Restaurant Cards

HI Everyone, did your Surgeons give you a restaurant card? If not where can I get one? Thanks Betty

Hi, I got one from my doctor and the Inamed one from my nutritionist but I will not use them (for many reasons) They do not ensure that you will receive a reduced price but rather they request that the restaurant give you special concideration. You can order one from OH in their store or you can download one from Inameds website. Good luck, Lynn Banded 9/12/05 299.5/250/140

I agree with the other post. You can get them from your doctor and there should have been one that came from Inamed along with some information on your band. Again, I agree with the other post.....you present it at a restaurant and ASK if they'll honor it. It just allows you to order off the child's menu OR pay the child's price at a buffet. On most children's menus, its not what we should be eating anyway. My suggestion is to order from the adult menu and you'll have meals for the whole week. There WAS a spot on OH that you could print the card but with the new changes, I'm not sure where that it. I'd start with my physician or contact Inamed at www.inamed.com. La Wanda

Hi I felt I must respond to this. Being in the restaurant business, and we are all trying to make a living here. I wonder how many businesses would like it if we could print passes for discounts at any store we wanted? It upset my husband when I got my card- he wanted to print out a card and use it to get a discount on the bill from my Doctor. We paid $17,500.00 for my surgery, and I didn't get a discount. Most restaurants are willing to accomodate customers, but we don't think it is fair that anyone can come in and demand a discount. I just thought I would add the perspective from our point of view. There are other things on the menu- appetizers, or split a meal with someone. I have gone to some restaurants and asked if it was ok to order a child's portion- I don't think too many restaurants would refuse that. Please keep in mind when you use that card- you may meet with resistance- you may not. Just try to understand the restaurant's point of view. Thanks

Cheryl, I certainly understand where you're coming from. I will be banded on the 14th of this month and don't intend to ever use the card. I understand its most "useable" at buffet restaurants but I've visited my last one of those. And, like I posted earlier, I'd just order what I usually order and ask for a "to go" box. I'll be eating lunches on it all week while hubby is at work. No problem. And I certainly agree with your appetizers or split a meal suggestion. We go out every Sunday after church to have lunch and one of the girls ALWAYS orders an appetizer for her meal and she's not banded nor had gastric bypass. That's just what she wants. And sometimes, she orders TWO. Just depends on what she wants and how hungry she is that day. And I must admit, she's had some lunches that I wish had ordered instead of what I had. Anyway, I'm not sure the cards are used much but that's just my personal opinion. And the fried stuff on the children's menu at most restaurants probably isn't a good choice either. Order ala carte. There's always a better way to build a mouse trap. Thanks for posting. La Wanda

My observation has been that they're the least useable at buffets...buffets are "all you can eat"...whether you overeat, eat normally, or hardly eat, that's all you can eat. We didn't pay extra when we ate a lot, so why anyone would think they deserve a discount for smaller more sensible portions, I don't get it. Nancy

Cheryl, I totally agree you on these silly cards. WLS doesnt make you some special person that deserves to pay less than everyone else! Skinny people dont have a card that says: Im skinny and I dont always eat everything on my plate so I should get a discount. Geez!!!

Coming from a family that owned restaurants, I worked at many and I have a husband who managed restaurants for years, I'd like to chime in also..... Pertaining to buffets--the restaurant calculates an average portion that a person will eat. That is what the price is based on. They don't just guess. They have food cost and labor cost and that is put into their P&L. So, if you go to a pizza buffet (not that we, as good banders, would) and the price is $5.99 and you eat one slice and one breadstick where the price is based on 3 breadsticks and 4 slices, who is getting ripped off? As a restauranteer, would you rather I and my family go to another establishment? Well, that's what we do. We have changed where we go to eat out. It's simple, you accomodate or you lose business. Its give and take. Not saying any restaurant has to do this, and I've never used a card, but I am the customer you don't even know you lose. As a customer, I just don't come back and its not just $20.00 for lunch this time, its that plus every potential time for the life of myself as a consumer. That sure does add up. A Golden Corral here in NM does not accomodate for a child's price for their buffet. So we don't go...that was the one place that I asked, and that was when I was on soup only. I explained I could maybe one bowl of soup but that my husband would pay full price and eat "normal". They said no, sorry. This was a place where we would have large family breakfasts on the weekends at...no more. Obviously I could go on but why? We all make our choices, especially what we say with our disposable income. AnnMarie

AnnMarie, if they bend the rules for you, they have to do it for everyone. Corporate restaurants have policies and set prices and while they might want your business, they dont have the time to negotiate prices and the wait staff/cashier doesnt have the authority to give an adult the childs price.. Sure, you can call the manager but I mean youre not buying a car, youre just eating a meal. And what if you actually eat an adult portion? Do you get back in line and pay the adult price? Or did you just rip off the restaurant? Do you want the manager staring at you to make sure you only eat a childs portion? But as you say, if you are not happy with the fact that they wont give you special treatment, then you can take your business elsewhere.

Establishing a policy, even franchise or corporate wide is not bending rules. It is establishing them. As I said before, I come from a long line of experience with this...private restaurants and corporate/franchise establishments. I feel like you are kind of attacking me, which is really amusing since I don't even use the cards. But I *can* use my brain and know that I would rather spend my money at a place that does have somewhat of a customer relationship. Oh, but then again most americans are just fine with being treated like cattle, culturally at this time it seems acceptable. AnnMarie