I have eaten at Flapjack's once a week for the past few weeks and the ONLY thing that keeps me coming back is the food. Other than the food, the place is a complete train wreck, but the kind that you return to see because it's just that bad.
1) The service is pretty awful, unless the waitstaff knows you. I have been pretty much ignored every time I go in there because they are too busy talking to people that they already know. I understand keeping your regulars happy, but really? Once I did some inquiring, I realized that the worst offender is the owner, which pretty much explains it all. He seems to do nothing there but make his staff have to work even harder than they already do. While the other three are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, he's leaning on the bar or standing in the way talking about sports.
2) Unprofessional. The waitstaff that this place has, which seems to consist of only three members, are the most unprofessional restaurant workers I've ever seen. I feel like I should remind them how small the place is and that their voices carry. The woman, in particular, walks around bitching about the customers and the paltry tips they leave while never seeming to notice that her service could use some serious improvement. She seems to think that she doesn't have to work for her tips and that her miserable service, poor attitude, rude demeanor, and curt style has nothing to do with her earnings. ALSO, there is nothing worse than watching your server eat. The owner, of all people, stands at the bar eating his breakfast. Man, go out back where your customers can't see you. It's unprofessional. However, at least we know where he is when he's ignoring us.
3) That poor hostess. Man, that girl is the best thing this place has going for it and she is treated like shit. She could run circles around the staff there and yet they have her cleaning tables and seating parties. The owner needs to step down and let her take his place. I have heard him hound her incessantly about her job, yet do nothing to help her situation. The waitstaff leaves the tables FILTHY and yet complain that it takes her so long to prepare them for the next group. They have her stocking their cups, bussing their tables, getting change and running credit cards, all while they sit and talk to their regulars. In the course of one meal there, she had to ask the waitstaff FIVE different times to greet the tables she had sat while having the owner chase her around asking how many people were next in line. Maybe he should take his customers plates off his tables, stock his own damn cups, and actually pay attention to his parties instead of chasing that poor girl around. No wonder everyone thinks they don't have a hostess, she's too busy doing everyone else's job! She is also the friendliest, warmest, most-professional, sincere, brightest, hostess I've ever encountered, AND she's always smiling.
4) The owner. This guy seems nice enough, but he has no business running a restaurant. It is very clear he doesn't know the first thing. The best thing he could do is step down and let his staff take over. He is slow, deaf, and unaware of his surroundings. He stands in the middle of the room, in EVERYONE'S way, and doesn't even notice that he should be standing off to the side. He makes lots of mistakes because he can't hear what his customers are saying. As for being slow, he just has no idea how to focus an equal amount of attention on all of his parties. One day, it took him 10 minutes to greet me then demanded I be ready to order everything at once and not ask any questions. He never filled my coffee back up, forgot to bring my water, dropped my check off 20 minutes after I finished eating, left my dirty plate sitting in front of me, and then never came back. Yes, I timed it. Again, that poor poor hostess did everything, and they were busy! She filled my coffee, brought me a water, asked him TWICE to get me my check, cleaned off my table for me, and then ran my credit card and thanked me for dining in and said "See you next week!"
I will admit, I am the manager for a restaurant in Boston, so I am acutely aware of the workings of a restaurant, but after experiencing it and hearing the complaints of so many of the customers around me, it's clear that the only reason people come back is for the food. Oh, and maybe they are gluttons for punishment, because they tolerate the terrible service of the female waitstaff only to be browbeaten by her through the entire meal. I guess I just don't find that appropriate for the service industry, especially when the service is so poor.
However, I would like to offer the hostess a job at my restaurant in Boston. I offer her one every time I'm in there and she smiles, laughs a bit, and thanks me for my offer. Hopefully she'll take me up on the offer one of these days! read more