not even charging my laptop because from where they KICKED ME OUT was the only working outlet I ever found there.

Upset, I stated I didn't need the coffee pointing out the absurdity. At this point I felt profiled, discriminated. ONE OF THE WORST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES I HAVE EVER HAD THE DISPLESSURE OF ENCOUNTERING, and these conversations in Spanish being my tongue yet I am clearly fully bilingual and educated, not sure why I was treated this way.

After this experience I directly approached and asked her on my way out where is it written I cannot stay more than 1 or 2 hours? and where is it written on the restaurant's policy I will be MISTREATED, refused service and ignored on simple offers such as coffee refills other customers do receive? I wanted to know if it was written somewhere so it would make sense. Herself, the waitress, and an additional tall employee who appears to be a cook, in a group, "ganged up" on me justifying the mistreatment and me being ignored, refused service I saw others get; stating that I OWED them for staying too long (what?), and the man saying parking lot has a sign that says "no more than 2 hrs" IF I had parked there WHICH I DIDN'T. I threw a $5 bill saying "is this...

As you all know, I love supporting family-owned businesses, especially when I grew up going to this place after church since I was nine [church across the street]. Anyhoo, I woke up this morning and invited my friend to have coffee. I thought of Astros because of the nostalgic value. So I walk in and go sit in a booth. The restaurant was practically empty. The hostess, who, if it is the same person I think of, has been there forever and a day. Walks up to me with the menu. I said I just wanted coffee. She told me I had to buy food to sit at the booth. I said no, thank you, I'll have coffee. I had yet to ask my friend whom I was trying to impress with this place. Needless to say, my friend came in and told me she was thinking of having breakfast. I took out my computer to show her a design I was working on, and the hostess rushed to our table, warning me about being in the booth not buying food and working on my computer. I was annoyed by her rude behavior. I have never been targeted this way, especially at Astros. It was demeaning, but I told her to let me enjoy my coffee. What became more upsetting and apparently clear as we sat there was that we felt profiled, 2 grown middle-aged minority business owners; it's not like we looked unkempt or disheveled. We were just a minority. So, while we sat there trying to move past the uncomfortable atmosphere. We saw people start to trickle in. We noticed the hostess had no problem with them sitting at the booths and ordering coffee. One guy brought out his laptop and set himself up to do him; he was not pressured to buy anything and sat there working on his computer, drinking coffee with no questions asked. Not one of the caucasian people who came in was treated in such a demeaning manner. They were allowed to be in peace, no questions asked; my friend decided against having food because of the earlier scene. I never had my coffee refilled; my friend was brought a cup of water with that IDC energy. The whole visit was a complete disappointment, and it definitely changed my view and memories of this place. When my friend left. I spoke to the hostess and explained that her behavior was unreasonable, and she told me she did nothing wrong. I asked to talk to the owner but was told to wait. I waited a reasonable amount of time and then asked again if he was available. She told me he was on the phone. Then the other waitress informed me I would have to wait a half hour to speak to him. I declined the offer; I had already wasted my time coming here. This is a sad review to leave for a place full of memories for me; so that I am clear, I felt discriminated against and targeted as I have never in my 41 years visiting this place been made to feel less, and my friend sadly felt the same...

I was pressed about ordering food when I was not even given a menu to choose from after sitting down. I had met up with two other people, and they had already been there prior to me arriving and had already ordered food to meet the rigid $15 dollar requirement. The waitress serving our table was overly persistent about me ordering, as if I was not going to order. It reached a point to where it was so rude and absolutely unnecessary. I explained to her that I wasn't given a menu, and even after getting one, she didn't give me enough time to make my decision, I had to tell her that I'm still looking at the menu, and instead of being patient and respecting my wishes to give me more time to order, she looked visibly bothered and gave me a whole speech about how this is a requirement every customer has to abide by, something I already knew because she had already mentioned it like twice to me, and she expanded on how this is her job, she's just following the rules, and she told me she already came to the table three times, even though those times she took the order from my other guests, not me, and didn't even give me a menu until the last time she visited. This persistence honestly could've ended, but she took it a step beyond, and said "ok I'm going to get the manager to talk to you". Like are you kidding me? I just said I needed more time, you barely gave me the menu, and now I have to have management talk to me? This is straight up harassment. And then management came to talk to me to simply ask if I was going to order, she didn't seem persistent at all, which counters the narrative of the waitress that made it seem like there would be dire consequences for her if I didn't order immediately. I told management I needed more time, and she was ok with it and left. I blame the employer for this rigid $15 policy and the management for enforcing it the way they do if the waitresses and waiters think it is ok to harass people and treat them as if they were just there to take up space and not buy anything. This is not a way to create a welcoming environment. This makes me never want to come and eat here again. This was honestly an embarrassing experience, and I could tell it made my guests uncomfortable too by the look on their faces. I didn't want to start issues, or escalate the confrontation further, so I did not say anything right then and there, but judging from the other reviews, this is not an exceptional experience. The burden is on the management and employer to take these reviews seriously, this is not the way to run...