Bean Counters: Unreasonable Customers & Cheapskates

Bean Counters: Unreasonable Customers & Cheapskates

Author: Kara Restaurant Group March 15, 2023 Duration: 13:35

We've all been there – it's a regular day at work, about 5:15pm rolls around, and Judy arrives with her husband for the Happy Hour Specials. She notices that on your menu, you have a fresh sangria infused with a variety of fresh seasonal fruit. She's allergic to strawberries, she says…can the bartender just leave those out? Try as you might to explain that they are literally soaking in the large batch of sangria, Judy just doesn't understand why this is an unreasonable request.

Customers ask dumb questions it's the name of the game – but it doesn't make it any less hilarious (or annoying). Yianni, Nikos, and Liz are joining us from an all-new set to discuss questions, including:

  • What's the most ridiculous customer request/ menu modification you've ever received?
  • Have you ever noticed that the guest always watches the server ask the Chef about their menu questions when there's an open kitchen?
  • When people ask stupid questions, do you tell them it's dumb, or do you play it off like it's a totally normal thing to ask?
  • Do you like an open kitchen in a restaurant? Does it matter if you're an employee or a guest?
  • Have you watched the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives episode when Guy Fieri visits George's Place?
  • As a restaurant owner, have you ever invited a guest NOT to return?

Behind every great meal is a story that’s often messy, chaotic, and surprisingly funny. Restaurant Punk is that story, told straight from the trenches by the team behind Kara Restaurant Group. This isn't a polished, corporate guide. It's the raw, unfiltered conversation that happens after hours, where decades of hard-won experience collide with the absurd reality of running restaurants. You'll hear the kind of hilarious, cringe-worthy anecdotes that only come from a life spent in hospitality, paired with genuinely humbling advice on building a business that actually treats people well-staff and guests alike. Each episode feels like pulling up a stool next to veterans who have seen it all, offering a necessary release valve for the industry's daily pressures and a spark of inspiration for entrepreneurs brave enough to try it themselves. It’s a blend of business savvy, artistic struggle, and comedic relief, all served up without the pretense. Tune into this podcast for a unique mix of lessons learned the hard way and the unvarnished truth about creating a place where people want to be, all delivered with the kind of energy that keeps the kitchen-and the conversation-moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 219

Restaurant Punk
Podcast Episodes
Entrepreneur Pet Peeves: Annoying Parts of Being A Business Owner [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:29
From employees showing up late for their shifts and being lazy on the job to always needing to answer your phone and noticing that your team isn’t working together, an abundance of annoyances come along with being your o…
Review Reliability: Who Do You Trust, Your Customer or Your Employee? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:06
There are bound to be he-said-she-said situations in the service and hospitality industry. So, when a customer writes a bad review and their story doesn’t match what your employees report happened, who do you believe? Yi…
The Ketchup Catch-Up: Restaurant Practices and Rules of Refilling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:05
According to Yianni’s very non-scientific polling practices, about 85% of restaurants in the United States stock ketchup in some form, which begs the question: is ketchup a mandatory cost of doing business? Yianni, Liz,…
Bad Busser Habits: What Are Servers’ Assistants Responsible For? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:00
A member of Kara Restaurant Group recently developed a training manual for bussers/server assistants. Among the many do’s and don’t, one rule stood out to Yianni: Should bussers have any interactions with guests, or shou…
Culinary Creativity: How Chefs Stay Inspired To Create New Cuisine [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:12
It’s a question as old as time – or at least as old as the first restaurant: how did you create your menu? When you’re working in the hospitality industry or any creative profession, it can become challenging to remain i…
Nickel and Dime Dining: Why Do Restaurants Add Extra Fees? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:42
Dining out can be expensive, especially when the restaurant starts adding on charges left and right. From corkage fees to plate sharing upcharges and everything in between, Nick, Noelle, and Peter are diving into why bus…
Acquiring An A-Team: Hiring for Hospitality in Seasonal Towns [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:35
When you operate a restaurant or bar business in a highly seasonal community, how should you approach hiring? Do you only onboard team members who can stick it out 12 months a year, or should you consider hiring employee…