Posted on 05/05/2006 12:54:09 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
DES MOINES, Iowa - 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."
"YOU BEEN HERE 4 HOUR... YOU GO NOW!"
Ya think? I totally agree. Nice education those kids are getting.
At the risk of being accused of being mean-spirited, I couldn't help speculating on the size of this family...
"And you know kids. They won't always eat everything and they want something else."
How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?
ping
We go to buffets every now and again, I always tell my kids they will have to eat whatever they put on their plate so go easy....
"You scare my wife!"
This place needs a Buffet-Nazi.
NO BUFFET FOR YOU!
If my kids don't eat everything on their buffet plates, I eat it.
You can order the thicker, tender hand drawn noodles, a thinner, more conventional Mei Fun, or a wide, hand-shaved flat Ho Fun rice noodle. Go for the hand-drawn ones, they really are something special. I love Ho Fun...
The price is the same whether you get one plate or three. What the heck do they care what the customers do with the food? They pay their money, they get a plate of food.
Sounds like they get a plate of food, throw it away, get another plate throw it away ect ect...
Recall, the lawyer mentioned mental disorder...
...compulsive overeating
...panic/anxiety (over not being able to feed)
...depression (over shame of having to leave restaurant)
Easy million for each in damages. That'll buy a lot of crab rangoon.
Think John Edwards will take the case?
I swear I am not making this up. My sister in-laws brother was kicked out of a buffet because he ate an entire steamer tray full of shrimp. As soon as I heard that I said, "Like Homer???"
I wish I could find this classic Dilbert:
Manager, to Dilbert and Dogbert: Hey, you owe $10.00 more.
Dilbert: For what?
Manager: For the food you left on your plate. It's "All you can eat," not "All you can waste."
Dilbert: Dogbert, take it from here.
Dogbert: Technically, it's "All you can eat," not "All you DO eat."
Manager, to himself: Ooh, he's good!
They confronted them when they paid and told them never to come back.
That seems reasonable to me.
One last chance to not waste a bunch of food, and when they failed, that was that.
They paid upon leaving. It's in the story.
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