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?

On a quiet night I don't understand their thought process.

If you are factual, then perfectly reasonable to leave a review to let others know.

If the restaurant has worked out that it just about makes money when 2 people eat but lose money when its just 1 then its pretty fair to refuse entry to a single person. I can think of several reasons why a single person would be unprofitable.

So I think yabu to expect a restaurant to part fund your meal.

sounds like sharp practice on their part. shame on them.

I think you're childish and petty to "plaster 1* reviews". What basis are you using? Quality of food? Service? Ambiance?

"It was written in the very small print, which admittedly I hadn't read."

There you go then.

"AIBU to think it's an unfair policy"

[cryingforyou]

Single diners usually spend less per head. They'll also take a table which could be seating more customers but really who cares?

I often eat by myself but wouldn't be so pathetic as to hunt for ways of leaving poor reviews when I hadn't eaten somewhere.

It’s a shitty policy and you were absolutely within your rights to leave a review that reflected the service there.

Don't forget Yelp for a bad review.

I agree with you - but it is business. Anywhere that offers a discount of sorts for couples/ kids/groups/drinkers etc in order to encourage sales is obviously disadvantaging those who don't fall into that category.

Their deal was only open to groups. If it was a kids eat free policy for example it would be the same - no kids means you pay full price.

(For the same reason I always resent multi-buy offers in the supermarket because I know I am paying more for my food than the family of 4 or the guy with the huge freezer, (who is likely to be richer than I am!) )

YANBU. And I'm glad you left a review of your experience so other solo diners (like me) know to give the place a wide berth.

YADNBU. I don't give a toss what their "policy" is, if I wasn't welcome because I want to eat alone then I'd be cracking out the crap reviews too. The point of a review is to let others know what your experience is, and I'd rather know this sort of thing in advance.

And as for the argument upthread that a solo diner = a space not being filled by a paying customer, what if you were a group of three (as most tables seat 2 or 4)? Is it acceptable to only to allow even numbered groups because otherwise there's an empty chair?

My view is that they advertise this, so can do as they like. It seems a bit unfair, but it is what it is.

YANBU. Name and shame them OP. I am a frequent solo diner and I hate discriminatory shitty behaviour by restaurants.

I am also a solo diner and a single traveller so pay the dreaded single room supplement - but I am sure all the couples and families think that is fine when they get their discounts.

Actually - just realised how twatty that post sounded.

I think I’m know the restaurant (although obviously not the branch you went to). Are the initials SM?

I travel on business too and have also been turned away from all you can eat. I was somewhere with not a lot of choice so ended up getting takeaway from their a la carte menu and eating in my hotel room.

I complained and didn’t need get anywhere.

I was away with a friend recently. We were going to visit a local tapas bar which advertised all you can eat for a couple of hours. Tapas being a nice way to get a wide selection of food and nibble on lots of different things.

But looking into it:

• you were only allowed the same number of (small tapas, remember) dishes on the table as the number of diners - so, 2 in our case.
• Each dish had to be completely cleared before you could even order the next one
• you were on a countdown clock from the moment you sat down, to a fixed time period within the overall offer hours
• There was also some restriction on drinks that I can't recall.

We went elsewhere...