Bringing in outside FOOD and BEV

My birthday cakes that feed 15-20 are around $60.

I gotta raise my prices.

My birthday cakes that feed 15-20 are around $60.

I gotta raise my prices.

Leah, I'm pretty sure your cakes are better than mine, so please do

Heh.

[Robin Garr]

I'm coming to this a little late because I've been reading all the replies with considerable interest. I have particular respect for Marsha in this: She's directly, personally affected, has a well-thought-out position and defends it civilly and well. Buy that woman a beer!

Upon long reflection, trying to gauge this from the perspective of a dining consumer who deeply respects local folks in the business, here's my long and boring take on the issue:

People shouldn't be afraid to ask their local independent restaurant to do something off-the-menu or out-of-the-norm. They're flexible. That is just another in a long list of things that distinguish the Louisville Originals and their local siblings and cousins from the more corporate dining sector.

But this is not a simple black and white question. You need to consider the restaurant, the mood, the situation, and very frankly, your relationship with the restaurant management and staff.

If you are a regular customer at a decent local eatery, they will do almost anything you could dream up to ask them (that's legal, anyway) and do it with a smile; you'll be delighted and you will tip them well.

But to go in as a stranger with a fully formed sense of entitlement and spread out your own dinner at an eatery where they don't even know you, and then get all huffy when they tell you you really need to buy your dinner and drinks from their menu? That's entirely different, and it's just plain no-class. It also pays to consider the scene. Letting the kids have a birthday party with cake and hats in a corner of Kayrouz's might be a little different than taking over a corner of the Oakroom for a similar activity on a Friday evening.

If you want something reasonable, ask! A good restaurant will almost always want to make you happy. But don't feel like you own the place and they owe you a living, because that attitude will just come back around to haunt you.

It really, really seems simple to me: Bring your common sense. Don't ask for something ridiculous. But don't be afraid to make a reasonable request, and don't even be afraid to check it out if you're not sure your request is reasonable. Be a good, loyal customer, and your friends at your local spot will be there for you when you need them.

Robin, great post. Eloquent and full of utility-fu at the same time.

I'd just like to say that once again, this forum has schooled me on something. Here's what I'm taking away: a lot of people have had no idea you could ask an indie restaurant to make you a special occasion cake (in my case, either eat it here OR carry out). I totally understand you all not knowing that; if you can believe it, I recently found out by accident through overhearing a conversation (after shopping there 20+ years) that Old Town Liquors will let you mix non-branded-alike-six-packs of any individual beers. How could I not know that? And yet I didn't. Because I never asked and they never told me.

HotBytes forumites, my toque is off to you guys.

Ky Health Dept. law states..... "All food served must be prepared on site so health codes can be monitored by the State Health Dept". Food CAN be brought in from an outside source; BUT ONLY buy a lisensed facility/chef & transported according to code.

Well, I must confess a faux pas. I participate in a French discussion group at J. Gumbo's - a few months ago someone brought a bottle of wine and shared it around. It seemed like a good idea, so I brought wine the next month. We didn't drink it since the others at this much smaller gathering didn't care for any, but now I am thinking that they probably thought I was a cad. All I can say in my defense is that I did eat a meal (some attendees don't eat) and J. Gumbos doesn't serve wine. I had my own cups and opener - needed no assistance (they are a walk-up to counter place anyway).
Thoughts?
Re our group - I promise we are by and large a thoughtful bunch. We don't leave a big mess or ask for any special treatment. If you want to parlez francais avec nous, go to the L'Alliance Francaise web site http://www.aflouisville.org and look for the Club de Conversation info. We meet the 4th Tuesday each month at J. Gumbo's (unless they kick us out after reading this).

Yes Robin,
Very well put and thank you.

I guess the bottom line here is .... ask, don't expect.
I personally would be willing to do almost anything for my loyal guests if they ask. It just seems to be the right thing to do for me and my business.

[Robin Garr]

...
Thoughts?
Re our group - I promise we are by and large a thoughtful bunch. We don't leave a big mess or ask for any special treatment. If you want to parlez francais avec nous, go to the L'Alliance Francaise web site http://www.aflouisville.org and look for the Club de Conversation info. We meet the 4th Tuesday each month at J. Gumbo's (unless they kick us out after reading this).

Ward, wine and alcohol are particularly iffy issues because of the regulatory aspects and the (small) risk that a restaurateur could get in trouble over it in the unhappy event that an inspector walked in.

Frankly, the general rule expressed in this thread is best. ASK. If you are regulars, the management may be able to find a way to make it work for you. Failing to ask doesn't make you a "cad" - you're being way too hard on yourself for a simple oversight - but it would be entirely fair for manaement to ask you to please take your wine out to the car so they wouldn't risk a fine or loss of license.

Your club sounds great! My French is pretty bad, but it's a whole lot better than it used to be, thanks to a couple of semesters on the lower-intermediate level at Alliance Francaise when they used to have them in the Clifton Center. I learned a LOT.

Would you like to post your club meetings monthly? You can put them in the 'All About Louisville" section at any time, and I'd just love to put one on my calendar. Bon appetit!