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| - La Societe went from being one of my favorite restaurants in the city to being one of the worst, in one swift phone call.
This phone call occurred 2 days before Mother's Day when someone had the nerve to call me and 'remind' me of their 1.5 hour seating limit (something that does not exist!). I had to stifle my laughter and ask what this meant, much to my dismay it meant they were calling to confirm what time I was leaving the restaurant. TWO DAYS, before I even arrived.
When I told the staff on the phone that this was rude (and ridiculous) she reminded me that they were busy (not my problem, and nor do I care) and asked how long I anticipated being there. Well, my answer was "As long as I please, just like every other time I've visited your establishment and stayed for hours and hours on end", she asked if I would be OK with 2 hours. I was flabbergasted, if I'm in a restaurant for longer than 1.5 hours, I'm clearly spending money, money of which La Societe has no issue taking every other day of the year.
When I called back to speak to a manager, I was again reminded that they were busy. I informed the manager that it was not Sunday yet and he may very well be swamped, but they've now ruined their reputation with a customer who frequents their restaurant more than once a year. All because they think it's acceptable to put a time limit on someones meal, I cancelled my reservation and have not, and will not, ever return.
I gladly found a substitute that let me and my guest sit, eat, and drink all afternoon. A substitute that didn't call me prior to my reservation to do anything other then confirm that I could make the reservation.
As a side note, I understand if people sit around after their done, taking up space. I am not one of those people, not to mention if a server has an ounce of experience, there is a way to deal with these types of diners and subtly close out their bill to make way for the next customer. Perhaps, something that should've been considered before calling regular customers and putting a limit on how long they're at a restaurant.
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