Low-carb couple kicked out of restaurant!

[toddzilla]

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- A couple on a low-carb diet were kicked out of a buffet restaurant after the manager said they'd eaten too much roast beef.

Sui Amaama, who along with his wife have been on the Atkins Diet for two weeks, was asked to leave after he went up to the buffet at the Chuck-A-Rama in suburban Taylorsville for his 12th slice of roast beef.

"It's so embarrassing actually," said Isabelle Leota, Amaama's wife. "We went in to have dinner, we were under the impression Chuck-A-Rama was an all-you-can-eat establishment."

Not so, said Jack Johanson, the restaurant chain's district manager.

"We've never claimed to be an all-you-can-eat establishment," said Johanson. "Our understanding is a buffet is just a style of eating."

The general manager who was carving the meat Tuesday became concerned about having enough for other patrons and asked Amaama to stop, Johanson said.

Offended, the couple asked for a refund. The manager refused and called police when they would not leave.

The couple said they have eaten at Chuck-A-Rama's $8.99 buffet at least twice a week, but did not plan to return.



CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!?!?linky (http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/04/23/booted.from.buffet.ap/index.html)

[allibaba]

I saw this on CNN lastnight. Although, I disagree with kicking patrons out who eat too much it sounds like Mr. and Mrs. haven't figured out portion control yet :lol:.

Alli

[lakookoo]

Perhaps they haven't read the part about eating their veggies too :)

Still -- how humiliating for them. I always feel guilty going back for seconds on roast beef, even though I know that, frankly, all the rest of the stuff on the buffet table is a huge money-maker for the restaurant (how much does tossed salad cost them, anyway?)

[jun keater]

http://www.angelfire.com/scary/turtles/mouth.gif How embarrasing..... I myself wouldn't have went up 12 times - that too I would find embarrasing.

[Rainbowgc]

I think the restaurant was right here. 12 portions of meat?
They say they will not go back, I'll bet the restaurant was glad to here that LOL

Erika

[Lisa N]

There is also a discussion of this article going on here: http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=180284

[NYorker]

This is outrageous! How can anyone support what this restaurant did?

"Our understanding is a buffet is just a style of eating." - yeah, it means eat whatever you want and HOW MUCH you want. Moron.

To embarass his customers, demand they stop eating food they paid for and then be too cheap to at least give them their twenty bucks back to make them go away? This is why service in this country is going to hell in a handbasket.

[sydnarella]

I think it was penny wise and pound foolish on the restaurant's part. This couple had been giving them their business TWICE A WEEK! I ate my couch when I was on induction. Your appetite tends to slow down after the first few weeks of Atkins. I say shame on the restaurant.

[sydnarella]

Ok, I exaggerate, it was a footstool...

[Lobstergal]

I think it was penny wise and pound foolish on the restaurant's part. This couple had been giving them their business TWICE A WEEK! I ate my couch when I was on induction. Your appetite tends to slow down after the first few weeks of Atkins. I say shame on the restaurant.

Now they might end up losing quite a bit more business due to the publicity.

[myagenda]

I agree they should have at least given them there money back. I was watching Dr. Phil once and he said when he was younger and just married they used to go to this buffet style restaurant because it was so cheap for them to eat and money was tight. He ate so much shrimp the manager told them he would give them there money back if they would leave.
I would bet this restaurant will end up going out of business with all the bad publicity. I too ate alot of meat during induction plus all my veggies.

[LadyBelle]

In the media area they have the full article. Apperently it was the couples 12th trip up each. The manager first asked them to have something else from the buffet, and they refused. They then asked for thier money back which the resteraunt refused. They stated it was thier right to ask people to leave who abused the buffet, though it was rare it happened.

Apperently this couple would to to the $8.99 buffet at least 3 times a week, but refuse to after this.

I think the manager should of placed a sign stating that trips were limited on certain items if they felt it was an issue.

[judyr]

I have gone to buffets with hungry teenagers. They make many trips to the protein section (as well as everything else insight!) I have never had a buffet say anything. We went to Hometown Buffet with the wrestling team and those kids can really put the food away. The manager told the guys to enjoy it all! He was great.

[Lisa N]

Apperently it was the couples 12th trip up each.

Nope. The original article states that the husband went up 12 times. There was no mention of how many servings his wife ate. It's also quite possible that a least a couple of those trips were for his wife.
The article also states that the couple has 2 children, so it may be that one or two trips were to get more for one of their children.
I often do that for my girls...go back to get more for them.
Personally, I think the manager was out of line and that the negative publicity will wind up costing them far more than this gentleman was costing them in meat. I know if that restaurant was in my town, I wouldn't be terribly inclined to give them my business after reading that article. :rolleyes:

[judyr]

Lisa, I agree with you. I also wouldn't pay to go to a Buffet that was so underperpared that a single customer would wipe out that night's meat supply. I know that my husband goes back 3-4 times, to my 1 and my vegaterain daughter's 0 trips to the beef. She doesn't get a discount and he doesn't pay more. That's what a buffet restaurant is. You pay your money and eat what you choose.

[Lobstergal]

Nope. The original article states that the husband went up 12 times. There was no mention of how many servings his wife ate. It's also quite possible that a least a couple of those trips were for his wife.
The article also states that the couple has 2 children, so it may be that one or two trips were to get more for one of their children.
I often do that for my girls...go back to get more for them.
Personally, I think the manager was out of line and that the negative publicity will wind up costing them far more than this gentleman was costing them in meat. I know if that restaurant was in my town, I wouldn't be terribly inclined to give them my business after reading that article. :rolleyes:

I have 2 teenaged boys and they can pack away quite a lot of servings.
Many times I would ask my oldest son if he would grab something for me while I was finishing my veggies or helping my youngest teen as he was on his way to refill his plate. No one said anything to us but if someone did I would have mentioned that fact. When my mother was alive and we took her to a buffet we would go get her food for her (we would bring her a selection of different things several times) as she had problems walking and carrying something at the same time. Her mobility was very bad in her final years so we were her *feet* for her.
I feel that manager was out of line as well. Restaurants generally have enough food to feed everyone and buffets are set up so you can serve yourself as much as you wish.

[LadyBelle]

I have two small children, ages 1 and 4, so I am very familur with the grab for everyone principle. People look at me odd when I make three trips to the salad bar all at once, or balance 3 plates. Also since the kids are so little one adult has to remain at the table, so sometimes things will be grabbed for that adult :)

[Lindym]

Our local buffet has bbq night & I love their ribs. When the extended family, 10-12 of us, would be there, if someone saw a new pan of ribs come out, several would head up and get 4-5 ribs per plate and bring them back for everyone. Sometimes it was the only way to get a couple of them without waiting 15 minutes between ribs as they are real popular and go fast. No one ever said anything.

[PacNW]

I think this might be the low carb verson of kicking card counters out of the casino.

The sad fact is that Old Country Buffet, Hometown Buffet etc. make money by offering a plethora of choices laden with carbs. These ingredients are less-filling and more profitable. These restaurants don't have the sort of non-meat offerings (nuts, better salads, a variety of cheeses, strawberries, etc.) that would appeal to low carbers. So, you are relegated to eating the taco meat, dried up hamburgers, etc. at these places.

[eve25]

that was just plain rude. most of the prime rib i've had at buffets is about 3 inches long and extremely thin. i could eat quite a few pieces of that. oh and do you really think the carver counted 12 specific trips???? how embarrassing.

[NYorker]

I think this might be the low carb verson of kicking card counters out of the casino.


Love it! That's exactly it!