eating subway in my pizzeria

[stpaullee]

Ok, I’m just wondering how y’all feel about people eating food from another establishment in your pizzeria. Someone told me OSHA frowns on it for health reasons. Not sure if that’s true or not though. I do know subway and other restaurants won’t allow my food in their dining rooms, so I’m wondering if I should tell people they can’t eat subway in mine. Seems like bad customer service to me, so I’m wondering where all of you stand. Thanks for your input.

 

[Pakula_s_Pizza]

I have never told anyone they couldn’t bring food in. As an owner I try to find ways to bring people in…making them Leave will cause them to think less of you.

 

[pizza2007]

Post a big sign that says, “NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINK ALLOWED!”

It has nothing to do with customer service.

 

[pizza2007]

Pakula,

cause them to think less of you
<— they’re already thinking less of you and disrespecting you and your business when they bring outside food or drink in your establishment.

 

[The_Fat_Boy]

i dont let outside food in unless its a picky eating kid w/ a happy meal and his parents are eating my pizza.

dont let outside drinks in

i have told highschoolers during lunch they cant come in my building with subway or sonic(i sell subs & burgers) they dont need to be taking up space that a paying customer could use.

thats my opinion

 

[pizzatime]

Back in the day I had a worker show up with a sub from subway and was eating it while clocked in. Some teenagers can’t think straight. I bet she doesn’t do that again at her next job.

It’s a thin line…if a child has allergies but the family orders,ok
If they come in with food from another place(competitor) and hang…good bye
If its a great customer that had something left over from lunch and just needed a place to rest and only grabs a drink,ok

Learn to draw a line and be willing to strech that line dependent on each situation.

 

[Daddio]

I have a Dairy Queen across the parking lot from me. When I have a customer bring in their food I will generally make a comment that if you are bringing Dairy Queen into Daddio’s you need to bring Daddio some Dairy Queen. Usually they get the hint. I actually had one kid get up and go over to the DQ and bring me a cone.

This is something that you need to be careful about. One of my staff told me about her boyfriends construction crew going into a little cafe. Nine of the ten guys were going to order and one had brought something from another place. The owner told the guy he couldn’t eat there so the whole crew left and never went back. The crew worked in the area for 3 months. How much did the cafe lose because of their not outside food policy?

 

[Pakula_s_Pizza]

pizza2007:

Pakula,

cause them to think less of you
<— they’re already thinking less of you and disrespecting you and your business when they bring outside food or drink in your establishment.

Absolutely not true. My place is in the middle of a neighborhood. There are kids in my place constantly. They bring in other peoples drinks, bagels from next door, sometimes even a bag of cherrios or carrot sticks. They come in and eat with their friends. It’s not that they want to disrespect me, they just don’t want to sit as eat alone when all of their friends are in the pizza shop hanging.

 

[NicksPizza]

1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has no interest in who eats what in your restaurant. They care about the safety of construction, mines, workplace, and the like. Health department? Maybe.
2. I am with Daddio in that I want to discourage people from using the dining room I PAID FOR as their private dining room for the private convenience without paying for my food. That is a business decision in that we have lots of vagabond types wandering around. That said, we try to be aware of the situation and at least slightly larger picture before we “wield the boot”. Can’t go around cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face . . . . let those two kids eat a hamburger in my dining room while their family orders $35 in goods. Make it a regular thing!!

 

[stebby1]

I’m with the majority of the guys here, look at the big picture first. If its people bringing in food and not ordering from you, then absolutely not allow it. However, if its a couple people bringing in food to eat with a group of people eating your food, then be happy they are there. Dont risk loosing those customers over a couple sandwiches from a neighboring business.

I’ve seen kids eating a happy meal while their parents enjoyed food from my place. I completely understand that whole thing as I’m a picky eater myself. As long as they didnt trash the place with the other food, i’m cool with it.

 

[amelmor]

Daddio:

…if you are bringing Dairy Queen into Daddio’s you need to bring Daddio some Dairy Queen…

I like this!

There’s a bar next door to my shop…

 

[bennyspizza]

I agree with the majority too.if a 10 top came in and 1 had outside food I wouldnt have said a word because it is obvious that the other 9 are going to spend some money at the shop.it is also obvious for me that by telling1 that he cant stay that they will al leave.
Antonio

on a differant note what gets me the most though is when I am eating outside food and there will always be an idiot that will say what you dont like your own food?my standard reply is something along the lines of:if everyone ate pizza everyday I would be retired by now.

 

[wa_dave]

On wet days we always get Subway customers trying to come into our shop and sit down and eat their food without ever spending a cent with us - NEVER !! THey spill food on the tables and floor and often leave the wrappers on the table.

We are strict that if nothing is purchased from us then no eating outside food. Yes we get families or groups come in and eat pizza while one has fish and chips or subway and I bend the rule on that, but not just using our place to their convenience.

Our local Subway owner is an arrogant @#$%@# and does not care about supplying seating for his customers, only how much money he can take from them. If one of his customers ask why can’t they eat in my place I say " ask subway to supply a table and chair for you. I am not subway and I don’t make any money from your order so why should I supply tables and chairs for their customers" (These are to customers of subway who have never stepped in our shop to spend a cent)

They want the convenience of sitting at a table in a clean enviroment but they don’t want to purchase from us. Sorry but there’s the door and dont drop any crumbs on the way out ! Nasty me? Yeah, but if they don’t spend I don’t want them messing up my store. I know what would happen if I went elsewhere with my pizzas to eat. I would be shown the door haste pronto.

Sorry, but I don’t belong to the club that thinks they might be a customer one day if you let them in to eat outside food. They are just users who don’t give a rats about anyone else but themselves.

Dave

 

[Pizzamancer]

pizza2007:

<— they’re already thinking less of you and disrespecting you and your business when they bring outside food or drink in your establishment.

Couldn’t be further off. Even if they were ‘disrespecing’ you what does that have to do with your business? “Heck this business would be awesome if it weren’t for the customers.”, sound familiar? Demanding respect from customers while spinning pizza… too funny.

Yes, I think we all agree that it goes against common sense to bring food into another restaurant, but seriously, to get bent out of shape about it is absurd. Give them a smile, a glass of water and a napkin, and where do you think they will eat next time?

Daddio has it right. Don’t kill the chicken for one golden egg.

 

[indie_pizza]

Pizzamancer:

Even if they were ‘disrespecing’ you what does that have to do with your business? “Heck this business would be awesome if it weren’t for the customers.”, sound familiar? Demanding respect from customers while spinning pizza… too funny.

I disagree with this on so many levels. Somehow “spinning pizza” is not a legitimate job? You’re addressing shop owners here, some who have pretty high levels of education. “Disrespecing” (sic) my business is disrespecting me and my efforts at creating a business that I use to provide for my family. McHut King would toss me on my a$$ if I tried to take food into their place, why are the rules and expectations different for me?

Yeah, if a family comes in and brings food for a kid from somewhere else, I won’t make a big deal, that sensible and I think everyone here is on board with that. But, I expect them to acknowledge what they’re doing, if not ask permission first.

Pizzamancer:

Give them a smile, a glass of water and a napkin, and where do you think they will eat next time?

Obviously they’re going to go to pizza2007’s place…the question you should have asked is “what are they going to eat next time”.

 

[Pizzamancer]

indie pizza:

“Disrespecing” (sic) my business is disrespecting me

Sorry if that was too subtle for you. You miss my other point as well. The idea that you should somehow expect respect from your customers is a forgone conclusion. Talking about education levels in your obstruse argument is really beside the point as well, as it is clearly not what I was referring to.

 

[pizza2007]

Pizzamancer,

idea that you should somehow expect respect from your customers is a forgone conclusion.
What are you talking about?? You’ve lost me. I don’t ‘demand’ respect, my customers ‘give’ us respect. However, if someone ‘spits’ on your shoe, are they respecting you, or disrespecting you? In business, a customer purchases from you (kind of sustains the business cycle - you know), a non-customer does not purchase from you (well, kinda does not sustain the business cycle).

Perhaps I was too black and white in my original reply, but thats sort of my nature. As we well know, all of our businesses are a little different. Yours may THRIVE with non-paying customers. Mine doesn’t. Mine depends on paying customers to continue operations.

 

[indie_pizza]

Pizzamancer:

Sorry if that was too subtle for you. You miss my other point as well. The idea that you should somehow expect respect from your customers is a forgone conclusion. Talking about education levels in your obstruse argument is really beside the point as well, as it is clearly not what I was referring to.

I saw no subtleties in your comments, it seemed quite clear what you meant. Nor, am I aware what your “other point” was that I must have missed. I expect a certain level of respect from anyone I come into contact with. I have no problem denying access to my product or services to people who are only interested in taking advantage of me. You appear to make the statement that it is laughable that someone on this board who “spins pizza” for a living would have the nerve to approach a superior being with a real job about this issue.

When is the last time you dealt with this in the store you own…or am I completely missing something here in my “obstruse” (sic) argument?

 

[Pizzamancer]

pizza2007:

Yours may THRIVE with non-paying customers. Mine doesn’t. Mine depends on paying customers to continue operations.

Nope. My business thrives on reputation, word of mouth, and repeat business. Treat someone nicely, and they will probably tell nobody. Kick them out, and you can be sure they will tell 10 people, and mention it every time they hear your store’s name.

and ya indie you are missing something.