The Stand — Restaurant in New York

WARNING: POISONED DRINK AND WRANGLED BY MANAGER

It’s taken me a while to write this (mostly out of fear and I had to recollect as much as possible from others during the seizure), but am only putting this out here to warn others about the restaurant and the manager herself.

It wasn’t a raucous night and was meant to be a special family night to celebrate my partner returning from deployment, so before anybody assumes it was a girls night to get hammered, all I had was steak and a single drink.

Half an hour after the show started, I started feeling dizzy and nauseous. I went to the toilet on my own, not wanting to ruin the night for anyone. I managed to purge most of my stomach and once I felt good enough, I went back down to my table. But the moment I sat back down to join my family, I started feeling a cold sweat and was starting to feel limp in my upper body. Mind you, I wasn’t drunk or tipsy - I had finished my drink half an hour earlier and only had water after, and could recall every comic’s subpar joke after. My partner asked if I needed fresh air, to which I agreed.

While walking out, I felt faint and collapsed to the ground. With my eyes wide open and lying on the ground, my partner realised I was having a seizure and immediately hoisted me out and carried me through the crowd. He tried to get me to safety, and when I regained consciousness I begged him to let me use the toilet to throw up. He carried me to the toilet, to which the manager tried to stop him.

She told him “incapacitated people are not allowed back into the show”, to which he responded “we’re not planning on going back in” out of shock. She then realised he was bringing me to the toilet, where she then shouted at him “no, you’re not puking in my toilet!”

Apparently she tried to grab me while I was still limp over his shoulder, and he caught her arm to stop her. He then called security to try and mitigate the situation. By then, I was in the toilet retching my guts out. My mother had to stand between me and the manager to stop her from attacking me while I was trying to not choke on vomit.

Thankfully 2 other guests who happened to be doctors were attending the show, and came to check in and see if I was okay. How are guests more empathetic and aware that this was a medical emergency? Why was the manager trying to wrestle an unconscious person? Why were my loved ones disrespected and treated with such indecency? We paid for $90 tickets, $230 dinner, and drinks. Even while my partner was trying to carry me and get me to a hospital, a waiter stopped him to ask him to top up an additional $32 for the extra mojito he had. Seriously? We had already signed more than $300 before I even fainted, and they’re worried we wanted to schlep them for $30?

The doctor said there was likely an improper preparation or substance in the drink and not the food, and it looks like I’m not the only person who has experienced this. Check the other review before it disappears - Mae Neil, the manager, got people to put up a fake review of what a great person she was, just to hide the bad reviews of hers. Just search “Mae” or “manager” in the reviews and it’ll pop up worse experiences.

Overall very disappointing and heartbreaking (as we were really looking forward to it), and am just glad I was safely take care of by my...

I purchased tickets and brought my out-of-state cousins to a comedy show at the Stand on Monday, 7/26. The bartenders were a joy, the drinks were great, the server of our table was attentive, and the comedic talent was awesome. Everything was good with the exception of our interaction with the seating facilitator. My family and I arrived early and the hostess directed us to the bar; mentioning that she would notify us when our table was ready. As a line toward seating formed behind us, I followed up with the hostess a few times asking her "should we line up as well?" I believe that it was on the second or third follow-up that the hostess confirmed for my party to close out from the bar and head to our seats. The seating facilitator (I didn't get her name) lead us to a table right in front of where some of the camera crew were stationed with their equipment. My party and I were in agreement that the table was too cramped and one of my cousins even mentioned that he didn't want to be seated within the personal space of the camera persons. I requested the facilitator for my party to be seated at one of the other empty tables. The facilitator then mentioned that she wouldn't be able to do so because she was more concerned about filling the seats in a way that was most befitting for the camera crew to film a full audience. I went back and forth with the facilitator and mentioned to her that I purchased the tickets and followed up with the hostess multiple times on when my party should head toward our seats, and expressed how uncomfortable my party and I would be at this table. The facilitator didn't let up for another 5-10 minutes until another staff member said to her "it doesn't matter to me," which was when she finally lead us to another table that wasn't physically less than an inch away from a busy camera crew. Note: I have sat in on multiple paid audiences in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and I've experienced less stress from facilitators during those times. Even then I am accustomed to taking directives as I was getting paid during filming. As someone who was born and raised here, has frequented recorded events and has worked in the hospitality industry within the city, I can confirm that it is never appropriate for a NYC venue to mistreat paying customers the way that this facilitator did so to my party that evening. It was as if she believed that she was doing us a favor because the event was being filmed, when in actuality we wouldn't have even been there had I not paid the venue for our tickets. If a venue has a concern about filming and needs to fill a table that may be undesirable, then it needs to budget in paid audience members. I will never bring my...

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I attended an event at your establishment tonight with my mother and fiancé, and while the venue itself is beautiful and several staff members were attentive and kind, I feel compelled to share a concerning experience regarding the management during a medical incident involving my fiancé. About an hour into the show, my fiancé became unwell shortly after returning from the restroom. Given her condition, I suggested stepping outside for some fresh air. Tragically, she fainted within moments, falling onto other patrons. Fortunately, several audience members, who happened to be medical professionals, quickly came to assist us. As we were helping her, we needed to return to the entrance so she could use the restroom. It was at this time that I encountered Manager Mae Neil. Despite my fiancé’s clear need for assistance, Ms. Neil informed me that "incapacitated people can’t go back inside the show." I attempted to explain that we did not intend to re-enter but were simply ensuring my fiancé’s well-being. To my dismay, Ms. Neil insisted that my fiancé was not permitted to use the restroom, suggesting that it was evident she needed to vomit. When we reached the women’s restroom, Ms. Neil attempted to intervene physically by reaching around me to pull my fiancé back, which I had to prevent. My mother was in front of the stall, trying to support my fiancé during a clearly distressing time. Despite my assurances that we would handle any mess, Ms. Neil continued to disregard our situation, demonstrating a lack of compassion and professionalism. This incident escalated to the point where I reached out to a staff member, who kindly called security for assistance. To my surprise, security was already present in the restroom, indicating a serious miscalculation in understanding the situation. What concerns me most is that this was a medical emergency requiring sensitive handling, and Ms. Neil exhibited a concerning lack of inquiry or concern. This is particularly troubling given that the calamari we ordered was initially misprepared with shellfish, which raised allergy concerns for us. After addressing this, my fiancé soon experienced her distress. While I would recommend this venue due to the beauty and the attentiveness of staff members like Brenda (or Karla) and Mike Figs—who went above and beyond in their efforts to ensure our comfort—I urge the management to provide further training for Ms. Neil on how to address medical emergencies. Asking the appropriate questions and demonstrating empathy could significantly enhance the overall experience for all patrons. Thank you for...