When Bad Things Happen at Good Restaurants

Tonight I dined for the first time at a restaurant called Mimi’s Café. It took them almost an hour to serve my dinner after I placed my order.

But it was still one of the best dining experiences I’ve enjoyed recently.

Why is that, you wonder? Simple – they may have had a problem that caused the kitchen to back up tonight, but they never forgot their customers. Throughout the entire experience, my server (Sean) was both communicative and attentive, ensuring that I knew what was happening and asking if I needed anything else while I waited. He never let me feel as if I had simply been forgotten or worse, was unwelcome. The entire time, I felt as if my business were important to them.

And that goes quite a long way, as far as I am concerned.

At no time did I believe that they were not honestly trying to get my dinner to me. They were simply backed up. With an excellent view of the kitchen line, I could see that the manager was on top of the orders and that the kitchen was bustling just as hard as the wait staff was.

Did I mention that about the wait staff? Yeah, they were definitely bustling. Almost immediately after I was seated, a server arrived to take my beverage order, which she brought right away. A few minutes later, my server arrived. I had no idea that the first server was not for me. She simply saw a guest that needed a drink and she got it. There was no, ‘but that’s not my table’ attitude here. As I watched the staff, I saw they operated that way the entire time – as a team. They were all about doing whatever it takes to make the customer’s dinner a pleasant one.

So back to my problem. When my dinner finally arrived, it was right after Sean had stopped by to let me know it would be out in less than two minutes and that a manager was going to bring it personally. That manager, Jason, arrived almost on Sean’s heels, and was just as solicitous and apologetic as Sean was.

Did I mention that at no time did I actually get mad or express any frustration or upset? Nope, they were apologetic simply because THEY knew that they were late with my meal. To be perfectly frank, with the bread basket, the soda refills and a good book to read, I really didn’t begin to notice how long it was taking until Sean brought it to my attention first. If he hadn’t, I might have become a bit irate when I realized it on my own. Instead, he headed off the potential for my upset before it happened simply by telling me what was going on.

When Jason delivered my Blackened Chicken & Bleu Cheese Quesadillas, he insisted that they would be taking care of my meal this evening. I explained that wasn’t necessary as I understood things happen, and really appreciated the way they had handled the situation, especially commending Sean. Jason wouldn’t take no for an answer, though, and comped my meal anyway. He also explained that they had been short two cooks this evening, and just never could seem to catch up with the orders. I know that they gave it a good effort, because Jason rarely left the order wheel during my entire visit, directing the kitchen staff, calling for food runners as soon as an order was up, and assisting with preparing the orders with extras like dressing on the side, etc.

Sean stopped by soon after I began eating to see if everything was alright (the food was delicious), and mentioned that he would be packaging a box of their muffins for me to take home. He said they give all first-time customers a box of four muffins (Honey oat bran, buttermilk spice, carrot raisin nut, and low fat blueberry) to take with them, and he was going to include a fifth – their current seasonal specialty muffin in a lemon and cream cheese flavor.

As I said, my meal was delicious – from the bread basket to the quesadillas themselves. Sadly, I did not have room for the dessert I had my eye on, Mimi’s Bread Pudding, but I will most definitely be returning soon to try it!

When I was nearly finished with my meal, Tonda, who I believe was another manager, stopped by to deliver the promised muffins and another apology. She was just as warm and sincere as Jason and Sean had been, and again I was impressed by how important they seem to consider each and every one of their customers.

As I left the restaurant, even the hostess and other employees up front wished me a good evening and extended yet another apology for the long delay on my meal.

I truly felt welcome and my patronage valued. Mimi’s Café is a 30 minute drive from my home and workplace, but it will likely become a new regular spot for me. I cannot say enough good things about them.
How are the muffins, you ask? Well, I am still far too full from my dinner to try one tonight, but they look absolutely scrumptious, and I know just what I will be having for breakfast tomorrow!

Oh, and Sean? The dinner may have been comped, but he more than earned a gratuity. I tipped him $10, which was all the cash I had in my purse. I had planned to pay with debit card, but I don’t think they can run a debit card for just a tip… LOL I hope the tip showed Sean just how much I appreciated his hard work and consideration this evening.

Despite their problems tonight, I mean it when I say I had a very good dining experience. Mistakes happen to everyone, and I can most certainly understand the effect of a busy kitchen being down two workers during the dinner rush. Success in the service industry is not about never making a mistake – it is about how you handle those mistakes when they do happen. It is about treating your customers with respect and consideration. It is about working as a team to ensure that your customers receive value for their hard-earned dollars.

Café Mimi’s not only seems to understand all of this very well, they practice it. Bravo to Sean, Jason, Tonda and the rest of the staff at their location in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on displaying this mindset in everything they did tonight.

Jennifer A. Ray
www.jenaray.com
www.wildonbooks.com