the foundation - bad, bad service
I get sad when a good restaurant goes bad. I always have high praise for The Foundation, a local vegetarian restaurant here in Vancouver. I've worked it into various posts on my other blog and while the service is always slow, I put up with it. I mean, look at that photo of some huge ass nachos I shared with Cornelius in October of 2006. But hey, that was then.
Last night after our first option for a birthday dinner was closed, we headed for our old standby favorite, The Foundation. There was a line up and we waited and waited. And then we got seated and then we waited some more and then our order was taken and we waited for our drinks. After our drinks arrived we kept on waiting. Over an hour passed before 1 meal hit the table...problem was that we ordered 2 meals for our 2 persons. So we tucked into what was on the table (we were freakin' hungry after all). When we finished my meal, Cornelius' meal finally arrived so we ate that up, begrudgingly. The server took the late meal off the bill as compensation. Was that enough? I don't think so. Should we just put up with bad service? Is a place that is hipper-than-thou untouchable? Or am I just a coward, a wimp? Right now I'm holding a serious grudge against this place.
Oh yeah, and I wrote a review of my experience over at dinehere.ca. I'm kickpleat, if you hadn't already guessed. While not a restaurant reviewer, I sure don't like to be disappointed at a restaurant. Hopefully someone at the Foundation hears my cries and banishes the slow service so I can get back to enjoying a Spicy Peanut or a Rogue Grain. Grrrrrr.
Labels: restaurant review, service, the foundation, vancouver
posted by kickpleat at 1:27 PM
10 Comments:
My husband has this self-enacted 5 minute rule. If he sits at a restaurant table and a server does not arrive at our table within the first 5 minutes to take our order, he gets up and leaves. And he does leave...with me in tow. I've seen him do it...no matter how hungry he may be or how hungry I may be.
I think that you did the right thing by writing up a bad review and posting another one on your blog. Word will travel.
I totally agree with you!
We've always appreciated the Foundation's food and prices. Each time we went, we acknowledged that we didn't go there for the service. After 4 years of going a couple times a year (3-4), and a bad birthday experience (all our dishes were chipped and my mum raised hell), I've given up on it.
A group of us (5) got there just before the dinner rush and managed to get one of the few remaining tables. 15 minutes passed before our Hipper-Than-Thou waiter deemed it necessary to approach us. No eye contact, no greeting, nothing.
Okay. I get it that you're a bit younger than me and that you are pissed off that Urban Outfitters is now stocking those Middle Eastern scarves that you FOUND FIRST, but dude, gimme a smile at least!
We let it slide since we were enjoying each other's company so much. But after being served a glass of wine with not one, not two, but THREE dead fruitflies in it and then being given attitude about asking for a new one, then waiting for 3/4 of our table to receive their food (after the rest of us had long since finished our plate), and not so much as a word from our waiter (seriously!), we decided THAT WAS IT.
I realize that paragraph was really just one long sentence, but I'm so glad to have found someone else who refuses to accept shitty service just because. I go out because I want a treat. If I wanted surly service, I'd ask an angsty teenager to serve me at home.
Phew!
Hey Jeannette, you may also wish to post your review/complaint on Chowhound, which has a pretty good reach. Here's a link to Chowhound topics about The Foundation:
http://www.chow.com/search?search%5Bquery%5D=the+foundation+vancouver&x=0&y=0
Also, it is still not too late to write to The Foundation's management to let them know about your shitty experience. At the very least, you will ensure that someone "in charge" there will know they have lost loyal customers and the reasons why.
I hate when shit like that happens!
i completely understand! earlier this year, i went with some friends, and it took them 1 hour and 20 to get nachos, 1 main and 1 appetizer to the table. they ended up comping the nachos.
i don't think there's much point in writing the management, as craig suggests... surely they *know* they are losing money on tables when the turnover time is so slow.
best wishes (and cute shoes) in 2008!
p.s. i fancy michael cera too :)
i don't think i could live by that rule, joanne! if i've got my mind set for something to eat, i don't like coming up with a new plan!
glad to hear that i'm not the only one, lanzers! love the comment about the UO scarf...made me chortle!
craig, thanks for the link via chowhound. i never realized chowhound had local restaurant reviews too! awesome.
thanks for commenting, lissa. it's good to hear from others who are also disappointed in the foundation!
I find I have very little patience for service like that anymore...epsecially after reading of some of the experiences of some of the commenters ( is that even a word?)....anyway sounds like they don't care anymore...which makes me think it won't be long for this world...too bad! I hate it when good restaurants, go bad.
Fair enough Kickpleat :) I'm the same way for the most part.
However, when my husband's blood glucose monitor reads 3.5 - getting any kind of food in his stomach is more important than waiting on a 'sloth of a waiter' to take our order and serve the food in a reasonable amount of time.
Hey - I just set up a blog - check it out!
http://bijoux137.vox.com/
hi joanne, i saw your blog but after leaving a comment, i noticed it wouldn't publish unless i became a member of vox (something i didn't want to do).
:(
Oh, that sucks!
I had no idea...hmm, I hope that I can change that, otherwise I'm outta there.
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