My friend was an SC tonight.

[Sandiercy]

There is this really cool restaurant across the street from where I live that only charges $4.95 for anything on the menu. Burgers, steak, pasta, the alcohol, everything, except of course non alcoholic beverages. They also do All you can eat nights where the food is $6.95 but as much as you like. Tonight was the AYCE pasta night, awesome spaghetti or mac and cheese. 5 of us went down and absolutely pigged out, ordered drinks, etc. at 11pm at night. Time comes to pay the bill and there is an automatic gratuity on the bill. You would have thought the world had ended. My friend blew up at the waitress swearing and making a ruckus because of the charge. She demanded a manager and told him in no small words that because we went there at least 3 times a week (we do actually) that we should not have been charged a gratuity and that he needed to take it off NOW. Manager pointed out that it said on the menu that groups of 5 or more may be charged AG. That only served to infuriate my friend more and she said that we were never coming back. I was merely sitting in the corner sipping my coke and trying to be inconspicuous. It really wasnt worth arguing with my friend when she was mad so I intend to go back tomorrow and tip the waitress who got stiffed. The gratuity was removed in the end but I am sure that my friends did not tip.

[Sheldonrs]

Reminds me of the saying, "A person who is nice to you but not nice to the waitress is not a nice person.".

[Ashaela]

It's so awkward to sit through something like that and try not to get lumped in with the bad-behavers. :-( My sympathies.

I'm glad you're planning to go back and tip the waitress, and I'm sure she'll appreciate it.

[Crossbow]

Ok, I'm not a fan of automatic gratuity, but I do understand why restaurants do it. If there's a problem with the service level meeting what the AG is set to, I bring it up to the manager.

But I have to agree- your friend's behavior was way out of line. Makes me wonder when she'll do that to someone else...


And that restaurant sounds awesome!

[shopgirl15]

Wish there were a restaurant like that near where I lived. And I would dump that "friend."

[Pagan]

Reminds me of the saying, "A person who is nice to you but not nice to the waitress is not a nice person.".

Ah, yes....the great Dave Barry! One of my favorite writers.