Happy to turn customers away... My friend and I have been meeting at Corbin's for breakfast six to eight times a year for a couple of years now, at a cost of $30 to $60 each time we meet. This weekend, on my way to Corbin's, I stopped and picked up two drinks at Starbucks to have with our breakfast (you probably know where this is going...). My friend had just been seated and was waiting at a table outside. When I arrived with the drinks the owner burst out of the restaurant and shouted, "You can't have those here, that is my business, I sell food and beverages! Get those out of here!" Before you think I am a total jerk... we truly understand that Corbin's sells drinks and that this is his livelihood - but as we looked around the patio several people were just having the FREE ice water and one person had their own personal canteen of some beverage type on their table - which the he hadn't requested they remove from the restaurant. We told the owner we understood and said we would be happy to BUY two shots of Bailey's to add to our coffee so he would not be out the sale of a beverage. He refused, saying he wasn't going to argue with us (which we wasn't arguing to begin with) and that we had to remove the drinks from his patio. HIs reaction was loud, aggressive and totally disproportionate to the situation. We decided to keep our beverages and leave his restaurant instead. We understand it is his business, and he can run it as he wishes. We just think this was not only a really bad business decision, but he wasn't even courteous about it. He has seen us, and even waited on us, in his restaurant many times. We spend about $300 to $400 a year in his restaurant... not a lot, and I am not suggesting that should allow us "special treatment". We just think it is foolish to turn out paying customers because they won't be buying $3.00 in soft drinks, or asking for FREE water, even as we offered to spend MORE than the cost of soft drinks on Bailey's. He certainly could have asked that we not bring the drinks in next time - especially since someone else already had a their own beverage in a canteen at the table next to ours - but instead he was rude and foolish! Imagine Macy's not selling you a pair of pants because you are wearing a shirt from Nordstrom's... even when you offer to buy one of their shirts! Perhaps the owner is happy to turn away paying customers - though I am sure the waiter who lives off tips would prefer to have us at the table than have them run off because they are not buying a $2.00 soft drink. It's not like we were planning to sit there and not buy two breakfast/lunch items - which we ultimately did, with desserts at another restaurant that was happy to have our business. We have always enjoyed the food at Corbin's but the owner did not just lose our business for THAT day, we won't be going back at all, and we will certainly tell our friends in the neighborhood the next time they suggest going there.
Is this review positive or negative?
Available options:
(a). negative;
(b). positive;
Answer:
(a).