Online reviews spark another controversy between restaurateurs and diners. This time, the bone of contention is the ordering time: after 20 minutes, a Spanish restaurant sent home customers who hadn't yet chosen their dishes.
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The brawl between restaurateurs and diners continues. This time, the stage for the controversy is Granada. A few days ago, a group of customers posted an extremely negative review on Google after being dismissed without much consideration by Pizzametro, a famous pizzeria in the Andalusian city. "A real shame. My friends were just kicked out of the restaurant for taking twenty minutes to order. It should be noted that they were already having drinks. The situation is absurd. We promise not to return," wrote the group, which, as reported by La Vanguardia, gave the restaurant only one star out of five (the minimum score).
The diners' complaint quickly went viral, thanks in part to a tweet from @soycamarero, a Twitter account that states in its bio, "The customer is NOT always right." The restaurant owner immediately responded to the criticism, honestly explaining the reasons behind the behavior.
"It's a shame and a loss for us to block a table for six people at nine o'clock on a Saturday night and see that after half an hour, only three diners have arrived. They also wanted to continue occupying the table, waiting for their missing friends. We have three tables inside, and having one full without income on the weekend is unacceptable, especially considering that at the end of the month, we have to pay all the expenses of the establishment," the response reads. "We promise not to serve you if you show up at the restaurant," concludes the annoyed comment.
Online reviews, while a very democratic tool, are a double-edged sword for both restaurateurs and customers. Often, they are posted by unqualified individuals who, without objectivity, judge numerous parameters—from the quality of the food to the attitude of the staff, to cleanliness… A system that, due to its extreme subjectivity, risks being misleading for users themselves and harmful to owners.
Cover photos: @Bigstock
