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Maybe... he should do what other restaurants do - limit their reservation slot to 10-20%, and fill the rest with walk-in work.
Of course, if his establishment can't pull in enough walk-in to turn a profit, then he needs to rethink either (a) his business model, (b) his menu, (c) his quality control, or (d) his choice of professions.
My guess - he'll make his fortune on his prepay system, which he sells (then leases) to other restaurants. His restaurant will be the "marketing tool" for his "system".
There is one thing - pre-pay has generally been the forté of burger joints and fast food, which may belie the quality of his establishments.
If he's "destination" enough it'll work. If not... well, I'm sure he'll figure that out.
Me? I'm not in that market.
Even if I had the money - I doubt I'd ever be in that "market."
Frankly, my cooking is better than 99% of restaurants, and I know what went into the food.
Half the times I eat in restaurants I have some form of indigestion. That never happens when I cook.
Oh, and BTW - she's also a CPA and controller for a food service company here in town. Talented woman and taught me a lot.
I still contend he should rething his business model - even IF he goes to a PF format (which has been successful for a number of establishments) it seems he has other issues that need to be addressed... if he's hemorrhaging money from a restaurant, whether it be the Four Seasons or Mickie D's, the issue isn't that his reservations are no-shows, the issue is he's mismanaging his restaurant.
I know that sounds harsh, but I've been in and out of the industry since I was about 14 1/2... Back end *and* front end, up to management... and mainly in dinner houses or resorts. I've watched people tank their "shops", and watched others succeed. If he's in a market that will bear his business model, and he runs it right, he can't lose.
That he is - and has to turn to a PF model - is, to me, a sign that either (a) he's reinventing the Squirrel (an old-school successful restaurant management hardware-software suite) and using his shop to promote it, or (b) he is in the wrong line of work. The more I look at it, I think its a little of both...
Back to the OP question - would I patronize a PF shop? I have. Some are, indeed, stellar. Some are sadly less than. But if a restaurateur relies on it to keep his doors open (rather than using it as a basis for his thematic business model) then I would question why I would want to eat there.
Jan
Same ethical lack, different venue. Equally despicable...
Perhaps, in the end, the dining establishment will move on to being a tapas bar .
I think he's got a different problem... if his margins are so slim that no-shows are affecting his bottom line, maybe he should look into his cost structures or the sizing of his 'establishments' ... or his pricing.
Today, talking to several waitresses in Seattle that are now on the $10 minimum wage thing, I'm find out most are now totally against it. Several have mentioned they used to get bigger tips, free food, and free parking. Now they get a whole lot less and after paying for all their food and even parking (downtown is not cheap) they are actually considering moving out of the city.
meal I ever bought ....... when trying to woo a very
classy lady, between my 2 marriages, I bought the
valentine's day special at the zowie french restaurant
down the road (the Orangery, if you know it), and
including appetizers, wine, chocolate decadence cake
and a handsome tip, the tab came to $470.00
I kid you not.
she was special, but the wrong woman for me... -- j
I have laid down some interesting amounts to dine at the hand of an excellent chef and for great wine. There is a remarkable difference when you do experience real talent in the food being served. My usual everyday wine is a decent average wine, however, when you have the chance to experience a truly great bottle... well, you know it immediately, everything comes together in pure perfection. Nonetheless, there is a price to pay for this exquisite pleasure. If one is seriously interested in a fine dining experience (at least a Michelin star) then you should try it at least once.
Ahhhh, the memory of that wine still remains.
integrity. my dentist charges for no-shows, and has
for at least a decade.
as a dj, I responded to a request to play for a party
on a certain date, at a certain time, at a certain
place. I showed, set up and played -- for *no one.*
this was in the side yard of a social club in a town
of about 25,000 people. I was never paid, nor
thanked -- they just explained that it was a
mistake in their internal communications.
of course, I never returned to that place, but the
expense of packing up, going 19 miles, unpacking
and setting up, playing on time, and then reversing
the process and going home -- with my helper
getting his pay -- was not trivial.
if a food outfit is ready to play for me, I should be
ready to pay.... -- j
Being a business owner, I understand their motivation.
Where is the business's/servers motivation to provide a good meal with and with the correct portion that was charged for. I can understand how the business owners think this is a good idea, but from a consumer point and a reality point, knowing how people really do things in real life not "In Theory", I see the potential for a lot of complaints and cheating.
Paying for a service before its rendered in not a good idea. The receiver of the service rarely get what’s they paid for: i.e..."I got your money.. Now hurry up and get out of here so I can get someone else in here."
I hope this will not happen, but the most unpredictable variable is involved……. Human nature.
That’s just my 0.02 worth.
I suspect that the novelty of this will make going to such restaurants popular with some people - for a while, but that, in the long run, they will not be competitive. What this is doing is adding an additional 'burden' to the decision 'to eat out'. (Like freedomforall, I actually prefer mine own cooking to that of most restaurants.)
Jan
I suppose the food margins in fine dining are thick enough to cover 'diners choice', but isn't alcohol where the big $$$ lives?