Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:31:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2015 2:13:15 GMT
DH and I went out for dinner at a Mexican urban restaurant last night. It's a nice place...dinner for two with one beer and one margarita cost about $65 before the tip. It's Saturday night and the wait was about 25 minutes.
I noticed that there were quite a few young couples (not old enough to drive themselves) in semi-formal evening wear at this restaurant. There were some sitting with adults and having meals. There was one rather large party of maybe 6 young couples at this one table. They were super dressed up and having lots of fun dancing on the patio and such. I suspect there was a school event or something a little later in the evening. There was a photographer with a big camera walking around posing couples taking a ton of shots.
What got me was the one table of twelve --they had soft drinks and ate chips and salsa. No one ordered food. When the young couples sitting separately at booths w their parents (presumably) finished their meals, the whole group left together.
I'm trying to figure this out. I'm nosy like that. How is it ok to take up a large table on a busy Saturday night and only order soft drinks and mooch the free chips and salsa?
What did I miss? Care to speculate? I really felt for the waiter.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:31:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2015 2:25:22 GMT
My first thought is it's homecoming season.
|
|
|
|
Post by ktdoesntscrap on Sept 21, 2015 2:29:16 GMT
Did you see them come in... could they have possibly finished a meal? I think it is poor etiquette to just order drinks and then eat the chips and salsa but maybe they had a deal with the restaurant if someone was going around taking photos.
|
|
|
|
Post by ceepea on Sept 21, 2015 2:31:14 GMT
My first thought was homecoming, too. Maybe they all decided to meet up there for photos and some parents came along and the families had dinner. The kids with the chips probably didn't even think about it and didn't bring any money with them.
|
|
|
|
Post by myshelly on Sept 21, 2015 2:32:10 GMT
Here the Mexican restaurants charge you for the chips and salsa if you don't order food.
|
|
|
|
Post by bc2ca on Sept 21, 2015 2:40:20 GMT
Is it a family owned restaurant?
My assumption would be at least one of the kids was related to the owner/manager and they had prearranged a dinner and photographer (this coming from the perspective of having restaurants in the family).
Unless the group was seated at the same time or after you, you don't know if they ate anything.
The kids with parents may or may not have been part of a prearranged dinner.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:31:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2015 2:46:57 GMT
Owner connection? Hmmm. Maybe.
They arrived at about the same time as we did and left before us.
|
|
|
|
Post by RiverIsis on Sept 21, 2015 2:50:41 GMT
Friends of ours (non-Mexican) actually own the building one of the local Mexican restaurants is in. I could completely see their kids doing this.
|
|
|
|
Post by Eddie-n-Harley on Sept 21, 2015 2:53:48 GMT
How is it ok to take up a large table on a busy Saturday night and only order soft drinks and mooch the free chips and salsa? If management doesn't feel like asking them to leave, it's perfectly okay (unless the kids are being loud, rude, and obnoxious to other paying patrons). I suppose it's possible that the community restaurants have made some sort of arrangements with the schools-- yes, we'd love to have your students here pre-dance. $5 per head for a soda and chips/breadbasket/other typically free nosh. Lots of free publicity when those photos hit facebook/instagram/the yearbook. If it's particularly close to the school, and the school is open campus, it may be a place that the kids frequent for lunch, and you don't want to alienate that part of the business, so you put up with two or three weekend nights like that out of the whole year. Maybe one parent called and made arrangements with the restaurant to pay whatever the cost for all those "free" chips was going to be, just so they knew the kids would be going someplace reasonably nice before the dance. |
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:31:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2015 3:03:06 GMT
Here the Mexican restaurants charge you for the chips and salsa if you don't order food. Same here. |
|
|
|
Post by tinydogmafia on Sept 21, 2015 3:14:25 GMT
I'm trying to figure this out. I'm nosy like that. How is it ok to take up a large table on a busy Saturday night and only order soft drinks and mooch the free chips and salsa? They are being nice to kids all dressed up for a dance? They have some connection to these kids? They don't want to lose their parents as paying customer? They thought they were adorable and well mannered and hoped they'd return as paying customers in the future? |
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on Sept 21, 2015 3:45:42 GMT
DH and I went to lunch at a local Mexican restaurant a few days ago and noticed that ALL of the windows in the whole strip mall were painted up with homecoming messages for our area HS. I wouldn't be surprised if many kids ended up there or other area restaurants for homecoming before the game/dance. A lot of the people who live here now grew up here and are alumni, so school support in this area is huge. LOL even the elementary school DD goes to passed out rubber spirit bracelets to all the kids last Friday, so they start early promoting school spirit around here.  |
|
|
|
Post by Drew on Sept 21, 2015 3:52:52 GMT
It sounds like it was a special occasion. I'm totally ok with that. Although I'd be totally ok with it regardless. I find that I'm way less irked by experiences out in public than many peas.
|
|
NoWomanNoCry
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,856 
|
Post by NoWomanNoCry on Sept 21, 2015 4:05:28 GMT
Here the Mexican restaurants charge you for the chips and salsa if you don't order food. Same here. Same here and everywhere else I've lived. |
|
|
|
Post by chrispeas on Sept 21, 2015 4:05:50 GMT
My daughter just had her Homecoming last night. A group of 16 went to Ruby's for dinner. She just had a salad. They all ate light.
|
|
breetheflea
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,316
Location: PNW
|
Post by breetheflea on Sept 21, 2015 4:12:43 GMT
At least you got in. I've been turned away at restaurants (not a fancy one with reservations) because it was prom (although no one going to prom was actually at the restaurant yet) and had to go find somewhere else to eat.
|
|
|
|
Post by ptamom on Sept 21, 2015 4:13:04 GMT
I'm glad to hear of a restaurant that welcomes the town's youths. Teens live here too. Ignore them at your peril.
In the last year, a part of my downtown refused to renew an ice cream shop in the downtown area, because "it brought too many teens downtown". The other businesses in the center complained about the "scourge" of teenagers, which they felt drove other customers away. I'm guessing that they didn't realize how much business the teens gave them, because they were too busy being angsty about possible customers that weren't actually in their shops.
So, they shut down the ice cream shop that sold ice cream for a reasonable price, and opened an "upscale" ice cream shop, which sells ice cream for 3 times the price, because it has favors that are pretentious like rose attar. And has flavored sea salts to sprinkle on them.
The teens heard their message. They don't hang out downtown anymore. A local strip mall is reaping the considerable benefits of their patronage.
|
|
Nicole in TX
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,951
|
Post by Nicole in TX on Sept 21, 2015 10:13:38 GMT
Sounds like they were good kids out having a nice time.
If the manager doesn't care, it wouldn't be any of my business.
|
|
|
|
Post by momstime on Sept 21, 2015 10:55:38 GMT
This falls under MYOB
|
|
|
|
Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Sept 21, 2015 11:00:05 GMT
I love seeing kids all dressed up for homecoming and prom. I would have had fun people-watching them while eating my dinner.
|
|
|
|
Post by anxiousmom on Sept 21, 2015 11:05:42 GMT
I always cringe just a tiny bit when I read stuff like this. I am the mother of one those laughing, chip eating teens who hang in groups and go about town in their little wandering herd. They may look like a bunch of goof balls taking up a table that someone else could use, but these are really good kids. They are the top 10% of their class, they are overachievers who have figured out how to balance school and fun and are out being kids-which they don't do all that often. I guess if I could convince people of one thing, it would be that all the annoying teens that you see aren't all the going to hell in a hand basket kids. Some of them are the ones you are actually going to want to be your doctor or civic leader one day. Let them eat their chips. And try not to roll your eyes or pre-judge the kids. |
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Sept 21, 2015 11:16:49 GMT
I am assuming they paid for their pop, therefore they are paying customers, whether or not their order was up to your standards. Mind your own business.
|
|
tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,415
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
|
Post by tincin on Sept 21, 2015 11:21:08 GMT
My thought is that they have the very same right to be there as you. They were paying customers. Perhaps they didn't spend as much as you did but they did buy sodas. As much as every restaurant wants there customers to spend money, there are always people who spend more and people who spend less. They spent less.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 19:31:07 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2015 11:28:38 GMT
I'm a pea. I like to know the why.
They were well-behaved. I don't judge. Or roll my eyes or say anything. I was not irked. I was amused.
I was momentarily tempted to have some appetizers sent over...but that would have been intruding.
I have two teens.
I noticed the waiter looked annoyed.
Carry on.
|
|
anniebygaslight
Drama Llama
I'd love a cup of tea. #1966
Posts: 7,412
Location: Third Rock from the sun.
Jun 28, 2014 14:08:19 GMT
|
Post by anniebygaslight on Sept 21, 2015 11:31:10 GMT
Their money is as good as yours and they are every bit as entitled to be there as you are. What they purchased is between them and the management and is absolutely none of your business.
|
|
rickmer
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,185
|
Post by rickmer on Sept 21, 2015 11:35:11 GMT
wouldn't bother me at all. there might be some owner connection or pre-made arrangement. i would rather they be sitting in a mexican joint drinking pop and enjoying salsa and chips than hiding out somewhere drinking booze and then getting in the car and driving to homecoming or whatever. i have a lovely (somewhat loud) teenager and i trust her and her friends to act respectfully in a restaurant.
(we get free chips and salsa, after you have ordered "real food", at any mexican joint i have even been to)
|
|
|
|
Post by meriannj on Sept 21, 2015 11:41:46 GMT
I always cringe just a tiny bit when I read stuff like this. I am the mother of one those laughing, chip eating teens who hang in groups and go about town in their little wandering herd. They may look like a bunch of goof balls taking up a table that someone else could use, but these are really good kids. They are the top 10% of their class, they are overachievers who have figured out how to balance school and fun and are out being kids-which they don't do all that often. I guess if I could convince people of one thing, it would be that all the annoying teens that you see aren't all the going to hell in a hand basket kids. Some of them are the ones you are actually going to want to be your doctor or civic leader one day. Let them eat their chips. And try not to roll your eyes or pre-judge the kids. THIS! I am new to the herding of teens but this summer we had a house full and I loved EVERY second of it. I got asked a LOT by friends why I let them all hang out and park in my front yard and just be 16. Its because if they are in my house I KNOW where they are and any of their moms can text at a whim and I can tell them they are safe, and having fun. Last night I had 10 in my front yard with 6 cars parked randomly. But of those 10 all but 2 are in Student Gov Association. They are ALL on honor roll and 1/2 are in National honor society. They may be a little loud but they are amazing kids. |
|
|
|
Post by anonrefugee on Sept 21, 2015 12:37:43 GMT
I'm a pea. I like to know the why. They were well-behaved. I don't judge. Or roll my eyes or say anything. I was not irked. I was amused. I was momentarily tempted to have some appetizers sent over...but that would have been intruding. I noticed the waiter looked annoyed. Carry on. Did you just coin our slogan? It's good to have this place for our own "tell me why" moments. But you gotta remember Pea-rationale, those of us in position to answer might also be sensitive to the Cause. My Teens, like most dressed for a dance, would have thanked you for the appetizers- sweet thought! |
|
|
|
Post by littlemama on Sept 21, 2015 12:48:12 GMT
I'm a pea. I like to know the why.
What got me was the one table of twelve --they had soft drinks and ate chips and salsa. No one ordered food. When the young couples sitting separately at booths w their parents (presumably) finished their meals, the whole group left together. I'm trying to figure this out. I'm nosy like that. How is it ok to take up a large table on a busy Saturday night and only order soft drinks and mooch the free chips and salsa? What did I miss? Care to speculate? I really felt for the waiter.
You may not think so, but you are judging ("what got me..." "I really felt for the waiter", "How is it ok", "mooch"). And people are answering your question of "How is it ok." It is ok because they are paying customers, and the chips and salsa are offered.
|
|
|
|
Post by katieanna on Sept 21, 2015 13:10:39 GMT
Here the Mexican restaurants charge you for the chips and salsa if you don't order food. I don't know if the Mexican restaurants in my area do this or not but this would make sense and may have been the case. And I agree with the others; it was probably Homecoming night. |
|
Time to get off the internet!
