Stink response

I can't believe you haven't gotten many responses!!! Mine is this...Sh*it like that happens. You're gonna get guys in there checkin' out your place. Some will be tools, and some you won't know. Just take pride in your food and keep your cooks on the same page and all will be cool...'till next rube walks in 'da door.

Peasce and bacon grease,
-Jason

Sounds like a bit of "you're on my block now" syndrome.

I LOVE constructive critisisim, but there are some pricks out there who, just because they are in th industry, feel they are golden.

I would brush it off, and let the locals make the choice...if they prefer you over the other, then that is all that needs to be said.

Critisisim=not about insults, it equals results.

The proof will be in the pudding, as they say. I was in a similar circumstance, -the negative feedback. I had a "niegbhor" praise me and compliment the efforts I was doing to "upscale" the area...untill I had good press. I couldn't even walk past the place without a negative glance thru the windows...then in a moment of being at the right place, at the right time, I heard the head chef of the opposing team talking smack.
You shoulda seen the look on her face when she realizied I was right there.

not to mention when I won the "Best of the beach" awards for most memorable meal, best crabcakes, and best hidden locale.

Let em say what they want, you know what the ultimate bottom line is.

If it weighs that heavily on your mind, write him a letter, which
by the way I would do for any customer that had a less than
satisfactory meal. Ask for specifics. Invite him back for another
meal. Use what he has to say to your advantage. All of us have
a chink in the armor. Rarely is it appropriate to ban or turn someone
away. It sounds like you are doing just fine. As much as I hate
it, not being acknowleged bothers me the most. good luck!!

Some people like to put other people down because it makes them feel better. Let it go and make this a growth experience for you. Concentrate on what you do best and don't lose focus. Take a little time to evaluate what goes on in the kitchen step by step make some small improvements, then get on with your life.

1) You are a better person than him

2) You don't have to call him names

3) You can go through life without insulting people

4) You will be more successful

What else is there? Living well is the best (non)revenge. :)

Carry on!

Alot of good advice there. Just remember this: If someone complains DURING a meal, or takes two bites and then complains, it is in all likelyhood a legitimate complaint, but if someone scrapes their plate clean, then complains bitterly but refuses to say was wrong, it's a crock of sh**.

Sounds like it's your neighbor's way of welcoming you. Perhaps he had to deal with the same crap when he started up, in any case it's no excuse for his behavior. I wouldn't do much, but have your waitstaff be on the alert if he comes back. If he does show up again, smile and nod, but just serve him booze.....

If the guy paid and left a tip, well, sounds like he was drunk. I wouldn't worry about it. Especially since it sounds like he has a history of drinking.

Before you do anything you'll regret...

take a deep breath, pick up a jar of olives and count them, or stuff them...or make something out of them...cut little pumpkin happy faces in them...:p

(Um...don't pretend you're decapitating the guy...LOL)

Sounds to me like he's got a giant cheesegrater up his coulo.

However, I don't think "getting even" is going to make your restaurant any better or you a better person. I mean, he may own a couple of restaurants, but are you honestly going to gauge your talent on someone that is half-pickled?

While I can certainly understand being completely pissed off about the situation, (I do need to emphasize that part) you really don't have to deal with him. He doesn't work for you, you don't work for him and unless he's actually bashing you to other people (which brings in legal issues), it's more just a situation where he has serious personal issues. I'm guessing he feels inadequate in one way or another <professionally or even personally...hence the one too many reputation> and needed to prove himself by comparing your restaurant to his. I sincerely don't even think it was personally directed at your restaurant. Just convenient given the logistics. Or perhaps he heard some good comments or comparisons from some of his customers.

In any event, the way you deal with it? Let it go. Anger takes energy. Revenge just hangs around like a bad fart and follows you around ruining everything around you until it fades.

Just go on making the best Israeli/Med food you can and do. (which sounds wonderful...I love Mediterranean food...lamb, Moroccan seasonings (may or may not qualify, but it's really good...) Lots of lemon, mint and garlic. (We talking Kosher, or?)

When you're angry you're devoting at least part of your personality to it all the time. I personally start to mess up. (too many issues, too few brain cells) I become more accident prone (last thing you need) and my food just doesn't come from that passionate place.

Just so you know, I'm probably one of the LEAST pacifistic people here, but after 50+ years on the planet I've discovered a lot of non-intuitive resolutions to issues that work a lot better. When I was younger it was like: Shoot first, ask questions later and let God sort 'em out. Now? It's more like, I really don't have time for this BS.

I've discovered that an all out war doesn't piss 'em off as much as ignoring them. Treat them like that oddball customer that you can't even please if they wanted their water wet. Like someone that you'll never see again (except at functions) and let them stew <alone> in their little unhappy unsatisfied bubble. Don't let him drag you into his.

He feels (or wants to feel) superior enough to be able to rag on your cuisine. The worst way to get stuck in someone's craw that's like that is to not care. <Um...what? Did you say something? :lol: "I said your food stinks"...Oh, that's nice...could you please pass the salt?">

You ever hear the expressions: If you don't run somone can't chase you...or, it takes two people to argue, or you can't get into a shoving match if you don't shove back.

OKOK...so it IS sort of a Ghandi thing, but in this instance it really works.
Don't lose any sleep over it, he's not paying the bills.

Also, ya gotta ask yourself a question: Why, with all of the Kudos you've gotten, are you so concerned with this one guy? Hundreds of compliments and this one Pissed on his A** (an Aussie term for totally plowed) 'chef' is the one you are concerned about? I emphasize about him not paying the bills.

You're right about critique, but obviously this was not what he intended, and I'm betting your new chef is just as brilliant as you are. If you let on to this other 'Chef' that he got to you he will automatically have won the war.

You also might want to consider that it might backfire and you could be accused of bad-mouthing him? Since people down the track weren't directly involved in this incidence I would be really really careful. They won't have a clue and you could make your restaurant look really bad.

Hope this helps...

Olives...think olives...

April
:roll:

I totally agree with Aprilb and pretty much everyone else. Shrug it off and move on. I'm guessing you came to that conclusion anyway. Also, I would like to say,

AprilB:
"Revenge just hangs around like a bad fart and follows you around ruining everything around you until it fades."

I Couldn't possibly have put it better.

Tony

Can I use that in my sig April? :D

My advice is to do nothing and don't feel like you need to agonize over and rethink everyhing you do. Maybe everything was fine, maybe there were true problems, maybe he was drunk, maybe he was wrong, maybe he was right.

There is nothing you can do about it.

Just keep doing your job, do it as well as you can and don't put your heart into worrying about what one person says about your work. At most, use it as a reminder that people are thinking about your work and it is important enough for someone to take the time to comment, right or wrong.

The restaurant business is filled with jealousy, envy, know-it-allsand wanna-be's. On the other hand, it also has some very smart, creative and generous
people. You just hand a run-in with one of the first variety. Remeber, any true professional with a serious criticism, of the constructive variety, would have handled a genuine comment differently.

Never, ever, let another dictate your response. That is yours alone. And Belongs to You. The above are right. Very right. To fall to the foolishness of anger, or fear, (angers first cousin) is to give your power to another person. Don't do that. You are standing on your own feet, not stumbling as your apparent rival may. So much better to sing to the room, " how lovely to see you back, again", than terse reception. I think you have it under control now, and jolly good for you, it isn't easy to fight fair. Never was.

My advice is to do nothing and don't feel like you need to agonize over and rethink everyhing you do. Maybe everything was fine, maybe there were true problems, maybe he was drunk, maybe he was wrong, maybe he was right.

There is nothing you can do about it.

Just keep doing your job, do it as well as you can and don't put your heart into worrying about what one person says about your work. At most, use it as a reminder that people are thinking about your work and it is important enough for someone to take the time to comment, right or wrong.

The restaurant business is filled with jealousy, envy, know-it-alls and wanna-be's. On the other hand, it also has some very smart, creative and generous
people. You just hand a run-in with one of the first variety. Remeber, any true professional with a serious criticism, of the constructive variety, would have handled a genuine comment differently.

heh - feedback is good positive or negative. it all tells you what is going well and what is going wrong. negative feedback without specifics is that - pointless whingeing (would you like some cheese with your whine?).

*oops been a bit distracted - the tv show "The L Word" is on, and boy is it pathetic - as the germans would say "Scheisen-Hausen" or in plain parlance - so bad that im not surprised that it on at 12am

But i digress, getting back to this feedback, i really wouldnt worry, work a little harder and offer to employ him and his minions as you bury his business in your wake.

oh yeah, AprilB - you in Aus? just curious - in syd myself - work for temp agency.