Bad Restaurant Review - WWYD?

[foodcritic]

NC for this on the off chance someone works out who we are and decides to do someone similar...

We have a small independent restaurant, been established over 10 years, lots of lovely regular customers, and always grateful for new customers. Many of these come due to our good reviews on various sites such as TripAdvisor, Google, etc. Also we do a fair bit (probably weekly) on local community Facebook pages which also attracts new people and reminds existing customers of what we are doing by way of Chef Specials etc.

Last week a Google review went on with 2 stars - and a comment along the lines of 'sad to see xxxxx on the menu'. (xxxx being a dish that some people find unacceptable, others specifically come to our restaurant to eat as it's difficult to find in supermarkets or other restaurants)

There is a name so I know exactly who has written this, and she's a local person who has never eaten at our restaurant. She has on occasion also used a crying emoji when she sees posts for certain dishes on Facebook that i have posted. (Suspect she's not a meat eater)

So - I have responded to the review with a similarly short comment, basically saying how disappointing someone has given a review based not on eating in the restaurant and experiencing our food/service, but based on a specific menu item.

Reviews are so important to small businesses, we can't afford massive advertising campaigns, and although this one hasn't really put a dent in our overall rating it's so frustrating. But I'm now wondering if I shouldn't have responded as I've made us look as petty as her. What would you have done?

Veal maybe?

Agree Coffeeandcake15.

Lol. Because famously, only vegans eat lettuce and cherry tomatoes. Have a word with yourself. (I'm not vegan by the way, but this argument is tiresome in the extreme)

Perhaps everyone should think about where their food comes from, what happens further down the line and the impact choices have. Watch Simon Reeves' Mediterranean programme for a bit more information.

Why would you assume that @Coffeeandcake15 doesn't think about where food comes from, just because her diet doesn't include meat or dairy?

I was thinking the same. I’m not vegan either, but the lengths some people will go to in order to try to catch one out in some kind of “gotcha” are ridiculous. IME it usually stems from defensiveness, which means the person doing the goading either hasn’t or doesn’t want to examine the ethics of their own food choices.

Remove the review.

People will read bad reviews and make their own conclusions.

Mainly that if they know something is on a menu and attend a restaurant to eat it that someone who doesn't agree with it and hasn't attended is making a political point rather than a comment on the actual food and service.

I don't get bothered by owners responding. It's how they respond that I judge them.

Cancel the cheque

I would have let my response stand. TA is there to review their experience of the restaurant
Why should your business rating drop because of what they 'think'

Rise above it and remove the review.

You look as petty as her by replying, I absolutely judge restaurant owners who start arguing on trip advisor.

People who feel the same way she does about that dish won't be coming to your restaurant anyway.

Also, by interacting with her she now knows it's getting to you and your paying attention. Expect more sad emojis and comments from her.

Poore et al make a nice living rubbishing way that food is produced, nothing is going to change because governments need to feed the population, as living standards improve they choose to eat more meat not less.

For the vast majority globally the only reason not to eat meat is because they don’t have the money to buy it, moreover if they have plenty of money they buy better quality meat.

How am I putting extreme views on you? I’m stating facts, you’re just stating your opinion and calling me a nutter for stating what is true.

So because your niece is vegan and doesn’t work, you assume other vegans are the same and those things are connected, how utterly bizarre. I think your true colours are showing through now, you come across as someone judgemental, aggressive and someone that when their morals are challenged they project.

any why are you talking about eating disorders and personality disorders, none of that is relevant to anything I’ve said 🤔

Seems to have gone slightly off topic, but I just have a quick question re the rape of animals, which I understand your point in meat that is produced for human consumption. But how does that work in the wild? Are you saying that animals are able to consent to sex in the wild? I'm only asking from a place of ignorance and watching David Attenborough programmes, but it often looks like the male animals take what they want and then bugger off..... does that count as rape too in your book @Coffeeandcake15?

It is rape because it is artificial insemination, the farmer will also penetrate the cows anus with his arm to feel for the cervix and put a rod into the cows vagina until it reaches her cervix to speed the rate of reproduction, a bit different to natural reproduction I’d say.

You just need to ask yourself, if you were restrained and you could not release yourself or move away, you had a large object inserted into your anus and then a large rod inserted into your vagina to impregnate you, is this something you’d be comfortable with?
If the answer is no, why is it ok to do it to animals.

@foodcritic please can I ask you to consider watching this and letting me know how it makes you feel? It’s not graphic, as someone selling veal for profit, it’s important you know what goes on away from human eyes.
It’s the separation of a mother and newborn baby calf, her calf taken and either shot or sold for profit (veal).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zBnZPJJ2QG4&pp=ygUfTW90aGVyIGFuZCBjYWxmIGZhcm0gc2VwZXJhdGlvbg%3D%3D

And before anyone accuses me of being extreme, I’m stating and showing (factual evidence) what happens every day to animals in the meat industry.

Because they are not humans.

You are anthropomorphizing.

So because they’re not humans raping them is ok?

To be fair @Reugny I'm sure very few people would approve of dogs (for example) being bred using that method and wouldn't be accused of anthropomorphising if they expressed their disapproval or it or labelled it violent and cruel.

@Coffeeandcake15 thank you for your reply but you have misunderstood my question completely (or chosen to ignore it?) I specifically asked about animals in the wild - and whether the females lack of consent also constitutes rape in your view?