Author: Admin

With the proliferation of mobile phones and smart devices, it is increasingly challenging to sit down in a restaurant for a few hours and enjoy a meal unencumbered by social media, text messaging, and Candy Crush Saga.  Before even paying the check, modern diners will have “checked-in” on Foursquare, posted photos of their entreés on Instagram, and filed full-length reviews on Yelp.  At Restaurant Manifesto, we want to help you dine more successfully, so we’ll give you a piece of advice: Put your phone away and keep it there!  A restaurant should be a sanctuary—a place to take refuge from the tensions of the day and nourish yourselves nutritionally and spiritually.  How can you enjoy the company of others with the constant bleeping of text alerts and twanging of ringtones?  We know you love that foie gras dish but can’t you wait until after dinner to tweet about it?  Trust us, there is no iPhone app more entertaining than a live conversation with another interesting person. Try it some time.

If you are unhappy with your food or service, say so.  Before you write off the restaurant completely, give management an opportunity to hear your concerns and make things right.  Too often, diners let complaints fester and leave without saying a word to the staff.  It’s understandable to feel apprehensive about complaining when the experience disappoints—you don’t want to be that guy—but why lie about it to a server when he asks if everything was ok?  It’s unfair to withhold negative feedback in the moment and then leave a scathing Yelp review.  But it happens all the time.  In most cases, there is a staff of people who are on hand to ensure your happiness.  We would prefer you tell us what’s wrong than to have you sit there acting all mopey.  If you don’t communicate your issues, then you share responsibility for the failure of your dining experience. That said, there is a right and wrong way to do it.  If you have a service problem, politely ask to speak with the manager.  If the problem is with the quality of the food, tell the server you are sorry to be difficult and articulate your concerns.  Most restaurants will be happy to replace the dish or bring you something else.  Whatever we can do to make you leave impressed.  It is impossible to fix a problem that we never even knew existed.