Some Old Country Buffets, Ryans and Golden Corrals have a system where they ask you at the cash register if you want to include a tip. If I have no folding money at the time, I will say yes and include the tip on my bill. However, the down side of that is now the waiter / waitress has their tip already so there is no incentive for them to do anything for me -- no reason to work to get their tip. Have I gotten lousy service AFTER they got their tip and they KNOW that I have already paid for the tip since they had to initial my receipt? Yes ... that's just so wrong on the part of the waiter / waitress.
Ryan's is still in business? All the ones around here folded up shop which sucked- I used to enjoy Ryan's.
A college friend of mine who lives in Pelzer, SC said that the Ryans Buffets and Fire Mountain Buffets (there was one next to Concord Mills Mall, NC) had folded up in his neck of the woods. The only Ryans that I know of is in Fredericksburg, VA. Buffets, Inc. (Old Country Buffet / Home Town Buffet) based out of Eagan, MN bought out Ryans which was based out of Greer, SC. Ryans was going through bankruptcy so their competitor snapped them up. But then Old Country and Home Town went into bankruptcy themselves only to come out of Chapter 11 on April 29, 2009. There is one Old Country Buffet in Montgomery County, MD in Gaithersburg. The nearest Golden Corral for some reason, is in Frederick, MD. The next nearest one is in Hanover, MD beside the Arundel Mills Mall.
Actually, it was a bit of both. You would almost have to know the folks involved, (which I did, very well,) to appreciate it. A "reasonable" request would be met with them doing everything they could to accommodate the customer. An unreasonable demand would be met with them showing you the door. Frankly, I liked the way they did business.
This is kind of an interesting cultural shock for me. I've never seen a tip being discussed as optional. Tips are required since they are almost the sole income of the waiter/waitress who is serving me. There was one time in my life (and I used to eat out a whole helleva lot) where I didn't tip. You'd better have a disaster in your hands before you take away somebody's income.
I hate to tell you this, but we have at least one person on here who has stated that he NEVER tips. (We had another thread close to this topic where tipping was discussed.) Guys like that deserve ANYTHING they find, (or don't find) in their food.
Again, i would have to say Breezewood T/A wins out above all others---that i've been to as far as best waitstaff. The problem is, we as a society, have forgotten or don't know what good service is. a) look to Howard Johnson'es of the 60's. b) Good service really doesn't cost a restaurant anything more. Today's punk managers and subpar waitstaff does not understand this or give a s--t. If you own/manage a restaurant and do not require the servers to wear real uniforms, you are a punk. You are not a man or woman, you are a child.
P.S. i've noticed that the VAST majority of posts in the truck stops here section are negative. Why do you suppose this is? What does this say about truckstops and the trucking industry?
Any number of things.... 1) Poor housekeeping on the account of the "Travel Plaza" staff 2) Sloppy Drivers, both 4 wheeler and 18 wheeler 3) In general most people don't give a #### anymore! It's not just truck stops, I've been in more than one McDumpsters or BK Lounge (insert other fast grocery place here) that has looked like pure s___ from sloppy people.
