To think restaurants shouldn't refuse to serve solo diners?

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

I'm travelling alone for business reasons, in a city where I know no one, and need to eat dinner. I researched my options and found a restaurant doing an all you can eat deal on sushi. Brilliant I thought, as I love sushi, and walked there.

On arrival the restaurant was 75% empty, but the restaurant refused to serve me from the all you can eat menu because I was alone. They were, however, quite happy to serve me the exact same dishes from the much more expensive a la carte menu.

It was written in the very small print, which admittedly I hadn't read. I could understand if it was a choice between having one or two paying customers at a table in a busy restaurant, but it was mostly empty.

AIBU to think it's an unfair policy, I should have been served (I went elsewhere instead as I wasn't prepared to pay more for the same dish than the people on the next table) and to have left a 1* review on Trip Advisor?

For what it's cost them in goodwill they should have accommodated you imo. Good on you for voting with your feet.

Fuck that! Your money is as good as anyone elses. I'd have slated them on TA.

Well, it's up to them how they want to price their deals - but it's cost them your custom on what sounds like a quiet night, so if not unfair, it's foolish.

How does it cost them more to feed a solo guest??
Less likely to spend a long time chatting with their party while eating more and more of the free food, so cheaper I would have imagined.

That’s pretty poor. I’d definitely be noting this treatment on Trip Ad isor, and the restaurant website if they have one.

Urubu I'm guessing they bank on making extra money through drinks, so it cuts both ways - assuming 100% occupancy, with solo diners there would be empty places at tables, and solo diners are less likely to buy more than a couple of drinks. It's debatable whether the faster turnaround would balance that.

The above is irrelevant, though, if the place is half-empty as in the OP's scenario.

A similar thing happened to s friend of mine, so she agreed to pay more for a meal off the standard menu. They then wanted her to leave ASAP because they wanted her table, and kept giving her daggers, until she left. Needless to say she paid exactly for what she had eaten, minus a tip, and left a stinking review online. She has also told everybody, not to bother going to that restaurant, as service is abysmal.

Good for you for leaving.

I've never ever had that, and I eat alone a lot! Name and shame, OP!

I have never come a restaurant refusing to serve a solo customer. Why would this be the case ? Excuse my ignorance!

I love eating alone,peace & quiet with a book
I’ve never been declined

I've never been declined solo service, but I know it happens. Trip Advisor is your friend!

I'm afraid if I named and shamed it I'd out myself as I've now plastered 1* reviews across Trip Advisor, Google and Facebook!

Now, where else should I be posting reviews? 🤔

I've seen restaurants where solo diners pay upfront (for all you can eat buffet) but never where they are refused service.

I eat alone a lot on business and have never come across this.

I think it's unfair to rate them 1* when you didn't try their food. I'm not defending their policy but I don't think it necessarily deserves 1 star because of a policy you don't like

Well done for the bad reviews, OP. I would have done exactly the same.

You were unlucky, though. I eat out on my own all the time, and this has never happened to me. Even Dishoom, the most popular casual dining restaurant in London, happily did a table for one for me last week.

Better luck next time!

What's the rationale for no service? Is it a buffet or is it table service from the menu?

One thing I like about the States is that there's usually a counter where solo diners can eat and chat, or not, without censure. Japanese places often have similar.

I'm afraid if I named and shamed it I'd out myself as I've now plastered 1 reviews across Trip Advisor, Google and Facebook!*

Millions do this every single day. Nobody would know or care. The NSA would have trouble finding you.

Completely out of order. your money is as good as the next person's.

Generally, I've never had an issue being served solo. However, it did happen to me recently when I was attending a conference. I arrived the night before it started and headed out for something to eat. First place, admittedly reasonably busy, told me they could not accommodate me. They then seated the 2 people who arrived after me (no reservation as I eavesdropped😏).

Next place was half empty but told me it would be at least an hour and a half to 2 hours before they could seat me.

Third place were happy to feed me. I left a big tip and an excellent review.

It was table service all you can eat. Order max 6 dishes at once, and you have to pay for anything you don't finish to stop people wasting food.

The waitress was unable to offer a rationale for it ("it's policy" she said, pointing at the small print, which literally just said min 2 persons). I can't see how it made sense from a business or customer service point of view.

I eat out alone a fair bit for work reasons too, and it's the first time it has happened to me too. I was mainly shocked, but also rather miffed. Yo Sushi down the road was very happy to serve me despite being substantially busier!

Perhaps they were worried that you’d be too focused on eating and not have to be polite in front of a dining companion.
Profot margins slashed by greedy solo diners!

@Agripinah I mean you could go on that restaurant's page, see the review left by the unhappy would-be diner, see my real name and then know AvocadosBeforeMortgages' real name, and then work out my workplace etc etc. I'm not comfortable with that, as I like the anonymity of MN.

@grey for me, reviews are about both customer service and what's on the plate. They failed so abysmally on the former that I didn't get as far as the latter, which I made clear in my review.