Good business, Gone Bad.
Relatively new business "Gingham Café" was initially a delightful convenience before their business practices went south, and I stress the word "convenience."
After frequent weekly visits and hundreds upon hundreds of dollars paid for mediocre meals over the last couple years, nevermore will they see another penny from me.
I was recently warned by several other friends that frequented this establishment how ordering a child's menu item would be difficult if my child we're not standing immediately beside me, due to new stipulations that border ridiculousness; This is important to reference because my children attend an establishment in close proximity so often, that I send them on their way while I procure their food. My friend was told by an employee that the business is losing money on their children's menu items due to adults purchasing for themselves (which is most likely not the case given the over 100 children next door and a majority are eating their food on a regular basis) A children's menu item after tax is between $8 and $11. (Typical adult menus item aprox. $10 before tax)
Our frequent purchase is a cold, ham & cheese w/mayo on white bread, with a handful of potato chips and a large ice water. The same meal at Panera Bread Company costs $4.70 after tax, AND THEY BAKE THIER OWN BREAD!
Today the cost was over $10... after thinking about this, I decided I could not in good conscience complete that purchase when I could go next-door and buy all of the ingredients and provide six sandwiches at least. Next, I ordered for the other child that was with me and paid for her meal. A cheese quesadilla comprised of one tortilla a sprinkling of cheese, a fruit cup, and she added chicken for $1.50ish, in total her meal was $10.51 after tax which did include a drink (A comparable meal at Panera would have cost $6.08 after tax).
AND NOW FOR THE GOOD PART:
Once the girls were seated they began to wait on one child's meal and start their homework, while I proceeded to go next-door and purchase food for the other child.
When I arrived back I had the items in a grocery bag all packaged with the grocery bag knotted. I sat down and continued to help one child with their homework while the other child completed the meal that was purchased at that location. It was at this moment I was approached by two women, one I assume was the owner, and told that I would be asked to leave because health regulations would not permit outside food in their establishment. Understanding this rule and having kept my food packaged in a bag where it would only be opened and consumed next door once we departed, I explained this to the ladies as they stood over myself and two children. I did ask if they are rule applied to the candy in my purse or the lunchbox in a book bag at which point she said "I can't control the regulations" and it was inferred that I was being asked to leave a second time. It was degrading and I felt like I had been criminalized after having made a purchase and was not allowed to stay while one child finished her meal. The situation could've been handled in numerous ways that would have gotten their point across without offending the paying customer, but they chose to handle it in a very rude and mannerless way. It will be a cold day in hell before I spend one penny and that establishment. Having been in business for many years and having been the daughter of a restauranteur, I have never seen anyone treat a customer with such rudeness and lack of respect. This is no way to run a business! And for future reference here is the TN regulations : http://share.tn.gov/sos/rules/1200/1200-23/1200-23-01.20150716.pdf
Showing it is not unlawful to bring contained food. (FYI: it is not unlawful to consume it, however they can make it individual policy which is not what they stated when they behaved so rudely. It seems that the owner was not happy with the fact that I only purchased one meal and pursued a second meal elsewhere. She falsely used regulations to back bad behavior.)
In essence, she ran a quiet paying customer out of her establishment AND A CHILD WAS NOT ALLOWED TO FINISH THE MEAL PURCHASED, while the two people waiting on her were reading. read more