Posted on 05/06/2006 6:03:28 AM PDT by Grendel9
Wendy Dershem may think twice before leaving that egg roll on her plate at her next Chinese buffet. The Des Moines woman, her boyfriend and her two children were kicked out of a restaurant last week after management accused her of leaving too much food on her plate.
"They told us we are not welcome there anymore," said Dershem, a repeat customer at the Dragon House buffet. "We waste too much food. But the buffet is all you can eat. And you know kids. They won't always eat everything and they want something else."
Dershem said she paid her $5.95 fee on Saturday but was abruptly told to leave after eating one plate of food.
Employees said they had been watching her family on previous trips to the restaurant and were fed up with her habits.
"They just take one bite and throw it away," said cashier Lin Huyen. "They take four egg rolls and crab ragoon, take one bite of egg roll and throw the whole plate. That is wasting food."
Dershem said she was shocked by the scolding and complained to management when she paid her check. "It was embarrassing. ... If it's a one-stop buffet, post it," she said.
Dragon House manager Kent Cao said his restaurant offers all you can eat buffet, not all you can waste. Dershem's family took food, didn't finish it and then piled on the same food again, he said.
"Shes done that too many times," Cao said. "We would welcome her back if she has respect and knows what she wants."
Bob Oberbillig, an adjunct professor at the Drake Legal Clinic, says the patron would have no legal case against exclusion from a business unless there are other factors such as racial discrimination or mental health issues.
"An establishment can exclude people if they smoke or waste food," he said. "It's still a private business."
Raised in the Depression, I heard "Eat everything on your plate; wasting food is a sin." We have taught the young people in our family to respect those who have to clean off their plates at a restaurant. When they were young, they were told if they left anything on their plate, they received no ice cream/dessert. That never failed to clean the plates.
I've been sickened by the sight of adults leaving so much expensive food on their plates at Vegas Buffets.
This description pretty much tells us what kind of people we're dealing with here.
However, today's children are spoiled brats, totally without discipline.
Most likely the restaurant will pay a price for removing these people.
I support the restaurant. If the mother had to pay for each dish her children had in front of them, she wouldn't be so casual of their changing their minds and not wanting the food.
I, too, side with the owners. This hits their bottom line, and business owners decide all the time whether or not to continue to do business with different customers, depending on hassle/profit factors.
Yeah, and I know irresponsible parents who foist their obnoxious kids on others.
The owner OWNS the place. He can do whatever he wants. (until a court tells him he can't discriminate against people with ill mannered kids).
"If the mother had to pay for each dish her children had in front of them, she wouldn't be so casual..."
And there you hit the nail on the head. This is exactly what socialized medice woud give us, as well as all the other social programs we have.
"You go home now, fatboy! You been here four hour! You frighten my wife! You eat more than killer whale! Sign say 'All you can eat' not 'You eat all'!"
I do too. I've seen sinful amounts of food wasted at buffets. I would be embarrassed to get up, walk out and leave the place trashed with wasted food all over the table as some people do.
"However, today's children are spoiled brats, totally without discipline."
Hey while I agree with what you mean to say, let's remember that not all of this generation is without discipline (some are fighting the GWOT)
...and if they are, blame the generation raising them who are too lazy or scared to instill that discipline.
Does anyone else remember the sign over the chow line in recruit training?
TAKE ALL YOU WANT; EAT ALL YOU TAKE
I got kicked out of an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet once. After finishing off my fourth plate, the manager approached me and told me it was time for me to leave. I exclaimed, "But, but I thought this was an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet?" He replied, "Well sir, that's all you can eat."
exactly
I have heard more news on this, than what the article lists. Apparently what irked the owners is that this "family" had been in there on a couple previous occassions. They would eat maybe one bite of something, then go back, and get the exact same type of food from the buffet on a different plate.
I gotta side with the owners on this one. I would side with a diner, if he got a big helping of beans, or General Cao's Chicken, it tastes like crap, so you leave the whole serving. But if you go back, and get a 2nd serving of the same "crap", then I have to favor in side of the restaurant.
The profitability of these "all you can eat" establishments is predicated on the fact that a human stomach can only hold so much food.
LOL!
"Ever been to an Indian restaurant? Bring a sandwich. They're starving in India, you know... cause the food sucks!"
After being forced to accommodate all races, sexes, and handicaps, it's good to hear that a business owner still has a few rights left.
Shouldn't this be in Breaking News. (/sarcasm)
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