Advice needed from AB Ed.

[Hammer Head]

Several years ago I opened a restaurant. Everything was going great. The food was great and all the customers loved it. The restaurant itself was very classy and well appointed. There was a certain section of my clientele that tended to gather in one part of the restaurant. They could get a bit boistrous at times but they kept themselves to themselves and didn't tend to upset any of the other diners who tended to sit in othere areas of the restaurant.

They were all perfectly happy with this part of the restaurant and loved the food. However, about six weeks ago I decided that I would improve their area for them. They hadn't asked me, but I was sure that they would love it.

I would completely redecorate their section in really gaudy colours and give them such a huge menu to choose from that there was no way they wouldn't be falling over themselves to visit me whenever they could.

One day they all turned up as usual and saw what I had done. Their first impressions were less than flattering.
"We hate it."
"Please change it back."
"There is far too much on the menu."
I told them that they didn't really know what they were talking about and that they would surely grow to love it.

As time went by, their numbers became less and less until there was no one visiting that section of the retaurant. They would call in, not to eat but to complain and plead with me to change it back.

I got quite angry with them in the end and told them in no uncertain terms that a lot of time, money and effort had gone into the changes and they were here to stay regardless of what they thought.

My question is this Ed. If you were in a similar position, how would you treat your regulars?

[jump82]

What exactly had you added on to the menu? Too much meat? Too many veggie dishes? That could be the problem...
What happened to the restaurant? Finish your story

[THECORBYLOON]

Did any of yir clientele call you deaf or stupid by any chance? What about it being a Gestapo restaurant?

[Hammer Head]

Yes they did, but it didn't make any difference because I had already decided I knew best and that they were merely the customers who kept the place in business.

[THECORBYLOON]

Did you not think that they were over-reacting just a wee bit and if they were that bothered they could go to another restaurant? Perhaps they thought that wee bit of the restaurant was "theirs" and how dare you change their cosy wee surroundings not realising, of course that it was not theirs and that they were in fact guests, guests who could be barred at any time.

[raysparx1]

I used to go to a restaurant like that, I haven't been back for weeks, if they changed it back to how it was I would return cos I used to like popping in there and i do miss it.

[Hammer Head]

Well, the problem is now that because nobody bothers with that section of the restaurant, my sponsors will almost certainly pull the plug. You see, my restaurant is not like the others. The food is free but I make my money by putting adverts on the walls hoping that they will buy from them. Before the re-vamp, business was very good. Now though nobody comes to the new section.

Still I know best and will keep it just as it. Even though I secretly know the customers are correct, I couldn't lose face now.

[jno]

restaurants do repaint and refurbish quite a lot, as do hotels. It's funny how easily people cope with this, as a rule. You almost never hear customers yelling 'What are you, stupid?? Change it back, you Nazi!'

Conversely, customers often drift away from a restaurant that never changes, never does anything new. They get bored with the same old same old. So restaurateurs will introduce changes in the search for new customers.

Perhaps you would get more sympathetic answers if you posted this in Food & Drink?

[toonmilo]

Excellent stuff hammer!...........I fear this will be removed or get a sarcastic response from ed

[allotment10]

i used to go to a place like that, very friendly bunch of people in there, always could find out the latest goss about what had happened about the latest sports issues, if you had a question there was always someone to help you out if you weren't to sure of something you needed to know, but now it's changed and hardly anyone goes there now, quite sad 'cause it was such an interesting place :(

[curlyperm]

i also visit this restaurant every day, and i find it annoying that this particular group, think its OK to eat in other areas not designed for dining! most annoying, as the type of 'food' they like to 'digest' does nothing for me whatsoever ; )

[B00]

Ahhh, but what you've failed to mention Hammer head is that none of your original clientele ever paid for their meals anyway. Now they've shuffled off to the greasy spoon round the corner, you'll probably find that you'll attract another set of diners who'll love your new designer flock wallpaper as they have nothing to compare it against.

I think you'll find that your restaurant will bounce back, as it didn't depend on these non paying folk anyway.

;-)

[rugeleyboy]

well as an investor in your restaurant Hammer head i would be very concerned about the lack of customers after you have done such a thing to the dining area they once enjoyed.

i would probably call in my investment, as the lack of footfall into said restaurant is not attracting the desired number of potential customers i would be trying to attract with the expensive advertisements on the walls!!

[mrrobbo15]

hammer.....did all this happen b4 you took over the restaurant ......and there was, although you realise things werent working.....nothing you could do ?

its such a sad story.......

[jammiedodger]

is it only me that knows he is likening this to the new sports section?????

[jammiedodger]

lol iv just read the second half of the answers and realised im not the only one!!! lol whhhhoooooooooooppppssss!!!

[B00]

by 'eck dodger, where were you when jam was bein' handed out in the queue eh?;-)

[whiffey]

This is better than The Pilgrim's Progress.

[efc]

Love it!!! Still think you should listen to your customers though!

Hey then again seeing as it's working so well why not change the whole restaurant! : )

[Loosehead]

Hammer I was one of your customers in this section of the resturant I liked the simplicity of it, all the choices where serial and in no particular order, so what if the fish and meat dishes where together, I kind of liked the idea of reading down until I found what I liked. I didn't even mind too much when you went for a meat section and an everything else section that wasn't too bad. So imagine my horror when I came in one day and found that on the menu was sod all but a list of other menus and then I had to read through all the fish dishes and then all the meat dishes and even the veggie dishes. There was just too much to have to go through. Tell you what why don't you keep your new section, perhaps some people mya like it, and at the same time just bring back the old menu you know the single list of food all jumbled up, I think I'd come and eat again if you did that.