Posted on 12/15/2004 11:21:51 PM PST by My Favorite Headache
I had to share this with my fellow Freepers. I just got in the door from an evening out with my lady...and our evening ended up with a late meal at the local TGI Friday's in Melbourne,Florida.
Who cares,right?
Well about 45 mins into my meal I took a look around the establishment and noticed something really out of place. I thought to myself "every store I have been in tonight has had some sort of holiday decorations or tree...what gives?".
What gives indeed.
When I excused myself to go to the restroom I saw a flyer that was stapled to the inside of the bathroom door that showed the hours of operation for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and New Years Eve and New Years Day. Open til 2AM on Christmas Day and 10 PM on Christmas Eve....how nice.
But it was what I didn't see that really made the impression. Not one single holiday decoration. Not one light,Christmas Tree,garland,reindeer,santa,tinsel, you name it...it was not there. Bare as can be like it was the middle of August.
So I waited for the waitress to come back to the table to inquire about what exactly was the reason for this? I have forever gone into Friday's for decades and have always seen decorations and Christmas music playing up near the bar. I have always seen waiters and waitresses wearing Santa hats or in the Holiday spirit.
None was to be seen or found. I then was told why.
TGI Friday's has gone out of its way to not promote the holiday except when you walk in the door which there was a mobile hanging from the ceiling that said "instead of cologne..buy gift certificates instead."
This was it?
The waitress continued to explain that since they have adopted a new change in wardrobe (i.e. the new black shirt and black pants instead of red and white striped shirts and pins and buttons)the upper management wants nothing to do with Christmas and feel's it might make the patrons feel uncomfortable if they push the season in their faces. They believe it is an eating establishment...not a place to celebrate one religion's celebration.
My jaw about hit the floor. There it was...in 100% color...Friday's has buckled and sucked it up to the PC police and now are Scrooge with their employee's who are told "business is business and work is work...this is social hour for the customer...not the employee."
Now anyone who has gone to one of these places knows it is the personality of Friday's which has always been a draw not to mention its late hours. It has a social alive feeling and it is a big attraction for ages 19-35. So why would Friday's adopt this ridiculous policy out of the clear blue sky?
I would venture to guess that this "upper management" has their collective head's up their asses.
As for Friday's....thanks but no thanks. Next time...Chili's.
Check out post 59....how did we miss this Fridays troll?
Post New Years Hangovers??? ;)
The term "Jumped the Shark" jumped the shark in 2001....
I still say Fridays can shove it up their ass.
My last time there was about 5 years ago. One is right across the street from my office building. You'd think they'd cater to the lunch crowd.
Well, after waiting for over an hour and a half for our order I was just steamed.
I've never been back since.
Fine. But any green leotards and floppy elf shoes and we'll start talking about you.
I agree completely, and I'm guessing that everyone on this thread does too.
And their patrons can choose whether or not to eat there.
That's one way to put pressure on them to change their style, and I'm in agreement with that too.
Another, more immediate way to pressure them is to use verbal pressure, a complaint to the manager, posting it on FR to spread the word, a slew of phone calls to the corporate office, or a segment on radio or TV to publicly shame them and let investors know what kind of company this is.
These last ideas can have an impact for Christmas 2005, because it allows people who seldom go to TGIF's, like me, to put pressure on them too.
Good catch! I thought the same thing.
LOL..nothing like capturing a troll a year later..lol.
1965
Typical food service employee.
You're 8 months LATE to this thread, just like you are with most food orders, and bitch about your customers.
Go find a union to work for.
Hey, were'd he go? :-)
Actually he was a lib troll...who was 1 year and 8 months late...;)
But I didn't get to play with him :-(
Bad math or not! :-)
As someone who worked as a waiter for a number of years, I was amazed that there weren't more former waiter serial killers from listening to Christmas music from Thanksgiving through New Years!
Mark
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