Ssaving money on dinner is on lot's of peoples minds lately. We don't want to give up going out and we don't want to break the bank while we do it, so here are a few tips on how to save money while making your restaurant experience an enjoyable one!
How do you decide where you're going to eat? Is it based on if you can save on dinner? or is it based on how close the restaurant is to your house? Most people have a select number of restaurants they frequent and rarely venture out of this "comfort zone". And with good reason. For example, most of us would not want to drive 40 - 50 miles to eat out but may consider it if the restaurant had a good deal.
A good restaurant should have both excellent food and excellent service. Sometimes you get lucky and get the best of both but other times you either only get one or none at all. Case in point: I recently went to Olive Garden and while the food is not the best, the service was fantastic! I love the way they give me a free shot of wine before my dinner and the waiters/waitresses are always dressed sharp! Going back to the food, it was similar to a frozen dinner but for some reason, I enjoyed the visit more than other fancy Coral Gables restaurants.
The waiter or waitress should be attentive and check back with you at least three times during your meal. They should offer refills, desert, and ask how the meal is just minutes after it has been served. They should smile and never make any negative comments. Basically, they need to serve!
Here is how you can make your experience more memorable:
1. Treat the waiter/waitress with respect. Many people get the impression that a waiter/waitress is a lower life form and do not deserve good treatment. These folks are hard workers and many of them genuinely enjoy their jobs.
2. If you're missing something or need something extra, ask for everything at once. There is nothing more annoying than asking for more water then asking for more napkins and then asking for a straw. Doing this may cause slow service for the rest of the guests.
3. Give a good tip! I know this one seems obvious but giving good tips motivates people and motivated people work faster and better.
4. Come back and ask for the same waiter/waitress. Asking for the same server almost forces them to give you great service! EXTRA TIP: If you have time, ask your host or greeter to recommend a waiter/waitress then make sure the host tells the waiter/waitress you asked for them (even if you have never been to this place before).
5. When ever you can, give a compliment to the manager or the supervisor on the floor. This one is similar to number 3.
All in all, we love going out and in many cases, we love saving money. Check out this site for local restaurants with big discounts.