On Friday evening I called Mix Kitchen a new restaurant in town by Chef Ray Bear, to make a reservation. The phone rang for quite some time and then went to voice mail. I thought, “Ok, I will leave a message with my reservation information and they will call back to confirm.” I headed out for the evening, thinking the restaurant would call back to confirm. However, the next morning there had not been a phone call and no message had been left. Therefore, I called again on Saturday to try again to make the reservation. This time I did get a person on the phone. I asked if a reservation had been made under my name. She told me there has been no reservation made for Sunday night. She also told me that they were very busy and she would have to check to see if they had an opening for Sunday evening. I waited for about another 3 minutes and the hostess returned to the phone and asked if I could call back in half-hour. Who tells a potential customer to call back in half an hour?
Needless to say I made another reservation at another restaurant for Sunday night. This restaurant just recently opened. This chef is trying to restore his reputation. I would hope that if I had my own business that one of my staff members would not turn away a potential customer.
The restaurant business can be very difficult and many restaurants do not succeed. I know if I go to a restaurant and experience bad service, I may not return. In this case I received terrible service without even setting my foot in the door. I find this unacceptable and I wonder how many other people have ever had the same experience when trying to make a reservation at this restaurant? I hope other people were treated better than I was.
I do plan to go to this restaurant in the beginning of November with a dinner club. However, my first impression of this restaurant has already been soured. Therefore, it will take a significant effort by the staff to prove to me that this restaurant is worth my time and money.
