tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694070310783877442.post6067806246876580639..comments2023-08-21T05:37:41.978-07:00Comments on The Glamorous Life of A Restaurant Owner / Restaurateur: Screaming and Yelling!Chef John Brandt-Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13482718826372802745noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694070310783877442.post-86174679187268662792011-06-09T09:59:57.193-07:002011-06-09T09:59:57.193-07:00Chef, LOVE the blog and more importantly your hone...Chef, LOVE the blog and more importantly your honesty. It's very hard to walk the tight rope of expression and marketing and hope that this does well for you. <br /><br />We should talk dining room stories sometimes--you know the ones you dare not write about.chef fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06645349105866988591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694070310783877442.post-72164608675907432772011-06-06T16:22:49.991-07:002011-06-06T16:22:49.991-07:00Marmee I am sorry you feel that way and more impor...Marmee I am sorry you feel that way and more importantly I am sorry magazines do not print every part of an interview. Just the quotes that sell. Yeah I said "Groupon sucks" and so does Opentable dining spotlight program. They are Vampires that destroy the integrity of so many restaurants. Unfortunately there are many logistics behind these programs that diners do not know about. And the vast majority of people who use these programs are just looking for a deal. You may be part of a small percentage that we would retain as as an going customer and we thank you for that. But the truth is... that small percentage can't nearly carry the loss the restaurant has to cover. For example Groupon takes 50% of the sale price plus credit card fees. That means a restaurant sells a $50 gift certificate and receives $11.95. It is impossible for the restaurant to recover that loss without restricting the in some deal in some way. Groupon and Opentable do not allow that. I hate to be accused of stereo typing but I have been doing this a long time and I have seen just about every deal that comes down the pike and very few bring in a quality repeat customer. Now I am not saying we don't do value offering. We offer lots of our own promotion through our website and newsletter. But these are own promotion and we are giving up exactly what we offer, not a whole bunch of hidden cost the consumer knows nothing about. I also do Restaurant.com another value added deal that doesn't hide a bunch of fees and solicate coupon clippers. So if you chose to no longer come to my restaurant, I am sorry and your business would be missed. But I think your reasons were very misunderstood and I feel publicly calling me out without better information was unfair!Chef John Brandt-Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13482718826372802745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694070310783877442.post-23851194105831168252011-06-06T11:03:33.965-07:002011-06-06T11:03:33.965-07:00Yes, this was a good story, but I just got around ...Yes, this was a good story, but I just got around to reading your remarks in the April issue of Philadelphia magazine about restaurant coupons and deals on-line. I have dined in your restaurant several times and the food was amazing, but it's good to know that I won't be welcome if I am bearing a coupon for a discount. Stereotyping those who might otherwise have not tried your eatery as only interested in a deal and, therefore, are not "diners" is unfair and quite snobby at the very least. Interesting how you weren't above campaigning for monetary contributions for opening your Downingtown restaurant with promises of special dinners and meals. No,thank you. I hope you and your elite group of "diners" can sustain two restaurants in the Chester County area.marmeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13530637211124756631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6694070310783877442.post-26538853513078637702011-06-02T06:47:53.569-07:002011-06-02T06:47:53.569-07:00In hindsight, communicating your decision not to h...In hindsight, communicating your decision not to honor old gift certificates would have been the way to go, or instructing servers to ask if any gift certificates would be used. That way, customers know up-front where they stand, and whether they want dinner at your restaurant. The guy was obviously an ass, full of himself and need to be smacked down by someone, sometime. Too bad it was you, Pesce. Wrong time, wrong place. But you had no choice. He stormed your kitchen and called you a name. You've created a successful business since then, so forget about it. Good story though!Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10330339153564427785noreply@blogger.com