Restaurants have gotten so expensive……also recycling and phone apps (3 Viewers)

[Joe Bryant]

And good example of how a server can make or break a business.

As I said, service today at lunch was pretty bad. Slow and drawn out.

But the curry I had was great.

I was thinking though this might be the last time there for a while.

I had some curry left but no more rice.

The owner came over at the end and I asked for a to go container. She said, "Of course. And may I get you a container of rice to go as well?"

She thought ahead to what I would want. And for the price of a cup of cooked rice, (not much), she saved a customer.

 

[Drunken knight]

up properly? I was assured 1 was "enough for the table". Sure enough, it came cut in half, and we had to figure out how to cut it into 5 pieces, ultimately destroying the sandwich in the process. How exactly is a menu item like this "meant to be shared?"

My point is if you're going to say your dishes are meant to be shared, or if it's implied by being an appetizer, make sure it's actually easily sharable by the number of people at the table. I understand this might cost more and I'm more than willing to pay.

Shared implies 2. Not 5. That would be family style. And no chef is going to cut a sandwich into 5 pieces. As you discovered, it destroys the sandwich. In your example what would you want, 2.5 bagels? And you know how big a bagel is, there’s no way one is going to serve 5 People.

That's my point. I don't expect them to split one bagel into five pieces. But why tell us that the dishes are meant to be shared if they really aren't? At places like this, that's the first thing the servers will say, that their dishes are meant to be shared. I then proceed to roll my eyes when I see things like bagel sandwiches or burgers which can't easily be shared. An easily shared burger would come out as sliders that match the number of people at the table, charged appropriately.

Part of this is also my wife's fault. I told her ordering a bagel would be a bad choice to try and split amongst the five of us, but it falls on deaf ears.

And wait..are these sandwiches listed as apps, or are they in the entree/main dish area? Because if they are, I can’t stress this enough, shared means between 2 people.

No. These are restaurants where the whole menu is meant to be shared. Some of them call it family style. Getting more and more common.

if the concept is small plate/tapas/dim sum, etc we can expect share to include more than two. that is hard to envision for bagels and certain sandwiches.

I am not sure building a menu around "create your own sized appetizer" is a reasonable ask.

now, if you have five in your party and your spring roll app has four pieces, i see nothing wrong with asking the server/chef if there is a way to add pieces to the order (as you mention- at a cost).

I think part of the problem is that small sharable plate restaurants are trending right now, but they aren't serving the right kind of plates, like my bagel example.

For the spring rolls example, is it really that hard for the kitchen to just add the fifth and match it to the party size? I assume they are making a ton of spring rolls anyway for the dinner service. Matching the number of pieces should just be a plating issue.

i would agree that the menu should be more clear with expectations/plate.

Let's take this to an extreme:

tapas restaurant-
should a server have to ask the table "how many would like the croquets?" for every item ordered?

for cost, waste, and efficiency it should be noted how many are in an order. table should decide how many orders imo

The menu should say Croquets.... $2.50/piece. The table orders however many they want. That way, a table of 3 can get 3, and a table of 5 can get 5 instead of both tables getting 4. Either way, the kitchen is making 8.

this would be very burdensome for the servers and cooks/chefs, and a poor business model in F&B. tremendously inefficient and costly as a general practice.

For things like burgers/sandwiches, put this in the non-sharable part of the menu and don't instruct your servers to tell the tables that the entire menu is sharable so people like my wife dont try to order a bagel to share between 5 of us.

This i completely agree with

Agreed. And it would lead to single orders on things as well. “I’ll have one shrimp please. And a water. With extra lemons and sugar on the side”.

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I'm Gonna Git You Sucka - One Rib!: Hammer (Isaac Hayes) is at the end of his rope when a cheap customer (Chris Rock) comes into his rib joint with some spec...

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[Mister CIA]

Obligatory: Scoresman orders toast

 

[DA RAIDERS]

up properly? I was assured 1 was "enough for the table". Sure enough, it came cut in half, and we had to figure out how to cut it into 5 pieces, ultimately destroying the sandwich in the process. How exactly is a menu item like this "meant to be shared?"

My point is if you're going to say your dishes are meant to be shared, or if it's implied by being an appetizer, make sure it's actually easily sharable by the number of people at the table. I understand this might cost more and I'm more than willing to pay.

Shared implies 2. Not 5. That would be family style. And no chef is going to cut a sandwich into 5 pieces. As you discovered, it destroys the sandwich. In your example what would you want, 2.5 bagels? And you know how big a bagel is, there’s no way one is going to serve 5 People.

That's my point. I don't expect them to split one bagel into five pieces. But why tell us that the dishes are meant to be shared if they really aren't? At places like this, that's the first thing the servers will say, that their dishes are meant to be shared. I then proceed to roll my eyes when I see things like bagel sandwiches or burgers which can't easily be shared. An easily shared burger would come out as sliders that match the number of people at the table, charged appropriately.

Part of this is also my wife's fault. I told her ordering a bagel would be a bad choice to try and split amongst the five of us, but it falls on deaf ears.

And wait..are these sandwiches listed as apps, or are they in the entree/main dish area? Because if they are, I can’t stress this enough, shared means between 2 people.

No. These are restaurants where the whole menu is meant to be shared. Some of them call it family style. Getting more and more common.

if the concept is small plate/tapas/dim sum, etc we can expect share to include more than two. that is hard to envision for bagels and certain sandwiches.

I am not sure building a menu around "create your own sized appetizer" is a reasonable ask.

now, if you have five in your party and your spring roll app has four pieces, i see nothing wrong with asking the server/chef if there is a way to add pieces to the order (as you mention- at a cost).

I think part of the problem is that small sharable plate restaurants are trending right now, but they aren't serving the right kind of plates, like my bagel example.

For the spring rolls example, is it really that hard for the kitchen to just add the fifth and match it to the party size? I assume they are making a ton of spring rolls anyway for the dinner service. Matching the number of pieces should just be a plating issue.

i would agree that the menu should be more clear with expectations/plate.

Let's take this to an extreme:

tapas restaurant-
should a server have to ask the table "how many would like the croquets?" for every item ordered?

for cost, waste, and efficiency it should be noted how many are in an order. table should decide how many orders imo

The menu should say Croquets.... $2.50/piece. The table orders however many they want. That way, a table of 3 can get 3, and a table of 5 can get 5 instead of both tables getting 4. Either way, the kitchen is making 8.

this would be very burdensome for the servers and cooks/chefs, and a poor business model in F&B. tremendously inefficient and costly as a general practice.

For things like burgers/sandwiches, put this in the non-sharable part of the menu and don't instruct your servers to tell the tables that the entire menu is sharable so people like my wife dont try to order a bagel to share between 5 of us.

This i completely agree with

Agreed. And it would lead to single orders on things as well. “I’ll have one shrimp please. And a water. With extra lemons and sugar on the side”.

Although it does work with Sushi

In Most sushi places an order of nigiri is 2 pieces. Some will do single pieces, but the usual order is for 2 pieces.

I mean yes, but that's the same concept, isn't it? I guess it's a little different because any nice sushi place is handmaking it right when you order, to order too.

It comes down to money. Same thing with the single shrimp example above. Sushi place would rather sell you 3 orders of $8 nigiri, than 3 orders of $4 dollar single pieces. They’d never stay in business that way.

 

[General Malaise]

Do people ever ask to share soup?

Yes

Oh my....one bowl, two spoons or are they asking for extra bowls to split the soup? You know what, nevermind. I was trying to be a jocular, but I'm reminded of the famous expression: “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”

 

[Doug B]

there are a lot of moving parts in a busy kitchen. having to calculate each dish for every table is going to create back ups and mistakes even with high skilled individuals.

Some diners may imagine that some finger-food-type appetizers are commonly made in large quantities and then plucked from a big pile at plating time. Sort of like french fries at a fast-food place. I'm not going to say that's never done (for instance, I know that the Olive Garden used to have a warming drawer full of breadsticks), but I don't think it's the rule -- and especially not at higher-end places.

 

[Drunken knight]

@Scoresman

Special orders disrupt the flow in the kitchen. that system would turn every table into a special order.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Do people ever ask to share soup?

Yes

Oh my....one bowl, two spoons or are they asking for extra bowls to split the soup? You know what, nevermind. I was trying to be a jocular, but I'm reminded of the famous expression: “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”

Both

 

[Drunken knight]

there are a lot of moving parts in a busy kitchen. having to calculate each dish for every table is going to create back ups and mistakes even with high skilled individuals.

Some diners may imagine that some finger-food-type appetizers are commonly made in large quantities and then plucked from a big pile at plating time. Sort of like french fries at a fast-food place. I'm not going to say that's never done (for instance, I know that the Olive Garden used to have a warming drawer full of breadsticks), but I don't think it's the rule -- and especially not at higher-end places.

well- it is often the case. i was in fine dining and i think there may be five times or less we have not been able to accommodate a request, i really have no problem with a table asking for x,y,or z. to make that standard for every table would be crippling and disrupt service.

 

[Scoresman]

there are a lot of moving parts in a busy kitchen. having to calculate each dish for every table is going to create back ups and mistakes even with high skilled individuals.

Some diners may imagine that some finger-food-type appetizers are commonly made in large quantities and then plucked from a big pile at plating time. Sort of like french fries at a fast-food place. I'm not going to say that's never done (for instance, I know that the Olive Garden used to have a warming drawer full of breadsticks), but I don't think it's the rule -- and especially not at higher-end places.

Most of the restaurants I'm talking about are very small, 10 tables max.

 

[Joe Bryant]

@Scoresman

Special orders disrupt the flow in the kitchen. that system would turn every table into a special order.

The military chain of command in a kitchen can seem a little odd to an outsider. But the reality is it's needed to handle a busy kitchen.

And like any business fulfilling orders, the more consistent and standard they are, the better the system works. Especially under stress. It's why places get touchy about substitutions.

Many diners simply don't understand. It's simple to leave the broccoli out of the stir fry you're making at home.

Leaving out the broccoli for the restaurant kitchen trying to put out 100 plates an hour is a completely different situation.

 

[Instinctive]

up properly? I was assured 1 was "enough for the table". Sure enough, it came cut in half, and we had to figure out how to cut it into 5 pieces, ultimately destroying the sandwich in the process. How exactly is a menu item like this "meant to be shared?"

My point is if you're going to say your dishes are meant to be shared, or if it's implied by being an appetizer, make sure it's actually easily sharable by the number of people at the table. I understand this might cost more and I'm more than willing to pay.

Shared implies 2. Not 5. That would be family style. And no chef is going to cut a sandwich into 5 pieces. As you discovered, it destroys the sandwich. In your example what would you want, 2.5 bagels? And you know how big a bagel is, there’s no way one is going to serve 5 People.

That's my point. I don't expect them to split one bagel into five pieces. But why tell us that the dishes are meant to be shared if they really aren't? At places like this, that's the first thing the servers will say, that their dishes are meant to be shared. I then proceed to roll my eyes when I see things like bagel sandwiches or burgers which can't easily be shared. An easily shared burger would come out as sliders that match the number of people at the table, charged appropriately.

Part of this is also my wife's fault. I told her ordering a bagel would be a bad choice to try and split amongst the five of us, but it falls on deaf ears.

And wait..are these sandwiches listed as apps, or are they in the entree/main dish area? Because if they are, I can’t stress this enough, shared means between 2 people.

No. These are restaurants where the whole menu is meant to be shared. Some of them call it family style. Getting more and more common.

if the concept is small plate/tapas/dim sum, etc we can expect share to include more than two. that is hard to envision for bagels and certain sandwiches.

I am not sure building a menu around "create your own sized appetizer" is a reasonable ask.

now, if you have five in your party and your spring roll app has four pieces, i see nothing wrong with asking the server/chef if there is a way to add pieces to the order (as you mention- at a cost).

I think part of the problem is that small sharable plate restaurants are trending right now, but they aren't serving the right kind of plates, like my bagel example.

For the spring rolls example, is it really that hard for the kitchen to just add the fifth and match it to the party size? I assume they are making a ton of spring rolls anyway for the dinner service. Matching the number of pieces should just be a plating issue.

i would agree that the menu should be more clear with expectations/plate.

Let's take this to an extreme:

tapas restaurant-
should a server have to ask the table "how many would like the croquets?" for every item ordered?

for cost, waste, and efficiency it should be noted how many are in an order. table should decide how many orders imo

The menu should say Croquets.... $2.50/piece. The table orders however many they want. That way, a table of 3 can get 3, and a table of 5 can get 5 instead of both tables getting 4. Either way, the kitchen is making 8.

this would be very burdensome for the servers and cooks/chefs, and a poor business model in F&B. tremendously inefficient and costly as a general practice.

For things like burgers/sandwiches, put this in the non-sharable part of the menu and don't instruct your servers to tell the tables that the entire menu is sharable so people like my wife dont try to order a bagel to share between 5 of us.

This i completely agree with

Agreed. And it would lead to single orders on things as well. “I’ll have one shrimp please. And a water. With extra lemons and sugar on the side”.

Although it does work with Sushi

In Most sushi places an order of nigiri is 2 pieces. Some will do single pieces, but the usual order is for 2 pieces.

I mean yes, but that's the same concept, isn't it? I guess it's a little different because any nice sushi place is handmaking it right when you order, to order too.

It comes down to money. Same thing with the single shrimp example above. Sushi place would rather sell you 3 orders of $8 nigiri, than 3 orders of $4 dollar single pieces. They’d never stay in business that way.

Right, sorry, I'm not being clear: You'd think more tapas-style places would take a similar tact and make smaller dishes if meant to be shareable, with a clear implication that you should order multiple of the dish. Which works in sushi. Not suggesting "they should let you order one" more suggesting "some dishes coming with three and some 5 and some 2 is weird when your goal is to be a shareable place." I'm surprised the economics work out such that for things which are all generally small bites, sometimes it makes sense to serve them in different quantities. Like I get it for your crispy potatoes - there's probably like "1/2 pound" as the amount in each dish in kitchen vs "14 pieces of potato" but for many things it seems odd to me that sometimes it's 3 pieces sometimes 2 sometimes 5.

I don't know enough about restaurant prep to know if that only works in sushi, but I do think it's a bit odd that a shareable place has a plate of anything other than paella that's meant for more than 2 people sharing, and clearly menus are coming off that way.

Why is that?

 

[Instinctive]

I'm engaging a lot here because lately I've noticed a couple spots in Dallas where it just really makes sense to have some simple food, and have looked into all the permitting and it seems fairly reasonable, and am really learning a lot from a lot of areas how you would design a small food truck/concession-type business for these huge parks with a mix of youth and intramural adult activities that are jam packed on the weekends from like March-June and Sep-Nov.

 

[Doug B]

Most of the restaurants I'm talking about are very small, 10 tables max.

Depending on many factors (slow time of day, great much-valued customer, congenial staff/cook, level of personal service, etc.), a small restaurant like that would probably have an easier time handling one-off orders than a big place that's always wall-to-wall slammed.

 

[Scoresman]

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

One egg roll won't. But it's not just one egg roll.

 

[Scoresman]

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

One egg roll won't. But it's not just one egg roll.

Fine, 10 egg rolls then. I understand how it wouldn't work in an Olive Garden type mega restaurant, but in small mom and pops, come on.

 

[General Malaise]

In case there was ever any doubt that "THEY" are monitoring "US", this article just hit my home page:

A $22 burrito? San Francisco restaurant owner says he's keeping up with inflation​

A $22 burrito? San Francisco restaurant owner says he's keeping up with inflation

A Mexican restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District, La Vaca Birria is catching attention after raising the price of its signature burrito from $11 to $22, a move that owner Ricardo Lopez says is necessary to break even with inflation.

www.yahoo.com

A restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission District is catching attention online after recently bumping the price of its signature burrito from $11 to $22.

The owner of La Vaca Birria says it’s not an attempt to make more money, but an attempt to continue to break even as prices for everything rise.

When you walk into the restaurant, it smells, “either like birria, or charcoal,” said Ricardo Lopez, owner of La Vaca Birria.

For the last two years, he has operated the spot -- built out of a former record store in the Mission.

His vision has been to make the kind of food his aunts, uncles and mother used to make — but kicked up a notch.

The only problem is, the price of nearly everything he uses to make his food has gone up. Like onions for example.

“Before COVID, they were like $9 a sack at Restaurant Depot, I used to pick them up. During COVID, and after, it was $40 dollars. Right now, it’s $80,” said Lopez.

Their signature burrito is the most popular and nearly every ingredient that goes into it has doubled in cost. That’s the reason the owner said its price has, too.


In fact, the latest Consumer Price Index shows prices for food, gas and housing all rose last month nationwide.

To be fair, Lopez has also made a conscious decision to buy premium beef to make his birria — which is Mexican marinated beef.

And has chosen not to buy any prepared foods from suppliers. Meaning everything is made from scratch — with the exception of the tortillas — which he gets from a local shop.

And all that effort is also reflected in the prices.

“The food that you make in your pueblo back in Mexico, it’s very labor intensive,” said Lopez. “And the only way you get that here is at those fine dining restaurants, doing everything from scratch.”

Judging from the lunch rush on Tuesday, his decision not to skimp on ingredients, or cut staff, seems to be paying off.

“If it just takes us as consumers to pay a little bit more to support people’s dreams, and get really good food back, then that’s fine with me,” said customer Rain Damon Espinas.

And Lopez said he knows people can choose to go to the burrito shop a few doors down for a $9 dollar option, which he says is good too.

And for regulars who have decided to cut back, Lopez said, “It’s either that or keep the price the same, don’t make any money and we close our doors at one point.”

 

[General Malaise]

$80 for a sack of onions????? C'mon....is that true?

 

[Drunken knight]

$80 for a sack of onions????? C'mon....is that true?

50 # of yellow onions= about $32
red= about $ 21

 

[Mister CIA]

Do people ever ask to share soup?

Yes

Oh my....one bowl, two spoons or are they asking for extra bowls to split the soup? You know what, nevermind. I was trying to be a jocular, but I'm reminded of the famous expression: “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.”

What about split-pea soup? Mind blown.

 

[General Malaise]

$80 for a sack of onions????? C'mon....is that true?

50 # of yellow onions= about $32
red= about $ 21

So either this guy is full of crap or he's in San Francisco and everything there is 2.5x what the rest of us pay?

 

[Hawks64]

$80 for a sack of onions????? C'mon....is that true?

Can't see their prices online, but looking at a San Fran flyer, seems like it could be legit.

 

[Scoresman]

$80 for a sack of onions????? C'mon....is that true?

50 # of yellow onions= about $32
red= about $ 21

So either this guy is full of crap or he's in San Francisco and everything there is 2.5x what the rest of us pay?

He can charge $22 for a burrito because in comparison, everywhere else in the country sells a drastically inferior product. Something I definitely took for granted when I lived there.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Do people ever ask to share soup?

Yes

Hopefully they're able to order by the fluid ounce, in a correctly partitioned bowl.

 

[Mister CIA]

Do people ever ask to share soup?

Yes

Hopefully they're able to order by the fluid ounce, in a correctly partitioned bowl.

Is now a good time to talk about the metric system, y'all?

 

[Drunken knight]

$80 for a sack of onions????? C'mon....is that true?

50 # of yellow onions= about $32
red= about $ 21

So either this guy is full of crap or he's in San Francisco and everything there is 2.5x what the rest of us pay?

i am in sonoma.. same market. that would be a huge deviation in the market right now

 

[DA RAIDERS]

up properly? I was assured 1 was "enough for the table". Sure enough, it came cut in half, and we had to figure out how to cut it into 5 pieces, ultimately destroying the sandwich in the process. How exactly is a menu item like this "meant to be shared?"

My point is if you're going to say your dishes are meant to be shared, or if it's implied by being an appetizer, make sure it's actually easily sharable by the number of people at the table. I understand this might cost more and I'm more than willing to pay.

Shared implies 2. Not 5. That would be family style. And no chef is going to cut a sandwich into 5 pieces. As you discovered, it destroys the sandwich. In your example what would you want, 2.5 bagels? And you know how big a bagel is, there’s no way one is going to serve 5 People.

That's my point. I don't expect them to split one bagel into five pieces. But why tell us that the dishes are meant to be shared if they really aren't? At places like this, that's the first thing the servers will say, that their dishes are meant to be shared. I then proceed to roll my eyes when I see things like bagel sandwiches or burgers which can't easily be shared. An easily shared burger would come out as sliders that match the number of people at the table, charged appropriately.

Part of this is also my wife's fault. I told her ordering a bagel would be a bad choice to try and split amongst the five of us, but it falls on deaf ears.

And wait..are these sandwiches listed as apps, or are they in the entree/main dish area? Because if they are, I can’t stress this enough, shared means between 2 people.

No. These are restaurants where the whole menu is meant to be shared. Some of them call it family style. Getting more and more common.

if the concept is small plate/tapas/dim sum, etc we can expect share to include more than two. that is hard to envision for bagels and certain sandwiches.

I am not sure building a menu around "create your own sized appetizer" is a reasonable ask.

now, if you have five in your party and your spring roll app has four pieces, i see nothing wrong with asking the server/chef if there is a way to add pieces to the order (as you mention- at a cost).

I think part of the problem is that small sharable plate restaurants are trending right now, but they aren't serving the right kind of plates, like my bagel example.

For the spring rolls example, is it really that hard for the kitchen to just add the fifth and match it to the party size? I assume they are making a ton of spring rolls anyway for the dinner service. Matching the number of pieces should just be a plating issue.

i would agree that the menu should be more clear with expectations/plate.

Let's take this to an extreme:

tapas restaurant-
should a server have to ask the table "how many would like the croquets?" for every item ordered?

for cost, waste, and efficiency it should be noted how many are in an order. table should decide how many orders imo

The menu should say Croquets.... $2.50/piece. The table orders however many they want. That way, a table of 3 can get 3, and a table of 5 can get 5 instead of both tables getting 4. Either way, the kitchen is making 8.

this would be very burdensome for the servers and cooks/chefs, and a poor business model in F&B. tremendously inefficient and costly as a general practice.

For things like burgers/sandwiches, put this in the non-sharable part of the menu and don't instruct your servers to tell the tables that the entire menu is sharable so people like my wife dont try to order a bagel to share between 5 of us.

This i completely agree with

Agreed. And it would lead to single orders on things as well. “I’ll have one shrimp please. And a water. With extra lemons and sugar on the side”.

Although it does work with Sushi

In Most sushi places an order of nigiri is 2 pieces. Some will do single pieces, but the usual order is for 2 pieces.

I mean yes, but that's the same concept, isn't it? I guess it's a little different because any nice sushi place is handmaking it right when you order, to order too.

It comes down to money. Same thing with the single shrimp example above. Sushi place would rather sell you 3 orders of $8 nigiri, than 3 orders of $4 dollar single pieces. They’d never stay in business that way.

Right, sorry, I'm not being clear: You'd think more tapas-style places would take a similar tact and make smaller dishes if meant to be shareable, with a clear implication that you should order multiple of the dish. Which works in sushi. Not suggesting "they should let you order one" more suggesting "some dishes coming with three and some 5 and some 2 is weird when your goal is to be a shareable place." I'm surprised the economics work out such that for things which are all generally small bites, sometimes it makes sense to serve them in different quantities. Like I get it for your crispy potatoes - there's probably like "1/2 pound" as the amount in each dish in kitchen vs "14 pieces of potato" but for many things it seems odd to me that sometimes it's 3 pieces sometimes 2 sometimes 5.

I don't know enough about restaurant prep to know if that only works in sushi, but I do think it's a bit odd that a shareable place has a plate of anything other than paella that's meant for more than 2 people sharing, and clearly menus are coming off that way.

Why is that?

For some reason, I’m not following. Menu creation is complex. A true tapas restaurant’s portions will be small. Shareable between 2, maybe 3. Paella is not a tapa. It’s a family style entree. Price dictates portions/number of pieces. Patatas bravas will be a larger portion than Gambas al allijo(garlic shrimp) just based on cost. Americans expect enormous portions. The tapas concept isn’t based on big portions.

For @Scoresman to get 5 scallops at my place it would turn into a $44 dollar app. Pricey. But totally do-able. But to increase the size of the octopus is not possible. You can get 2 orders, but not 1.5. There are multiple factors in portion size, cost prep and what you think the guest wants/will pay for. We do true Japanese wagyu sometimes. It sells better at $50/oz with a 4 oz minimum than just selling a $200 four oz piece. People are weird.

 

[Terminalxylem]

up properly? I was assured 1 was "enough for the table". Sure enough, it came cut in half, and we had to figure out how to cut it into 5 pieces, ultimately destroying the sandwich in the process. How exactly is a menu item like this "meant to be shared?"

My point is if you're going to say your dishes are meant to be shared, or if it's implied by being an appetizer, make sure it's actually easily sharable by the number of people at the table. I understand this might cost more and I'm more than willing to pay.

Shared implies 2. Not 5. That would be family style. And no chef is going to cut a sandwich into 5 pieces. As you discovered, it destroys the sandwich. In your example what would you want, 2.5 bagels? And you know how big a bagel is, there’s no way one is going to serve 5 People.

That's my point. I don't expect them to split one bagel into five pieces. But why tell us that the dishes are meant to be shared if they really aren't? At places like this, that's the first thing the servers will say, that their dishes are meant to be shared. I then proceed to roll my eyes when I see things like bagel sandwiches or burgers which can't easily be shared. An easily shared burger would come out as sliders that match the number of people at the table, charged appropriately.

Part of this is also my wife's fault. I told her ordering a bagel would be a bad choice to try and split amongst the five of us, but it falls on deaf ears.

And wait..are these sandwiches listed as apps, or are they in the entree/main dish area? Because if they are, I can’t stress this enough, shared means between 2 people.

No. These are restaurants where the whole menu is meant to be shared. Some of them call it family style. Getting more and more common.

if the concept is small plate/tapas/dim sum, etc we can expect share to include more than two. that is hard to envision for bagels and certain sandwiches.

I am not sure building a menu around "create your own sized appetizer" is a reasonable ask.

now, if you have five in your party and your spring roll app has four pieces, i see nothing wrong with asking the server/chef if there is a way to add pieces to the order (as you mention- at a cost).

I think part of the problem is that small sharable plate restaurants are trending right now, but they aren't serving the right kind of plates, like my bagel example.

For the spring rolls example, is it really that hard for the kitchen to just add the fifth and match it to the party size? I assume they are making a ton of spring rolls anyway for the dinner service. Matching the number of pieces should just be a plating issue.

i would agree that the menu should be more clear with expectations/plate.

Let's take this to an extreme:

tapas restaurant-
should a server have to ask the table "how many would like the croquets?" for every item ordered?

for cost, waste, and efficiency it should be noted how many are in an order. table should decide how many orders imo

The menu should say Croquets.... $2.50/piece. The table orders however many they want. That way, a table of 3 can get 3, and a table of 5 can get 5 instead of both tables getting 4. Either way, the kitchen is making 8.

this would be very burdensome for the servers and cooks/chefs, and a poor business model in F&B. tremendously inefficient and costly as a general practice.

For things like burgers/sandwiches, put this in the non-sharable part of the menu and don't instruct your servers to tell the tables that the entire menu is sharable so people like my wife dont try to order a bagel to share between 5 of us.

This i completely agree with

Agreed. And it would lead to single orders on things as well. “I’ll have one shrimp please. And a water. With extra lemons and sugar on the side”.

Although it does work with Sushi

In Most sushi places an order of nigiri is 2 pieces. Some will do single pieces, but the usual order is for 2 pieces.

I mean yes, but that's the same concept, isn't it? I guess it's a little different because any nice sushi place is handmaking it right when you order, to order too.

It comes down to money. Same thing with the single shrimp example above. Sushi place would rather sell you 3 orders of $8 nigiri, than 3 orders of $4 dollar single pieces. They’d never stay in business that way.

Right, sorry, I'm not being clear: You'd think more tapas-style places would take a similar tact and make smaller dishes if meant to be shareable, with a clear implication that you should order multiple of the dish. Which works in sushi. Not suggesting "they should let you order one" more suggesting "some dishes coming with three and some 5 and some 2 is weird when your goal is to be a shareable place." I'm surprised the economics work out such that for things which are all generally small bites, sometimes it makes sense to serve them in different quantities. Like I get it for your crispy potatoes - there's probably like "1/2 pound" as the amount in each dish in kitchen vs "14 pieces of potato" but for many things it seems odd to me that sometimes it's 3 pieces sometimes 2 sometimes 5.

I don't know enough about restaurant prep to know if that only works in sushi, but I do think it's a bit odd that a shareable place has a plate of anything other than paella that's meant for more than 2 people sharing, and clearly menus are coming off that way.

Why is that?

For some reason, I’m not following. Menu creation is complex. A true tapas restaurant’s portions will be small. Shareable between 2, maybe 3. Paella is not a tapa. It’s a family style entree. Price dictates portions/number of pieces. Patatas bravas will be a larger portion than Gambas al allijo(garlic shrimp) just based on cost. Americans expect enormous portions. The tapas concept isn’t based on big portions.

For @Scoresman to get 5 scallops at my place it would turn into a $44 dollar app. Pricey. But totally do-able. But to increase the size of the octopus is not possible. You can get 2 orders, but not 1.5. There are multiple factors in portion size, cost prep and what you think the guest wants/will pay for. We do true Japanese wagyu sometimes. It sells better at $50/oz with a 4 oz minimum than just selling a $200 four oz piece. People are weird.

Really would be easier to sell everything by the bite.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

One egg roll won't. But it's not just one egg roll.

Fine, 10 egg rolls then. I understand how it wouldn't work in an Olive Garden type mega restaurant, but in small mom and pops, come on.

I’ll say it again, engage with the server. Ask questions. Order accordingly. I would say less than 20% of servers are really good. At a place selling eggrolls, less than 10%. You are your own advocate.

 

[Scoresman]

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

One egg roll won't. But it's not just one egg roll.

Fine, 10 egg rolls then. I understand how it wouldn't work in an Olive Garden type mega restaurant, but in small mom and pops, come on.

I’ll say it again, engage with the server. Ask questions. Order accordingly. I would say less than 20% of servers are really good. At a place selling eggrolls, less than 10%. You are your own advocate.

And I'll say it again too, if a small restaurant really is striving for that level of quality, I shouldn't have to ask for a simple thing like matching the number of items for the table. It really should be the default. It sounds like this would cause too many problems though, and that to me, tells me how screwed up the restaurant model appears to be.

 

[Scoresman]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

 

[Instinctive]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

3% employee wellness charge is so far and away the most obnoxious piece of that menu to me it isn't even close. Price your good properly. My number one dislike about hospitality industry across a variety of things from food to hotels etc is these hidden fees.

 

[Drunken knight]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

all fair gripes imo. server needs to communicate certain details for your table to order appropriately.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

One egg roll won't. But it's not just one egg roll.

Fine, 10 egg rolls then. I understand how it wouldn't work in an Olive Garden type mega restaurant, but in small mom and pops, come on.

I’ll say it again, engage with the server. Ask questions. Order accordingly. I would say less than 20% of servers are really good. At a place selling eggrolls, less than 10%. You are your own advocate.

And I'll say it again too, if a small restaurant really is striving for that level of quality, I shouldn't have to ask for a simple thing like matching the number of items for the table. It really should be the default. It sounds like this would cause too many problems though, and that to me, tells me how screwed up the restaurant model appears to be.

John Q Public would lose their mind if restaurants did what you were asking and increased your bill without telling you ahead of time. you're telling me you want them to charge you 66% more than the advertised price if there is normally 3 pieces in a dish and there are 5 in your party.without telling you. Just do it automatically that would never ever ever fly. Which is why you have to engage your server.

I live in SoCal. In negotiating for one of my wife’s cars, they wanted 1500 or something for the sunroof. I told them I didn’t want a sunroof. They told me it’s SoCal, we only order cars with sunroofs bro. Cool. Order me one without one. They gave me a car with a sunroof, minus the cost of the sunroof. Point of the story, if a place is just going to charge you without asking, some people are going to balk. And in a restaurant, it’s nearly everyone.

 

[Scoresman]

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

Sorry, but if putting an extra egg roll on a plate is going to disrupt the kitchen that much, it's just indicative of how broken the restaurant model appears to be.

One egg roll won't. But it's not just one egg roll.

Fine, 10 egg rolls then. I understand how it wouldn't work in an Olive Garden type mega restaurant, but in small mom and pops, come on.

I’ll say it again, engage with the server. Ask questions. Order accordingly. I would say less than 20% of servers are really good. At a place selling eggrolls, less than 10%. You are your own advocate.

And I'll say it again too, if a small restaurant really is striving for that level of quality, I shouldn't have to ask for a simple thing like matching the number of items for the table. It really should be the default. It sounds like this would cause too many problems though, and that to me, tells me how screwed up the restaurant model appears to be.

John Q Public would lose their mind if restaurants did what you were asking and increased your bill without telling you ahead of time. you're telling me you want them to charge you 66% more than the advertised price if there is normally 3 pieces in a dish and there are 5 in your party.without telling you. Just do it automatically that would never ever ever fly. Which is why you have to engage your server.

I live in SoCal. In negotiating for one of my wife’s cars, they wanted 1500 or something for the sunroof. I told them I didn’t want a sunroof. They told me it’s SoCal, we only order cars with sunroofs bro. Cool. Order me one without one. They gave me a car with a sunroof, minus the cost of the sunroof. Point of the story, if a place is just going to charge you without asking, some people are going to balk. And in a restaurant, it’s nearly everyone.

No, I'm saying the menu would clearly state that the items are priced each. So like $2.50/piece. Or "Plate of 4: $10.00, $2.50 per additional piece."

Edit to add: This shouldnt be that big of a deal. A lot of menu items have optional things like "Add chicken: +$3.00" Or "Add bacon: +$1.50"

 

[massraider]

I'm engaging a lot here because lately I've noticed a couple spots in Dallas where it just really makes sense to have some simple food, and have looked into all the permitting and it seems fairly reasonable, and am really learning a lot from a lot of areas how you would design a small food truck/concession-type business for these huge parks with a mix of youth and intramural adult activities that are jam packed on the weekends from like March-June and Sep-Nov.

I think that's a solid low cost option worth looking into.

I worked on a concept in NYC where my group was looking at an old industrial space, huge, trailer trucks in and out, the whole thing. And we were thinking about a beer garden, installed and operated by us, and then having a rotating roster of food trucks plugged in to bays around the inside space. Trucks rent the space for the day, get electrical plug in and maybe some garbage removal.

Those trucks can make money. You just gotta have that one food thing that kills

 

[DA RAIDERS]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

3% employee wellness charge is so far and away the most obnoxious piece of that menu to me it isn't even close. Price your good properly. My number one dislike about hospitality industry across a variety of things from food to hotels etc is these hidden fees.

I agree with it being lame as well. in the above example, it’s not hidden. It’s on the menu.

The ownership group implemented it where I am during/after Covid. So lame. We will remove it, no questions asked if anyone says anything about it.

 

[Chemical X]

Do people ever ask to share soup?

Yes

Hopefully they're able to order by the fluid ounce, in a correctly partitioned bowl.

Is now a good time to talk about the metric system, y'all?

don’t get me started on the metric system.

 

[Mister CIA]

Do people ever ask to share soup?

Yes

Hopefully they're able to order by the fluid ounce, in a correctly partitioned bowl.

Is now a good time to talk about the metric system, y'all?

don’t get me started on the metric system.

Go on.

 

[Chemical X]

Do people ever ask to share soup?

Yes

Hopefully they're able to order by the fluid ounce, in a correctly partitioned bowl.

Is now a good time to talk about the metric system, y'all?

don’t get me started on the metric system.

Go on.

when i go to my place in italy, it’s always befuddling. but, i think i have it figured out. i just hate doing maff and converting. my BIL once wanted some cheese for a train ride and ordered 1kg….2.5lbs later, we were rolling in cheese.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

all fair gripes imo. server needs to communicate certain detains for your table to order appropriately.

Meh. It’s fairly clear what’s on the menu. Smaller/larger. A small app is not going to feed 5 people. One bagel is not going around the table. Neither is an egg. It’s clear what’s on the menu, regardless of what was said to you. It goes to my original point. shareable usually means 2 people. All of those items are great for 2. possibly for 4. The servers are having to explain to every table what labneh, harissa, za-ataar and shaksukah are, at a minimum. They SHOULD be guiding your dining experience. It’s highly possible they’re over it. you are your only true advocate.

We go to a similar place. We ordered their harissa spiced chicken sandwich. There were 8 of us. We knew it would not feed everyone.

 

[Chemical X]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

all fair gripes imo. server needs to communicate certain detains for your table to order appropriately.

Meh. It’s fairly clear what’s on the menu. Smaller/larger. A small app is not going to feed 5 people. One bagel is not going around the table. Neither is an egg. It’s clear what’s on the menu, regardless of what was said to you. It goes to my original point. shareable usually means 2 people. All of those items are great for 2. possibly for 4. The servers are having to explain to every table what labneh, harissa, za-ataar and shaksukah are, at a minimum. They SHOULD be guiding your dining experience. It’s highly possible they’re over it. you are your only true advocate.

We go to a similar place. We ordered their harissa spiced chicken sandwich. There were 8 of us. We knew it would not feed everyone.

well, it could if you broke it into components….you get 1/4 bun and breading. someone gets some lettuce.

don’t forget the 2% up charge for emotionally supporting the flour millers!

 

[Joe Bryant]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

This is why I don't think I'd ever make it in the restaurant business.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

This is why I don't think I'd ever make it in the restaurant business.

It’s incredibly trying on the soul.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I think that's a solid low cost option worth looking into.

I worked on a concept in NYC where my group was looking at an old industrial space, huge, trailer trucks in and out, the whole thing. And we were thinking about a beer garden, installed and operated by us, and then having a rotating roster of food trucks plugged in to bays around the inside space. Trucks rent the space for the day, get electrical plug in and maybe some garbage removal.

Those trucks can make money. You just gotta have that one food thing that kills

I looked at a similar concept.

The key is owning the beer. Then charging the food trucks to come in. Or taking a cut.

It's effectively a cool beer spot with a lot of rad food truck options.

I felt like there was opportunity there to provide beeper systems for the trucks to help with the worst part of a food truck - waiting for the food. Instead, they could order the food, and then go hand out with a beer and they get notified when the food is ready. Or maybe even have runners to take the food to them.

The trouble, and the reason we decided not to do it, in my estimation, few businesses are less reliable than a food truck. And the best ones already have a location / clientele and don't want to pay anyone more for it.

 

[Joe Bryant]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

This is why I don't think I'd ever make it in the restaurant business.

It’s incredibly trying on the soul.

I mean, I honestly don't know how I wouldn't go full Bobby Knight after something like that.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.
2. When we ordered the bagel, no mention was made by the server how it would come or how a table of 5 could share it. Yes, we could've asked but the server, knowing how it is served, could've mentioned ordering a second would be a good idea. I did bring it up to my wife that sharing one bagel might be tough but I was told that we didnt want two because it was a pretty heavy dish, so I'm willing to eat this one. (I ended up being right and trying to cut it just made a huge mess).
3. We also ordered the mini doughnuts which came in an order of three. I now remember having to order a second order after it had arrived to accommodate the table, Again, something the server should've shared so we wouldn't have to do this. Or the menu could just mention how many it comes with.
4. Overall definition of what constitutes a sharable plate. See all the items that say they have one egg? That's supposed to be sharable?

I'm beginning to think my main beef is that this whole sharable menu concept is BS because there are very few plates that are truly easily shared by most parties.

This is why I don't think I'd ever make it in the restaurant business.

It’s incredibly trying on the soul.

I mean, I honestly don't know how I wouldn't go full Bobby Knight after something like that.

Which part?

 

[Doug B]

This is the menu of the place where we got the bagel that we couldn't share. These are my main points of contention.

1. We were told when we were seated that all of their plates are meant to be shared by the table and that most people order a variety of plates to get a taste of most of the menu.

Had a look at that menu. To me, it looks plainly like every diner should order one thing for themselves off of that menu. Almost none of it looks "shareable" going by the descriptions on the menu. IMHO, you were steered wrong by whoever sat you all.

 

[the moops]

Anyone that I am going out to dinner with, I am more than comfortable with them taking a bite out of my bagel sandwich and passing it on down the line