My DH and I are friends with a chef who has 3 different upscale restaurants. He tells us stories that you would not believe. For starters:

-Patrons stealing plates, glasses and silverware, salt and pepper shakers (this happens all the time) His
restaurents have a decorator plate, which is not used for actual food, just for place setting. They were designed by a local artist and are unique and quite large. People come in with tote bags and steal them, along with all the other things on a table people seem to think are "gifts".

-After eating a complete meal or drinking a bottle of wine, customers complain and refuse to pay.

-Patrons running out on the check

You really have to know your employees as well. A manager can skim a small fortune off your business, as well as the bartenders. you also have to keep an eye on your buyer/supplier, Tempermental chefs....OMG the list is endless.

Then there are also personnel problems, which may not affect the bottom line directly but affects service...

If you look at it from a different perspective, it is amazing how a restaurant actually runs. The profit margin is very small when you think of the actual cost of what you order.

Also many high priced pasta dishes are not Ronzoni pasta, but artisan hand made pasta. They are made with imported and organic ingredients which cost more. I buy dry pasta in Williams Sonoma, which is imported form a small town in Italy and it's about $12 per pound. I highly doubt the $32 bowl of said pasta is Ronzoni and Ragu.

I think owning and running a restaurant of any kind is the most difficult business to be in. It is a business of sacrifice, blood sweat and tears.

That is why restaurants post their menus outside the door. If it is not in your price range or it does not appeal to you just move on.

Exactly Annabel!

I am appalled and quite shocked to read that grown adults would steal the chargers, flatware and whatnot. It seems so 'Spring Break stealing a beer mug in Margaritaville' to me. Much less the 'diners and dashers'. My word!

Also ekscrunchy brought up my thoughts, it is not inexpensive to buy groceries, especially good fresh produce. I have often thought when purchasing my own how dreadful it must be for restaurants to stay in business when it is costing me that much for just the two of us.

May all of our favorite restaurants thrive and know how happy we are to give them our business! Salute!

I am glad to see you are back, Neopolitan. I missed you very much.

Yesterday, my mum and I had lunch at Les Halles on Park Avenue South.

Two glasses of beer, a giant bottle of water, grilled calamari (shared), ravioli for mum, Rossini burger (avec foie gras and truffles) with frites for me. The bill was 62 bucks with tax. Not bad for VERY good food in a covivial atmosphere (and terrific service) in Manhattan.

Here's a good one. My friend who's a waiter at Pazzo's -- a fairly upscale restaurant here in Naples -- tells me this story. During the slow summer here, they have issued coupons allowing $ 20 off the total bill when two people order two main dishes. So he had a couple come in with the coupon. They each ordered a glass of wine and one entree at $22 to share! That's it. Doug wasn't sure if they would have any discount, so the manager took care of the bill and gave them $10 off. In other words they were paying $12 for their one main course -- or $ 6 each. They threw a tantrum, even though it was clearly printed that the offer was for two entrees. They complained because the restaurant was so busy, they had to wait for a table (no reservation) and that the restaurant had therefore made extra money on the two drinks they "had" to buy while waiting at the bar. The manager tried to explain that he was not obligated to give them even the $10 off but was doing it as a good will gesture. The bottom line -- they signed the credit card slip and wrote a giant 0 in the gratuity slot. The manager asked them if there was something wrong with the service. "No, but we don't like being ripped off" was their reply. So they were unhappy that their meals cost $6 each and wanted them for $1 each, even thought they mentioned that the food was wonderful. Aren't people amazing?

Yes, they are Neopolitan--that is just sad.

You're paying for food and service.

A better question to ask is: Why go to an expensive restaurant if you don't like the prices?

You would not believe the stuff people steal off the tables.

My husband used to have pepper grinders on the tables (his current restaurant is white table cloth, upper end southern/American/steak) and no longer because they all got stolen and the smale wares costs were killing him.

Ditto with wine glasses, plates, KNIVES (omg that is a biggie!), etc.

A good friend of ours who started a restaurant concept that now has 12 of them open, uses the exact same silverware that Outback Steakhouse uses (along with Carrabbas, Bonefish, and all of Outback's other concepts). He does this because the linen companies put all silver discovered in linens in one big bin and give it away to whomever claims the silverware.

He said at least 75% of the silver in the claim bins is the same pattern.

Welcome to my life P.

That sort of thing is very common.

Every time I think I've heard everything, something comes up that just makes me shake my head.

Sorry, but this happens in Portland too and everywhere else. Anyone shop at Whole Foods lately?
If someone can overcharge and get away with it, they are all going to overcharge..from the rent to the small plate to the $8.00 pint of not-quite-ripe rasberries.

Neopolitan, you should paste your story onto the thread entitled "Polite to Split Entree in Paris?" on the Europe board. Everyone replying thinks it is just wonderful and acceptable for a huge family to come into a restaurant and split "plats principals."

Neopolitan ~ absolutely unreal!

GoT ~ I still am amazed with the stolen goods. I think I am going to invent little inexpensive security devices that are invisible so that when these "adults" walk out of the restaurant huge alarms go off and all patrons of the restaurant stand and shake their fingers saying "Tsk, tsk" at them. Then the Law & Order cops can come and haul the embarrassments away to jail.

Must dash now to begin my project!

Kiss, kiss ~Tiff

Here are some weird hotel thefts I know of:

1) The large square coffee table from a lobby...two men picked it up and proceeded out the front door with it. Sharp eyed and suspicious bellmen stopped them!

2) Huge and beautiful orchid from elevator landing table. Guest walked right past the front desk carrying it, and it truly was huge. Stopped again.

3) Light bulbs from guest room lamps. (Long life expensive bulbs)

4) Batteries from TV remotes.

5) Decorative throws from the foot of the beds.

These are in addition to the "normal" bath mat/towel/washcloth losses. There's a reason artwork is screwed to the wall!!

Neopolitan...that type of story is very common. What I dont get is why restaurant owners/managers actually give in to these types of people. Do the owners actually want these idiots back in their restaurants a second time???? If the owners would stop giving in, these idiots would go away and go back to eating at mcdonalds.

I agree Dude.

It's the grocery store coupon mentality.

Frank -

I think you're operating under several misconceptins.

When you pay $32 for a plate of pasta in a fine restaurant you're not getting the kind that was made in Italy 6 months ago put in a box, got stale and was bought last week in cheap charley's supermarket.

You're getting real pasta - made by an actual check in the restaurant on the day.

If you can't tell the difference between the two - or don't care - then stick with your kitchen or the micro-nuked all you can eat at Olive Garden.

We should each do what makes up happy- and spend our money on what WE value.

As for restaurants - they are not high percentage profit businesses - that's why so many of them fail. Unfortunately the ones that are most profitable - the mall chains - are the ones with some of the worst food.

thedude, the reason they give in is because in their mind, these people are convinced the restaurant is trying to rip them off.

They'll leave unhappy and tell 50 people how they got ripped off by the uncouth people at xyz restaurant who in turn will tell more people.

Those two people can do more harm to a restaurant's reputation than I care to think.

Anyone remember the chain steakhouse story of how someone ended up in the hospital because a disgruntled line cook urinated on someone's steak they sent back?

It is an untrue story (www.Snopes.com) but it did millions of dollars in damage to the several chains it was associated with in sales decreases and stock prices.

Word of mouth has and can easily destroy a restaurant for absolutely no reason.

gtravel,

Your point is very valid and I completely understand. But at the same time I believe these types make a career out of episdoes like this or even worse, returning food after its almost completely consumed and asking for a free meal. I cant stand people like this. And I'm not even in the restaurant business. Guess I just felt like venting.

thedude and GoTravel -- a friend of mine managed a restaurant for awhile and told me a story about a woman who ate an entire steak, complained it was awful, and demanded the entire check comped. The she came back the next night. I said I probably would have slashed her tires; my friend said, "That's why you don't manage a restaurant." It's amazing how some people take advantage of the goodwill policies!

thedude, I totally understand your point and believe me, I am extremely frustrated but there is little I can do.

Some people will not be happy no matter what you do.

On the flip side, the people who chose to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversay, or a rehearsal dinner, or wedding reception, or other such special occaision that give you heartfelt thank yous for making their day so much more special make up for the a$$holes tenfold.

Rent. Taxes. Payroll. That's why a meal costs a lot more in Manhatten than in French Lick, Indiana. If you want $5.75 pasta in New York City, try the Bronx.