Today, Labor Day 2018, was our second visit to this Denny's in Silver City. The first time was about a week after they opened.
On our first visit we gave them slack because they obviously didn't quite have it all together. The service was S.L.O.W. and the food mediocre, but the server was pleasant and the atmosphere was clean and, well, new. We didn't love waiting to be seated and waiting for *meh* food, but it was good to see the place busy and, as I said, they were new.
So, fast-forward about a year to our second visit. As we entered the building, it was 12:30pm and there were lots of people sitting and standing in the lobby. A lot of customers, that is. No employee at the cash register. No employee seating people. The restaurant was not in any way full. My estimate is that PERHAPS one-quarter-to-one-third of the tables had occupants and I saw only 1 person eating at the counter. It was unclear where in the crowded area we should stand in order eventually to be seated, and so as to avoid obstructing people who were trying to pay. Because we stood there for 10 minutes before an employee came out to the lobby, we had the opportunity to hear many comments such as one elderly couple who muttered that they had been waiting for 40 minutes in a booth for their food, and they were leaving then without ever having received their order. We should have heeded their warning, as it turns out.
During our 10 minute wait in the lobby, a party of 4 who were already inside the restaurant when we arrived, left. They said they had been waiting Too Long. As it turns out, of all the people crammed into the lobby, we were one of two groups to be seated. Two. So that means somehow all the others were waiting to pay. We should have taken that hint, too.
We were seated by a friendly person who indicated our server would be right with us. Well, maybe not "right" away but still reasonably soon, a young woman who didn't introduce herself but whose nametag read Skylar, asked what we'd like to drink. A little bit of a wait later we got our drinks. My coffee was only just over half filled. *sigh* Oh well, we would be getting refills. Ever the optimist.
Just let me say at this juncture that Skylar is very sweet and pleasant and I have nothing against her personally. I hold management of the restaurant responsible for the poor service.
About 10 minutes after delivering our drinks, Skylar came back to take our food order. We got more coffee then. Not because she offered, but because we asked for it.
Skylar didn't stop by to ask how we were doing, or offer any explanation at all as to the wait. Just once when she was passing by did she throw over her shoulder a comment suggesting our food would be "right up."
That was after we'd been waiting for a half hour. And we asked her again for more coffee as she breezed by our table. She brought it in a few minutes but, again, we had to flag her down and request it. The food arrived 20 minutes after that. No kidding! By this time we were keeping a sharp eye on the time.
Now, I want to point out that there was not a shortage of wait staff apparent. Granted, they can't serve what's not coming out of the kitchen; however, it is my opinion that they should have been much more attentive to their customers - keeping us informed as to the reason for the slow food prep, and doing everything reasonably within their power to keep us placated. Something as simple as frequently offering coffee and perhaps crackers or bread and butter. That's not what happened. As it was, we were left to stew about the delay and then only to overhear another waitress informing her table about the short-staffing. We overheard later that it was not waitstaff but kitchen staff that was short handed. Skylar said not word one about it until she brought our food FIFTY MINUTES after we had been seated and ONE HOUR after we had entered the restaurant. (My pancakes were rubbery but I didn't complain because I was very hungry by that time and couldn't imagine how much longer I might have had to wait to get fresh ones!). We told her the food had arrived JUST in time as we were just about to walk out. She said, "Yes, I know. Sorry for the wait." She was polite but it was too little too late.
NOTE TO MANAGEMENT: friendly, timely communication makes ALL the difference. It is customary for restaurants to tell their customers how long they can expect to wait, if the restaurant is experiencing delays. Such difficulties happen. There should have been friendly, helpful staff AT THE DOOR, greeting people and letting them know how long a wait they might reasonably expect. Olive Garden comes to mind.
We left zero tip. Sorry, Skylar. And we will not be returning to Denny's. We are locals who will tell other locals and all of our visitors about our experiences at this Denny's, as well as providing this constructive criticism to management via Yelp. read more