Came in on a Wednesday morning at about 10am to meet with a client and have breakfast. I asked the hostess for a corner booth in order to be away from the regular clientele and not bother anyone, and was totally transparent that we would have our meeting and likely not need a lot, but we would tip well. The pretty simple request for a specific booth was greeted with a lot of concern by the hostess. When my clients arrived, all three of us ordered breakfast and had a great conversation over our meal. I had another client I was hoping to meet with in the same location since it was central to us, and I was conducting business on the road. When my second client arrived, a different person whom I had not seen before came over to the table. She was openly hostile and extremely aggressive. Without any preamble, she interrupted a conversation in progress by loudly stating: “YOU CANT JUST CONDUCT BUSINESS HERE” at the top of her lungs. At this point it was about 12 noon, and the breakfast crowd was almost all gone. I looked up and said, “oh I’m sorry, my friends just left after having breakfast, but I was hoping to stay with my other friend and have lunch.” She stated (at the same volume in the same aggressive tone): “BUT YOU JUST ATE!” My client was equally flabbergasted, but she rallied and stated she had not eaten and would love a menu. The woman then said “THAT ISN'T THE POINT. YOU HAVE BEEN HERE FOR HOURS. YOU CANT JUST STAY HERE AND DO MEETINGS. YOU NEED TO GO RENT A BUSINESS SPACE SOMEWHERE.” Then she looked at my credit card on the table with my receipt and yelled that they don’t take them and stormed off. I went to their on-site ATM for cash. When I returned my client let me know that she and another waitperson were loudly abusing me for coming there while I was away from the table. When I paid the bill, I asked where the kind hostess was. She was the one who sat me, took my order with my first clients, brought it to the table and refilled our coffee, then bussed our plates. She was gone after the morning rush and I was informed that the incredibly aggressive woman was my waitress. I paid the bill- with a tip for time I had spent at the table- and left to find another location with my client. A couple of things :
I worked in waitressing before graduating into my career field of finance. I was fully prepared to tip on my time at the table as she could not turn the table to another customer while I was there.
I have never in all my life seen a person in food service treat a paying customer the way this woman treated me, in front of another person who also wanted to be a paying customer. I fully intended to eat there twice and tip well both times, and rather than allow us to do that and be elated we were bringing in more business, she was aggressively policing my calorie intake in an effort to kick us out.
She essentially accused us of squatting in her restaurant, when both I and my clients ordered food, were polite, and tipped well. The only difference between myself and her other customers that morning was that I was not from Phelps, and that I was wearing a suit and had a notebook. Apparently, that is a huge problem at this place.
4.Across the street was a garden center that caught my eye and that of my second client. Her abusive behavior cost not only her business, but the garden center too, since we had to relocate somewhere else.
It is in fact quite common practice to conduct business meetings over a meal. During the pandemic many many many restaurants- esp family owned ones- closed due to financial hardship. The way this woman treated us is even more unbelievable in light of that, and in light of the fact that I suspected all along she was the actual OWNER of the place. We are just now seeing restaurants get back to prepandemic business and this woman essentially verbally assaulted us out and ensured we would never come back. IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS PERSON STAY FAR FAR AWAY. All but the brunette hostess were horrible, and the food in no way justifies...
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