In my mind, it is pretty ideal when customers are able to voice what they want to the staff. I definitely encourage them to ask about things they want, or better yet just to voice their tastes so the server can link them up with what they'll like best. The worst that can happen is that we have to say "No, sorry."
Some people may strive to execute their product exactly the way they envisioned and that is the most important aspect to them. If that business model works then good for them. I endeavor to try to make people happy and get them to come back. I want them to be the regulars who will be adventurous on the menu. I want people to come in, have a couple bottles of wine, eat some choice food and enjoy the time spent with their friends and/or family. Impeccable food is a really key element to a great restaurant experience but I feel, in the end, it is more about a great social experience than it is a gastronomical one. The customers who I see returning on a weekly (or more) basis are the ones who know us all by name and can walk up to the kitchen after their meal and ask about the curing process for a leg of pig, or where we buy our rabbits from, or what farm sold us the parsnips they had.
I try to make the best food I can. I definitely adapt (75% of the menu changes based on product availability, so by nature it is in constant flux)
to the whims of the kitchen, the whims of the customer. I try to use sustainable, ecologically friendly products. Why? Because there are more important things in life than food. I'd rather serve someone a happy experience than a flawless one (although the two aren't mutually exclusive, of course) and above all else I strive to respect my staff and my customers as regular people and not judge people by their dietary requirements.
If someone has needs that cannot be met maybe we should go out there and explain why like reasonable human beings instead of being snotty and condescending as if they are incapable of understanding. That way they'll know better for future restaurant excursions and heck, maybe they'll tell all their friends about how awesome your restaurant treats people. |