Eating Experience At Souper Salad

Pat Cook
on 9/1/09 11:46 am
Hi everyone:

It's been awile since I last posted on here I know, but I thought I'd share with you a dining experience I had while at the Souper Salad in Lakewood Commons.

I told the management there that I'd write in to the company & I thought I'd share the email I'm sending off to them here.

+++++++++++++++++

TO WHOM THIS MAY CONCERN

I am writing regarding not only about a recent experience at one of your restaurants (The one located in Lakewood, CO to be exact), but also in regards to one of your policies as well.  I am also writing to you as a someone who had to undergo weight loss surgery.

Today (September 1, 2009), I had paid for a dine-in salad.  Well as it so turned out, there was a point where I thought it to be best to get a to go container so I could take the rest of the salad with me & eat it at home at my leisure.

I had asked one of the servers for a container, but was told that because of the price difference (Which I was willing to give up in exchange of getting a container after having paid for the salad as a dine-in), I was not entitled to one.  The server then asked if I wanted to speak to a manager about the issue.  I felt I should.  I repeated my request to the manager, but she told me the same thing the server did, only she cited company policy.

Because I am a weight loss surgery patient, I was given a special card by the clinic that performed my surgery to present to businesses such as yours in situations like this.  I showed this card to the manager.  After she read it, she reiterated that she still couldn't honor my request even though I am a bariatric (i.e. weight loss) surgery recipient, again citing the policy of your company.

This is where my proposal to your policy comes in.

ANY customer who pays for a dine-in salad should be allowed to have a container to take their item with them to go BUT IN EXCHANGE the customer DOES NOT get a refund for the price difference of having paid for a dine-in item without actually taking the time to consume the item while inside the restaurant.

This is not onl good PR, but will also give customers the choice of taking the item with them instead of leaving it behind to go to waste (Remember there are people in 3rd world countries who would LOVE to have the food which the customer may have been forced to leave behind due to their situation under your current policy). 

I should think this request is not only practical but it also MAKES $EN$E.  It is also very simple to implement too.

IT SHOULD ALSO BE NOTED THAT I WILL POST A VIDEO DETAILING THIS EXPERIENCE ON MY BLOG AS WELL AS ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL.  It isNOT to be construed or interpreted to be a boycott campaign or ANY means of posing a threat to your business.  But rather it is an effort to educate my subscribers about your policy on this issue & to reiterate MY position on the issue.  From there, you can treat it however you will.

That said, I trust that this issue is in good hands & will be resolved rather quickly.

I look forward to any questions, comments, replies or any other correspondence you may have for me.

Sincerely,

[My name]

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hopefully this will educate yet another business into meeting the needs of those who have special dietary needs as well as those who are on diets.

I'll post back here with what TPTB say.
Pat Cook
on 9/2/09 11:57 am, edited 9/2/09 11:59 am
UPDATE

I spoke with a representative from Souper Salads, Inc. tonight & he indicated that they DO cater to those with special dietary needs INCLUDING bariatric surgery recipients.  All that's needed is your special card.  That would give you access to the kiddie menu among many other things.

That said, he tried to steer me into looking at it from the business standpoint.  Under my proposal, he seemed more concerned about people abusing the system by paying for a dine-in salad, requesting a to-go container, only to go back to the buffet to add on more.  I reiterated that the company wouldn't lose money, but he didn't seem convinced.

He profusely apologized for what he called a "negative experience",but I was QUICK to inform him that despite that one minor problem, it was still a very good experiece overall (I would just simply recommend bariatric recipients NOT dine-in unless such people order from the kiddie menu).

Will I still post my video?  Yes.  But it will serve as a "spreading of the word" about this little quaint all-you-can-eat buffet chain as well as an education video for restaurants of all kinds.

So that's the latest.  TTYL.....

Cheers :)
Mishelle R.
on 9/4/09 2:58 pm
I would think that they would see your plate that you had eaten off from and had a remaining portion.  They should be able to offer a small soup cup at least to take that bit home.  that would be a compromise to be able to take that part home.  That way they won't be missing out that much food, such as filling out an entire to go box. 

I heard that golden corral will allow WLS patients get a plate and weigh their meals and only have to pay for what they got and not have to pay for a full meal trip when they will not be eating that much.

Ideas anyhow
Donald J.
on 9/23/09 10:23 am
hi was just reading  along and wanted to say that my golden corral has take out by the pound and its pretty affordable
carlak
on 9/5/09 3:36 am - Bradenton, FL
country buffett wont even accept the card from the Doctors office. I wont go there anymore or will I go to Soup or Salad. I had the same experience.
Carla
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