Held Hostage at Napolinos
HIGHLIGHTS: When you keep someone's property, block their only exit, and refuse to let them leave while yelling at them, that's being held hostage in every practical sense.
This was, without question, the worst restaurant experiences we've had in over 20 years working in the hospitality industry.
We visited Napolinos on July 9 around 7:00 PM to celebrate my fiancée accepting a new position. We were genuinely excited to try the restaurant for the first time.
To be fair, the evening actually started well. Jenny greeted us warmly, explained the menu thoroughly, and checked on our table. Our food came out cold, but the restaurant was packed, so we understood. My fiancée's entrée was also prepared incorrectly, but it was corrected without issue. Up until then, we had no complaints.
Everything changed when I politely explained that the Francaise simply wasn't for me. Reference Carrie B. review same dish same problem. Instead of offering another entrée or bringing me a menu, Jenny seemed to take my opinion of the dish personally. Rather than treating it like a routine customer service issue, she repeatedly tried to convince me that I was wrong for not liking it, telling me that everyone else liked it and saying, "So the problem is you, not the dish." In my opinion, what was served did not match the description of the dish we ordered.
A simple, "No problem, let's find you something else," would have ended the entire situation.
Instead, the conversation became increasingly defensive and confrontational. She raised her voice, swore at us in front of other guests, repeatedly referred to us as "you people," and continued arguing rather than trying to resolve the issue. That phrase honestly confused us, since all three of us were white, my fiancé and I plus the Manager. It felt like she was simply trying to get under our skin.
When asking about the owner she said, "If you want to speak to the owner, she'll be here Monday--but I'll be here too." The comment came across as confrontational and almost threatening. I replied, "Why do you think it's appropriate to speak to a customer like that?" Instead of de-escalating the situation, the confrontation continued.
The most concerning part came when she had my debit card while simultaneously telling us to leave. I repeatedly asked her to either run my card or hand it back so we could leave. Instead, she continued arguing while standing in the way of our booth exit. We weren't refusing to pay--we were asking to pay so we could leave. She then decided not to charge us at all, copied my name from my debit card, continued blocking our exit while I repeatedly asked to leave, when you keep someone's property, block their only exit, and refuse to let them leave while yelling at them, that's being held hostage in every practical sense. Then followed us toward the front of the restaurant yelling and swearing in front of other customers. Instead of simply letting us leave, she continued the confrontation in front of the entire dining room.
In most restaurant incidents, it's the customer who creates the scene. In this case, it was the manager who refused to let the situation end. Even after telling us to leave, she continued following us and berating us instead of simply allowing us to walk out.
We have over 20 years of experience in hospitality. We've all dealt with guests who didn't enjoy a meal. It happens. You replace the dish, offer another option, or remove it if appropriate. You don't blame the customer for their opinion of the food, swear at them in the dining room, or continue arguing after they've asked multiple times to simply pay and leave.
As we were leaving, Jenny sarcastically told me, "Enjoy writing your one-star review. You got what you wanted."
The truth is that's not what I wanted at all.
I wanted to celebrate my fiancée's new job, enjoy dinner, and if one dish wasn't for me, simply order something else. In fact, I was looking forward to trying the homemade mozzarella sticks.
The one-star review isn't because of the food. It's because of how we were treated. Personally, if we don't like the food, we simply don't come back.
If the owner reviews the security footage from that evening--when I handed her my card, when she blocked us from leaving the booth while yelling and pointing toward the door--I believe it will speak for itself. I sincerely hope no one else has an experience like ours. read more