Omnivore - Do celebrity chefs make diners less likely to complain?
The Porter Beer Bar’s owner thinks publicly venting chefs are bad for dining discourse.
While most of the feedback to our recent article about Ron Eyester and the Angry Chef (and the announcement that he’ll be writing a column for us) has been met with great enthusiasm, both in the comments section and in emails I’ve received, there is one concerned restaurateur out there who feels this type of thing is a detriment to dining. Molly Gunn, who owns the Porter Beer Bar, wrote to us over the weekend and had this to say:
After reading the article by Besha Rodell about Ron Eyester, @theangrychef, this week, I felt I had to write and point out another perspective that was missed in the article. As a restaurant owner myself, I feel that Ron’s gripes and venting, however justified, is doing the service industry a disservice by being publicized. As a restaurant owner, I am constantly trying to train my staff how best to deal with an upset guest. Usually it is fairly easy to fix most problems, once they have been vocalized by the guest. My concern is that chefs and restaurant owners seeking spectacle like Ron, will further dissuade guests from voicing their displeasure with a meal or experience. As restaurant folklore goes, we all know a happy guest will tell two people about their experience and an unhappy guest will tell ten. Increasingly I have noticed that guests are unwilling to complain or point out criticism.