Wow such similar stories! Jamie’s marketing team really should take note that clearly key parts of their model just don’t work, brexit or no brexit. Listen.
The false queuing with visibly empty restaurant floors - no it doesn’t drive up a sense of popularity. It just pisses people off.
The meal quality, prepackaging and level of sourcing is all too low for its price point and clashes badly with the expected values of the JO brand.
Saltiness does not equal tastiness!
And as for serving inedible food then TELLING customers they are wrong?! It’s not Jamie’s school dinners, they don’t actually have to eat it. If the food is uncooked, or disgustingly ‘fresh’ straight from the chiller in the middle, don’t try and tell people they are wrong and it’s oh so yummy after all. And as for that ‘oh its meant to be al dente dontchaknooo’ patronising bollox, I’ve had that too. Yawn. I’ve eaten actual Italian food weekly for years (a previous job split between sites in uk and Italy). And I’m sure I’m not alone in having had cultural exposure beyond the uk.
Don’t assume you can shame your customers with pretend cultural superiority. It’s not the 1950s anymore. That kind of behaviour makes the whole restaurant look far worse than a quick and sincere apology and replacement with a meal the customer can eat.
It’s still a shame it’s failed though, as the first time I went to one, it was a really nice experience. Even though there was a ‘computer says no’ issue about seating, the actual food was great and the people very good too.
The lovely server had to do a lot of jiggers pokery as the computer system automatically assigned seats for maximum efficiently, and wouldn’t allow the humans any errr, humanity or choice! Sooo, no, no one could ask to sit in the sun because the computer said that section was too full! Which meant people were just turning around and leaving when they couldn’t sit outside/ near the big open windows.
Our problem was that we had our 6week baby with us but he wasn’t eating (!) so didn’t count as a seat on their system so computer wouldn’t give us a table with room for ds... although the restaurant was almost empty and there were loads of two seater tables that would have been great. And then the kicker... I couldn’t do steps if at all avoidable, recovering from major birth injuries, and half the restaurant was down some steps, and half wasn’t. But computer said we Must sit in the area down the steps.... for most efficient running of the restaurant! After much frustrated button pressing the lovely staff ended up pretending we were sitting somewhere else, and being served by someone else. Big tips left for all those involved at the end of your meal, for making it nice in spite of the system.
Remember that was the good experience!
Then other times I went were progressively worse until I just didn’t bother again. Now I have to watch money so much more carefully there’s no way such a mediocre and problem-riddled restaurant would get on the list.