Would eat at a restaurant that required a $75 p/p cancel fee for New Years Eve in Philly? Buddakan vs other restaurants...
 

We just made reservations at a restaurant in Philly for New Years Eve with our 12 year old daughter but they sent this fax for us to sign and fax back:

"New Years Eve 2006 Credit Authorization" We didn't have to do this 2 years ago. It's pretty harsh...

"Please let this letter serve as my formal written authorization and approval for you to charge the below described credit card for any and all charges and costs associated with the seats that are being held on my behalf during the New Years Eve Celebration as Buddakan. This letter shall constitute my express written permission for you to charge the below listed credit card any charges incurred the day of the event. Furthur I understand that the final count is due 72 hours in advance and that I will be charged a rate of $75 per person for each guest if I fail to cancel by 5pm on Thursday Dec 28, 2006, or if I do not show on Sunday Dec 31 2006"

Wow! What if our kid gets sick on the 29th... We're out $225?! That's nuts. We rarely spend more than $75 for a meal out for the 2 of us as we usually split an entree, appetizer, soups, salad and dessert. Adding our daughter in won't add up to more than $120 for all of us at the most I'm guessing. Do you think the above policy is fair and that we should subject ourselves to it? Usually a place will let you cancel by the evening of the event, but ... 4 days in advance? What if something comes up last minute and we can't go, a family emergency?

Not too happy about this. Maybe we should just book Buddakan for the 29th and find another place for New Years Eve. I doubt they have this policy for the 29th too, right? If so, any suggestions for New Years Eve where it's not a prix fixe expensive deal?

Part 2: We're coming to Philly for 3 nights first staying at the Four Seasons on Dec 29th, then the Marriott Courtyard Downtown the next 2 nights. We ate at Buddakan 2 years ago for New Years and really loved it, eating around 630pm and enjoying the regularly priced menu as opposed to other place with prix fixe inflated extravaganzas. We don't drink nor do we eat a ton of food, so set price menus don't usually work for us. We are early to bedders so it worked out great eating early. We're taking our very picky 12 year old girl with us for the first time to Philly and thought she'd get a kick out of it. The night before we picked D'Angelo as she likes Italian. I hope they can make her a simple Italian pasta with red sauce as she doesn't eat any meat or seafood or eggplant.

The night before is open. She doesn't eat any ethnic really, just pizza, pasta and well, pasta. She likes salad now too and the occasional vegetable. Any suggestions? We wanted to check out Django, Cuba Libre, Matyson and a whole host of other places but there's really nothing on the menu for her.

Thx in advance. I posted this on a food website but they retracted the post. If it's inappropriate here as well, my apologies.

Steve R
Silver Spring MD

steve, yes I would do this.

Obviously no show reservations have been a problem in the past and it really costs restaurants money when people don't show.

They are trying to find out who wants to eat there and who is making tentative reservations 'just in case'.

Yes. I would do this.
If you are not interested, book elsewhere.

I see nothing wrong with the New Year's Eve policy of Buddakan. It's not harsh at all, but rather it gives the restaurant the protection against last-minute cancellations on what is expected to be a sold-out evening.
I would think that any similar-type "worthwhile" establishment would have a similar policy on New Year's Eve.

Stever: With all the wonderful restaurants in Philly to choose from I wouldn't book something I was uncomfortable doing. Have you looked on opentable.com? You can check a lot of menus there. I don't see why your post would be considered inappropriate. I think some regular Philly posters here will come and give you some more ideas.

These are pretty common nowadays at high end restaurants for big nights like NYE and Valentine's Day.

Agree with previous posters. This is par for the course in Chicago on the big celebration days/evenings, as mentioned above.

If you set on taking your "very picky" daughter to this restaurant - maybe they are open for lunch and you can take her there instead of New Year's Eve dinner.
One more thought...if they are charging $75 p/p cancel fee, what is the meal actually going to cost?? You say your rarely spend more than $75 a meal for you and your wife. Are you willing to pay the tab at this place IF you do go? Dinner prices there run $30 -50 normally p/p so you are surely looking at more than that for NY Eve. And will your daughter even find anything to eat if she is that picky?

I'd make plans elsewhere where I didn't have to worry about being charged cancel fee. Philly has so many wonderful places to eat, I wish I had that problem! As always, IMHO.
Debi

Buddakan is great. If they offer the "angry lobster" special, do not miss it.

(And while I despise such demands and generally refuse to comply, NYE is a special case.)

we ran into a similar situation for the first time this year for mother's day brunch. if you don't like it, go somewhere else.

It's pretty much common practice around here..except that they will take your credit number when you make the reservation.

Thx alot for the generous replies and sorry for the miswording in my title leaving out the word "you".

As for the money spent, we usually split a steak, a large salad (they are huge there), a soup or appetizer, a dessert, etc. We rarely order 2 entrees as we don't eat that much. That's why our food is hardly ever $75 per person.

After mulling it over we've decided to book the 29th instead at Buddakan and will have to research for a non-credit card hold place for New Years Eve.

Hmmmm... now that's going to interesting trying to find a good one where our 12 year old picky eater will be happy and there is still an excellent buzz about the place AND doesn't have a "special" New Years menu.

Steve R

Not sure what their NY Eve policy is, but they have great food and music:
WarmDaddy's, great rbis, mac & cheese, fried chicken. http://www.warmdaddys.com/info.htm

Hope this helps...
Debi

Why is it "harsh" for a restaurant to ensure that there won't be any no-shows on NY Eve? You have the option of canceling a few days out. Many people book 2 or 3 places & then decide night of where they prefer to go.

We live in northern NJ, and the restaurant where we go every NY Eve has recently adopted the same policy. It is not unusual.

With that size of a tab, they will be glad you aren't there on NYE. Hope you enjoy the trip!

Good one, starsville. :o)

Well... debitNM - I checked out that menu but I think we better find another Italian restaurant in Philly. She loves Italian.


Suerich68 - I called the policy harsh because it is to me. I can see no cancels within 24 hours, but 72 hours? That's not allowing for a reasonable time period in my book, but that's just me. With a kid involved, it wasn't worth the risk.

We're excited to eat there on the 29th then at Buddakan and hopefully our girl can find something to eat! The caesar salad was delicious last time.

Steve R

Stever,
I can certainly see your point. And you have the option of not booking there.

However, I am in the hotel/restaurant business, and by allowing a 24-hour cancel policy, they will have empty tables on 12/31.

I only have one problem with their agreement.

I can understand the $75 cancellation. However I would not want to authorize "any charges incurred" in advance.

Should there be any surprise or disputed charges, I would not want to have waived my legal rights....just my opinion

<This letter shall constitute my express written permission for you to charge the below listed credit card any charges incurred the day of the event.>

This is quite common for New Year's Eve or Thnksgiving or other holidays - since people make plans so far in advance. If something happens (not THE RESTAURANTS fault) and you don;t show up - it's very unlikely they can use the table for someone else. (And they're really protecting themselves against people who make reservations at 3 or 4 places and don;t decide where to go until the last minute - forcing the others to lose money.)

It really seems fair to me. but - if you don;t like the policy you can go elsewhere.

PS: Why would you even consider taking a 12-year-old girl who's a picky eater out for a $75+ meal?