We were excited to try a new spot on the Beltline for lunch but unfortunately had a horrible experience at the newly opened Chiringa. The concept and setting are lovely, but they're clearly struggling with execution and desperately need an experienced front of house manager with strong customer service skills.
The service was definitely among the worst I've experienced, and that's saying something. After ordering we took a seat and waited and waited and waited. The table in front of us stopped (who I'd later learn was the owner) to ask if they could at least get their toddler's food (they sat down after us but were clearly frustrated as well). My husband (much more patient that I) was frustrated that after waiting at least 15 minutes we hadn't even gotten our guacamole, but what pushed him to get up and ask about our food was seeing a woman order, then immediately claim an order of guacamole from a server who seemed to be wandering around looking for the right table to deliver it to. It seemed he just gave it to her because she "claimed" it. After my husband was gone for about 5 minutes, I joined to see if he'd made any progress expediting our food. On my way back to our table outside, I saw the owner and expressed my frustration with the extensive wait. He immediately became defensive and offered a refund (to his credit). Apparently, he (and another team member) were unable to provide a receipt showing the $100+ refund so he suggested taking a picture of their screen. (The credit does now appear to be processing on our account.) Oddly - completely unsolicited - he offered his card (Owner Andy M.) and said that I was free to "call him a horrible person on social media".
Clearly, he's frustrated and the restaurant is still figuring things out (to be charitable), but in addition to fixing whatever isn't working well in the kitchen, I'd also suggest they get a customer service focused professional for the front of the house. At the end of the day if you're going to charge $21.99 for Ahi tuna tacos, you've got to offer a decent guest experience.
Fortunately, we just strolled down to Hawker's and had a fabulous uneventful lunch. I realize that new restaurants often struggle early on so I hope they're able to work out the kinks and prosper. It seems like it would be a great addition to the Beltline landscape. read more