Birthday dinner ruined - restaurant refused eat free offer!

[Heatherstory]

NC’d for this.

Birthday meal out at a local restaurant - they do an offer where the birthday person eats free as long as 1. It’s their actual birthday date and ID is provided to confirm and 2. There’s a minimum party size of 5.

It’s an all you can eat concept where food is brought to the table rather than you go and get it, a great deal as the food is lovely and the offer saves £30.

When we asked for the bill, we mentioned it was my birthday and I said I’d get my ID out of my bag. Someone came over (not the person we asked for the bill) and explained we were not eligible for the offer as only 4 of us had the all you can eat. My 2 year old DD was with us and obviously had a small meal (which we were to pay for).

My DH asked to speak to the manager - the person who came over said that he is the manager and refused to budge. We reluctantly paid.

We’ve checked the offer wording and it’s clearly stated it’s based on 5 dining (doesn’t specify it has to be the all you can eat) which we fulfilled.

It really soured the evening and we will not be returning which is a real shame as it’s a lovely restaurant, but they have been so underhand with this.

Do you think you'd have been entitled to the offer if you'd gone along with 4 toddlers to eat?

Lmao I love customers like you, you really think your "multiple times a year" visits are what's keeping this apparently very nice restaurant afloat. Delulu. They were delighted to see the back of you I can assure you.

Can you post the link to the restaurant?

Sorry OP, but I’m another one that agrees it was obvious they meant 5 adult all you can eats. A kids meal of £5 would definitely not be included. Imagine it was you and 4 kids and you tried to get the deal!

Sorry but anyone with the slightest amount of common sense would know it meant 5 afikts.

You knew that, tried it on and didn’t get away either it. You ruined your own birthday trying to pull a fast one and getting found out.

YABVVU
You think you were a party of five even though one of your group was a child who had a £5 meal!
You were actually a group of four. Plus a child. Of course they wouldn’t honour the deal. Why would they?

Of course a 2yo eating a child’s meal won’t count as a “diner”. I can’t believe anyone would think they would.

No, I don’t think they will.

We have a restaurant in our family. Some customers come several times a week and it would be noticeable if they stopped. Several times a year, not so much.

@JudgeBread was being sarcastic. They won’t miss you at all.
They want customers who actually pay for stuff. Groups of five for example.

but they have been so underhand with this.

No they haven't. You are the one who was trying to pull a fast one. Your reasoning is ridiculous. Did you honestly think that out of the table of 5 that you could claim the £5 toddler meal would count? Did it not occur to you to check?

I know this forum is awash with (possibly imaginary!) 6 figure earners, but labelling others ‘cheapskates’ is a tad unnecessary.

Would you have gone with 4 toddlers and expected to get yours free?

My DH is going to leave a Google review this weekend. They’ve recently moved venue and won’t want adverse impressions for any potential new customers.

It is, but I am a low earner compared to most mumsnetters and even I think you were trying it on with the restaurant.

A restaurant with 4 toddlers in tow? Have you had children? An absurd suggestion.

Agree with this - it is obvious to most people that it means full paying customers not a kid's meal costing £5.

@Heatherstory actually I'm on your side.
It should say "Children's meals not included in this offer" or words to that effect.
Bit naughty of them.

I completely disagree with other posters who would assume the child didn’t count. The child was part of the party and had a meal. Of course the child should count! Leave them a shitty review op, the tightarses.

If the restaurants terms did not state that the party must all be adults they are very much in the wrong.

It does not matter one jot what people on here assume the terms to be.

Leave them an appropriate review on Google.

Hate to break it to you but if you’d ordered the All You Can Eat for your toddler and paid £30, your meal would’ve been free and you’d have saved the fiver 😂
But seriously, I’d never had counted the child in the deal so YABU but happy birthday anyway.

Seriously OP, don't. Just don't.

Absolutely - the manager shrugged his shoulders and looked very sheepish when we said this.

I hope he is going to state that one of the five meals was a £5 toddler meal.

Stop embarrassing yourselves.

Yes, and I also think you should have mentioned the offer before you ordered to clarify.