Denny’s Restaurants can be very good, very bad, or somewhere
in between, depending on the location of the store. I suppose that is true with
just about every chain store, but we have noticed this especially at Denny’s,
as we travel frequently and have visited Denny’s in many locations.
Our most recent trip found us eating dinner at Denny’s in
Boerne, Texas, on a Wednesday evening. The restaurant was not crowded when we
arrived at 5:30, but unfortunately, due to some kitchen problems, it was nearly
an hour before we received our food. I realize that things like this happen,
and when it does, you find out just how good or bad a restaurant is.
It would be easy to say, ‘it’s okay, they were shorthanded’,
but it’s really not okay. The true test of a restaurant, or any business for that
matter, is how they handle problems.
It was obvious that the lone cook was working hard to get
the food out, and at one point, we saw what we assumed was the manager, also in
the kitchen helping out. There were some mistakes in our orders, and one meal
was not cooked properly. I realize that a Denny’s cook is not a world-class
chef, and I know they are not getting rich from their salaries. However, I do
expect every cook in every restaurant to make certain that regardless of
whether he/she has enough help, that every dish leaving the kitchen is as
perfect as humanly possible. No matter how busy you are, your job is to produce
excellent food.
Just two weeks before, we had eaten in an IHOP in Waco,
Texas, and as we were seated, I noticed a sign on the wall in their kitchen
that read, ‘If it ain’t perfect, don’t
serve it.’ That is exactly the
attitude that I want to see in every restaurant, regardless of the number of
employees, and regardless of the circumstances. You show your professionalism –
or lack of it – by what you do when the stuff hits the fan, as they say.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t what was
happening at Denny’s in Boerne that night.
Four of us enjoyed our meals, but our fifth member did not
have a good meal, and that should never happen anywhere. You can’t excuse that
away by saying, ‘sorry, we’re shorthanded’. I give the cook credit for getting
four of our meals right, but in a well run restaurant, every meal is right – not just four out of five. I can overlook the
delay in serving the food, but poor quality food for 20% of diners – absolutely
not.
Larry Manch is an author, teacher, guitar player, freelance writer, and columnist.
His books include: 'Twisted Logic: 50 Edgy Flash Fiction
Stories', 'The Toughest Hundred Dollars & Other
Rock & Roll Stories', 'A Sports Junkie', 'The Avery Appointment', 'Between the Fuzzy Parts'. His books are available in paperback and
e-book.
He also writes about
sports for Season Tickets, food and travel on Miles & Meals, and music/guitars on The
Backbeat.
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