WHO SHOULD MAKE ENTITLED FOOD INFLUENCERS TIP AT CHAOTIC RESTAURANT EVENTS?

Welcome to Ask Eater, a column from Eater Philly where the site’s editor Ernest Owens answers questions from readers on all things Philly food related (hype around certain dishes, dining trends, restaurant etiquette matters, food influencer crazes, service labor problems and more). Have a question for him? Submit your question to [email protected] with the subject line “Ask Eater.”

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Dear Ask Eater,

I serve part-time for a well-known restaurant group in the city who often host food influencer events at their various spots. These events are often unruly, chaotic, and messy with tons of young people – sometimes underage – running around blinding folks with the flash of their cell phones, ordering a bunch of entrées they can’t even pronounce (and won’t eat), getting drunk, being rude, and not tipping. The latter issue has been the most frustrating, because there’s so many of them who come to these events, don’t pay for anything, and leave a lot of the service crew high and dry. The PR person who is in charge of organizing these events doesn’t seem to care and thinks it’s “good for business.” Several of us have complained, and while the restaurant group has gotten better at stepping up to help with managing these events – we still feel overworked and underpaid.

Who should be responsible for fixing this?

Thanks,

A Server Who is Fed Up

Dear A Server Who is Fed Up,

As someone who has attended similar media events throughout the city, I hear you loud and clear. Part of the reason why I have cut back in recent months from attending such gatherings is because I’ve gotten annoyed with the out-of-control entitlement of the food influencer scene in Philly. It’s obvious that a few of them have definitely let some earned (or bought, let’s be honest) followers get to their head. The restaurant group you work for probably thinks the traction is good for business. I’ve heard good and bad stories about the role of food influencing – but etiquette should never be compromised. It’s the responsibility of the company and PR coordinator to mandate that while the food/drink might be complimentary, tipping is mandatory. If folks aren’t tipping, they shouldn’t be invited.

But beyond tipping, this speaks to a larger labor issue. Regardless of whether this event is being hosted in-house or from a private third-party – this is still an event that is outside the scope of regular service flow. Most large events like these have a 20 percent service charge from the party to ensure that servers are paid equitably for their labor. In this case, it seems as if the restaurant group treats these gatherings as a substitution for a typical restaurant night (which I doubt resembles anything like it). As a result, you’re getting paid the standard with the hopes of a tip here and there. That’s not okay, and I suggest that if these events are more frequent than just a one-or-two-a-year ordeal, it might be time to consider other options.

Ernest

Dear Ask Eater,

Full disclosure: My boyfriend is a picky eater. When we go out, he often will “remix” options on the menu to his liking. He’ll switch out the type of cheese on a cheeseburger, change the meat in a stew, ask for a different lettuce in a salad. I think it’s pretty boss-ass, because if you’re going to spend good money, you should be able to customize something to your liking. But things have taken a turn for the left recently because two of some of the best restaurants in the city have adopted tasting menus that are adamant on no substitutions.

What should we do? Are we bugging, or are these restaurants doing the most?

Thanks,

FoodieGurl95

Dear FoodieGurl95,

Quick answer: Yes, you and your boyfriend are bugging. I say all of the following in love and light.

Respectfully, please read the room. We’re in a very fraught economy that has adversely hit the food scene disproportionately. Restaurants aren’t as equipped to waste precious resources and funds to accommodate picky eaters like your boyfriend anymore. It’s one thing to have a food allergy or certain dietary restrictions – but this just seems like a situation where he wants to treat every Philly restaurant like Burger King and have it his way. Yeah, no. Consider this: Great restaurants are culinary experiences that are intended to be enjoyed in the vision of the artist – the chef – whose expertise shapes it. So imagine going to an Italian restaurant and making the chef swap out red sauce for a brown gravy on a lasagna – it’s no longer an Italian dish, it’s something completely different (and arguably worse).

It’s a “chef’s tasting” for a reason. If you and your boyfriend want to give a different take on everything you all eat while dining out – perhaps try cooking at home where you do all of that without potentially being an annoyance to a server.

Ernest

Dear Ask Eater,

This might sound like a dumb question, but it’s really been grinding my gears lately. A large group of my friends love to go to brunch about two times a month. It’s over five of us and whenever the bill comes, it irks me that we’re spending ten minutes splitting the bill. I HATE IT. THE CONSTANT CELL PHONE CALCULATING, EVERY DAMN PENNY PINCHING. I just want to put my card down and split it evenly because we often eat and drink at the same level.

How do I address this? Hopefully this doesn’t sound too basic for this column.

Thanks,

A Bruncher Who is Tired of Cheap Friends

Dear A Bruncher Who is Tired of Cheap Friends,

I think your nickname is self-explanatory and answers the question: Drop the cheap friends who you’re tired of brunching with.

Okay, not that dramatic (don’t cut them from your life, but perhaps don’t eat out with this crew anymore) – but before going full cut-off mode, consider the following idea.

Formulate a game plan upfront when dining with large groups. Choose spots with a pre-fixed menu and make everyone commit to participating to expedite the paying process. If you want to do bottomless, make sure everyone is doing bottomless. Make it clear and have everyone on the same page so that when that bill comes, there’s no blinking and hold up.

This is what happens when I attend dinner parties hosted by friends (all of us know what we’re getting into automatically). Fortunately, Philly has a ton of fun and affordable restaurants with pre-fixed menus and BYOBs (so liquor/wine charges are reduced) that can help with this.

If that can’t be agreed upon, perhaps you should definitely reconsider your brunch crew.

Ernest

2024-04-17T04:04:14Z dg43tfdfdgfd