Running a Business in France (Grievance )

[Zigspider]

I have read with interest the comments in the Gite and B & B section, about customers not showing up, about loss of money etc.

On the other side of the coin, we saw a notice in St Benoit (36) for an Irish night at a pub calling itself soemthing like Pub Franglais, and being it was only 10K-ish, we thought it sounded like an opportunity to socialise with some English People, and offer support to someone trying to make a go of things. The Irish Stew sounded good, so off we went.

When we walked in, everyone looked up, but we noticed at once there was not the usual Bonsoir you get in French establishments, they looked away, and carried on. So then we hovered a while by the bar, and eventually got some attention, and ordered.. no not Guiness.. a bottle of white wine.. which I would say was palatable, for 6 Euros, so not bad. We checked on the food situation and they said fine.. then we moved to the restaurant to await our Irish Stew. This was only 5 Euros, so I thought they are not trying to make big bucks here. Here comes the crunch, the stew was about 3 pieces of meat and about the same each of potatoe and swede that wasn't quite cooked, and a thin gravy. Well my comment was, well it is only 5 Euros, but I would have paid more for a decent portion. There was a basked of brench bread pieces. Well for someone who eats like a bird, this was finished in no time, and the bread, and I was still hungry. So I said ah well.. chocolate when I get home.

Since we still have wine, it was a largish bottle, we stayed in the restaurant. Here comes the crux, a group of 3 French people came in to take a table, the only ones we saw that night, and almost immediately a group of 3 English, a couple with someone who was a regular, and they came and spoke to us as they were going to sit... well they all had Irish Stew, and the bowls were heaped with stew half way up the lip of the bowls, the sort of portion you would expect, so why the difference?????

I don't expect anyone to have an explanation for why this happened, we look pretty ordinary, don't look like scary people you would want to put off coming to your place.

This is just a gripe that if you are running a business, then surely your customers should be treated with a semblance of equality.

I did not complain, and my being unhappy will not break their business, although i will not go there again.. they did not however get a tip, and we usually leave a good tip.

Thanks for listening to my Grievance.
Gemma

[Teamedup]

The only time we've left somewhere hungry was when we had made the mistake of going somewhere that served nouvelle cuisine.

And you are right, you should have had the same meal served as anyone else and I wouldn't go back again either and also wouldn't have left a tip.

One lives and learns. I drove past our local Authentic Irish Pub a few days ago and made a mental note to not forget that we were never to go there again. Terrible place and I'm not sure what it was supposed to authentically be, but it was not irish that is for sure.