AIBU about food in pub garden?

[toboldlygo]

I work in a pub/restaurant/hotel. Today we had an informal booking for 20-40 people for a post-wedding gathering, drinks only. Between 11am and 3pm 45 people arrived and all wanted to order food, contrary to the booking. Not a problem, we'd normally have arranged for an extra staff member to help out for that number but we did our best and served them all.

Food service stops at 3 and doesn't begin again until 6.30 (same staff, split shifts, we haven't the capacity to serve all day) as advertised on menus, outside boards etc. I stated many times to the group that last orders had to be in by 3pm and that we were now running short of many items.

At 3.45 another group of people arrived and enquired about food. I apologised and said that we'd finished serving at 3 and jokily added that we'd been eaten out of house and home. They ordered drinks and headed outside with the rest of the group.

On going out to collect glasses I find that they've put together all of the outside tables and have a spread of sandwiches going on - six or seven plus snacks, coffee etc. I try to point out as politely as I could that they are not permitted to eat 'outside food' in the garden. They argue that we are no longer serving food so what else are they to do?

There's not much I can answer to that except to in my head consider that they've had five hours in which to order food, have been made aware at several points what time service finishes and I know from previous experience that I will be collecting up all of their rubbish when I return from my hour's break. There are plenty of parks and green spaces in which they could eat - the bakery they bought them from has benches and tables outside.

So am I (or rather the hotel, it's the manager's rule) being unreasonable to ask people not to bring in their own food when we are not serving any ourselves? I am a bit narked that they totally ignored me and carried on eating but don't know if it's because it's a bloody stupid request.

You made a huge amount of money out of them, and you weren't losing any business by them bringing their own sandwiches - YABU to have had a go.

God I used to hate split shifts when I was a waitress years ago.

See, if you'd known they all wanted feeding you could have prepared!

And if I was the person in the wedding party that chose the hotel, I would have rang ahead (like they did) and asked for a buffet menu or spread putting on, and agreed a price per head.

It is very very hard to cater for 50+ people unexpectedly, and to give them free reign with a full menu, plus cater for all other customers.

I have been to an eatery where there is a notice - it says you are welcome to eat your own food brought from home or elsewhere but there is a charge for clearing up the mess you may make eating - the charge is 2.50 per person.

ivykaty - that is exactly what I would have done, were I allowed to manage the place. But I'm not, and there just are no extra staff to call in, and we can't stay late because we'd be working straight through - we've only got an hour off before we have to be back today as it is. The owner and manager are stuck in those 1950's principles and regard large noisy groups as an inconvenience rather than a cash cow. Boss was sat there catsbumface all afternoon despite the full till and 'manager' disappeared for the afternoon.

you never said before that the manager disappeared all afternoon?

I never did split shifts, we worked through apart from the odd fag break.

If you are not in charge don't worry about home grown food or the like then

Smile and be merry as that is the way you get tips

I wish I could show the boss this thread.

Yes, point is if we'd known we could have been better prepared and catered for their needs exactly. We're quite capable of doing a hot buffet for x number at £x per head, any time of day, if only we know that's what they want. We do this often for walking/cycling groups, birthdays, funerals.

We are being unreasonable to not make money by doing all day service but I have no power to change that, unfortunately. As long as it all ticks over they are not prepared to change things, even though they could potentially make a fortune.

I'd have turned a blind eye. If they were still buying drinks.

I would have been happy to see the alcohol sales coming in TBH. As you weren't serving food I would be happy they had found a solution that enabled them to carry on drinking and spending money.

The organiser should have been a bit more organised though and explained everything to the guests.

Bit complicated, ivy - owner is elderly, 'manager' is her daughter - in charge of all staff, rules, policies etc. but does not have good management skills. She came back to cover my break and will go again as soon as I return.

To all those saying that a small pub/restaurant should be able to "rustle something up" and staff should cover all day so that food can be served continuously....

DH and I have a small restaurant and there is NO WAY we can just "rustle up" food for a large group of people who we are not expecting to eat. We wouldn't have enough off-menu stuff in for it to be possible (to the person suggesting "a few sandwiches", you'd need 10 loaves of bread and various fillings just sitting about!). We simply could not afford to have ANY food in that is not being used for menu items, and that food is ordered in careful amounts to ensure no extra/wastage at the end of the week.

On the point about the kitchen closing in the afternoon, as well as staff needing a break, it simply isn't cost effective to pay anyone to sit in the restaurant through the hours of 3pm to 5:30pm when the likelihood is that no customers will be in who want food.

The profit margin is TINY in this sort of business, and tbh some of these suggestions are from cloud cuckoo land. We've been going a year now and are yet to be able to take any sort of wage out of the business at all.

OP YANBU!!

"Better business sense would have been to continue to serve throughout the afternoon.

And it drives me mad too that in this country there are many places that still operate to 1950s rules and are run solely for the owners /managers convenience."

Sorry KellyMarie but that is just plain bollocks....

Agree with squeakytoy
Serve from 12pm onwards on a weekend & Saturday afternoon shoppers who want a late lunch will come in
As will families
Just cos I have kids doesn't mean I have to go to a cafe - I like a nice meal with a drink , just sometimes at 5pm instead of the 6pm start point

This is why families are forced to go to wetherspoons, because they serve from 10 am to 9pm - people eat at all odd times

I was beginning to think I was a bit mad, CakeBump, but you've reassured me. As I said all other pubs in the town operate on similar hours with a short close in the afternoon, so even with not great management we can't be too far off the mark. Only the cafés are open all day (and close at 6pm, we'll be open until 1am).

And yes, there is a constant battle between wastage and having enough in. As long as people book ahead it's not a problem. Any more than four people dining - please book! We can send you menus, arrange for birthday cakes etc. and not run out of popular dishes just so long as we know you're coming.

tbf we don't have a break in service on the weekends. I send the waitress home and cover for a few hours (as I'm cheap :) )

A weekday kitchen break is NOT through convenience or laziness. It is good business sense.

So funny that you have posted this now OP - DH has just come running upstairs complaining that we have got a table of 6 in who have all ordered the same two starters (so 6 soups and 6 whatever-elses)....

Even this can knock us out for the rest of the evening, we'll be straight out of soup certainly, then the other guests will have to be told it's off for the rest of the shift and that looks bad.

They also have eaten about three extra baskets of bread - same thing; we'll now be short for the rest of shift.

For a small business it only takes one or two "odd" orders to upset the supply - as I said, the margins are miniscule.

40 people suddenly changing their minds and wanting to eat would be impossible for us, "cash cow" or not....

You also need time to clean down the kitchen, prep for evening service etc.

^ and this

YANBU, they should at least have asked you if it would be ok to bring I their sandwiches but to turn up and just do it was rude and U.

Of course it's a lot easier if everything is frozen and boil-in-the-bag, like at Wetherspoons, Pizza Express and a gazillion other chains.

Cake, do you not have a commercial size freezer? Home made soup can easily be portioned and frozen then defrosted when ordered.

How many covers do you have in the restaurant for six orders to wipe out your fridge?

yy what cakebump said. It's laughable that so many think a small business on tight margins can operate as a large chain place might.

If your fridge is stocked with steaks, sausages etc from your local butcher, or fresh fish, there is every chance that it could be wiped out by an unbooked party walking in.

I think that the individual in charge of booking for the group should not have specified "drinks only" during those hours and the person at the restaurant accepting the booking should have advised that most people would likely be wanting food at that time of day. I worked as an event planner for a few years and you wouldn't expect people to want only drinks if an event ran through a mealtime. Also, small business or not, if your in the business of hospitality you are obliged to be hospitable if you are willing to accept the business of large groups. Whether that means ordering extra supplies in ahead of time (many of which can be frozen) or allowing the group to bring in sandwiches from across the street, customers will remember that you went the extra mile for them and will be more likely to return or recommend you. Sometimes it's thinking about the long game. (All thoughts directed toward your employer, OP, as you sounded like you handled the situation as best you could).

• you are.