Unfiltered Story #244548

In the restaurant where I work, if we have a booking for a large party, we ask them to preorder from a limited menu, our weekly specials with only three options for starter, main and pudding. On this particular day, we have a starter that comes with a white wine sauce and a main with bacon bits on it, which are both very popular, one large group has ordered these two items almost exclusively. One member of the party requested on their pre-order that they wanted the starter without wine in the sauce and the main without the bacon, so we make their food specially.

I bring out the food, starting with the specially made one, and call it out to the table.

30 hands go up. At that point I notice how all the men are dressed and correlate it with the names on the pre-order list – they are all Muslim. Every single one wants the starter without wine in the sauce and only one ordered it. We rush back to the kitchen and rush to remake all the starters without wine in the sauce, then bring them out again.

Somehow, we don’t notice that we’re going to have the exact same problem with the bacon on the main courses until we start to bring them out. Once again, all 30 want it without and only one has bothered to tell us.

Restaurant staff can cater to dietary requirements, but only if you tell them.