If you've ever wondered what it's like to be completely invisible, come on down to the Chuckwagon. Myself and three family members sat down, full of hope (and soon to be full of absolutely nothing). The bartender did acknowledge our existence initially with a cheerful, "I'll be right over!" -- a promise that turned out to be more fictional than a Disney fairy tale.
Instead of coming over, she expertly perfected the art of not serving customers by exclusively tending to her friends at the bar, laughing, chatting, and clearly prioritizing everyone but us. But wait -- it gets better. Mid-shift, she decided that serving customers was overrated and serving herself was the real calling. She plopped down behind the bar, housed an entire pizza like a competitive eater, and casually sipped Mountain Dew, all while making confident eye contact with us for a solid 30 minutes like a slow-burn psychological thriller.
At this point, we realized the bar's customer-to-staff ratio was perfectly balanced -- because there were no customers being served at all. An impressive business model if your goal is to win a Guinness World Record for Most Ignored Guests in a Dining Establishment.
We left hungrier than when we came in, but at least now we have a great story about the bartender who redefined "service industry" to mean "self-service only."
Would I go back? Only if I develop a fetish for disappointment. read more