Problems at Riverfront?

[imported_ut1]

Don't know how many of you folks frequent the Riverfront Restaurant, but I received this e-mail today from my daughter, who of course received it from someone else. Just wondering what the other side of the story might sound like, or if this is a total fabrication??


I am a prominent Kingsport businesswoman, and on Thursday March 9th,
2006, my mother (disabled grandmother), her best friend, and I were
thrown out of Riverfront Seafood Restaurant in downtown Kingsport. Here
is what happened! My mother and her friend went to Riverfront Seafood
Restaurant and told the host that there would be 2 possibly 3 people in
our party. They were seated and my mother told the waitress that there
would be 3 people. When I got to the restaurant I waived at the owner of
the restaurant and smiled, he nodded his head and I went to the table
and sat down with my party. I had just said hello when the owner came up
to the table and asked us if we had told the hostess 2 or 3 in our
party. My mothers' friend said that she said 2, possibly 3, and that she
didn't know if I would be able to make it because of my job. The owner
angrily and very loudly said, "You shouldn't have lied to the hostess".
My mother said, "I didn't lie" and "we won't be back here again". The
owner said, " That's fine but, you did lie". My mother said, "No I
didn't lie, and isn't the customer always right"? The owner replied, "No
the customer isn't always right and yes you did lie". My mothers' friend
spoke up and said, "we'll just leave". My mother said, "Just cancel our
order". The owner said, "No, your food is already cooking and you did
lie". My mother said, "That's fine but I did not lie". The owner said,
"Yes you did lie and don't let it happen again"! As he walked off the

owner said, " God Bless". We were all just looking at one another in
shock! My mothers' friend looked at my mom and said, "He wouldn't have
talked to us like that if her husband had been here"! We were all
embarrassed; I had never been blessed out by an owner of a restaurant
before! The waitress came over to the table and the first words out of
her mouth were " I am so sorry"! She couldn't believe the owner was
acting that way. She asked me if I wanted to order and I told her NO!
There was no way that I was going to eat here after the way the owner
treated us! My mother asked the waitress to box up their order. The
waitress brought the food back boxed up and they paid the waitress for
the food and gave her a tip. The whole time the waitress was apologizing
for the owner's actions! The waitress left our table and my mother and
her friend had realized that they did not get their salads that had come
with the meal; I told them that I would ask for them. We got up to leave
and everyone was staring at us; everyone in the restaurant had heard
him. My mother's friend walked as fast as she could through the
restaurant and straight out to my mother's car. The embarrassment made
my mother start to cry. I caught a waiter and asked him to get their
salads and my mother showed him the receipt where she had already paid
for the meal, which included salads. He said he would get them for us. I
went to the waiting area of the restaurant and waited for the waiter to
bring the salads. I was angry but I didn't say anything up until this
point! It wasn't until our waitress came up and told me that the owner
said, "They couldn't have their salads that they were for dine in only"!
That's when I got very upset! I told her to get the owner and get him
here now! The owner came up to the hostess stand and I told him "get
their salads"! The owner said, "No that they are for dine in only
(showing me the menu)"! I said, "Do you really expect us to eat here
after the way you embarrassed us like that"! The owner said, " I didn't
tell you, you had to leave"! I said, " Get me their salads and get them
now"! The owner said, " NO, they are for dine in only"! I said, "Fine
(raising my voice) I just want everyone in this restaurant to know how
you are treating me"! The owner stepped up in my face, his nose one inch
from mine (I couldn't even see anything but his nose and his eyes) and
said, " You better get out of here! I'm going to call the cops"! My
mother said, "It looked like it was all the owner could do to keep from
hitting me"! The owner then went to the bar and picked up the phone. The
manager (bouncer) of Riverfront then came over and said, "You need to
leave"! I said, "I will after I get their salads"! The manager said,
"The salads are for dine in only"! I said, "We were until the way he
treated us"! The manager said, "You shouldn't have lied"! I said, "We
didn't lie and what does it matter anyway? Don't you want to make more
money"? The manager said, "Not when you lie, you get out of here"! We
started to leave and as my mother walked out the door the manager
followed us and told "us to get out of here." I have always enjoyed
eating at this restaurant, they have good food and a nice atmosphere;
however, I refuse to support a restaurant that treats its customer with
this kind of disrespect. I will not be treated as a common criminal! I
thought long and hard about whether or not to put this out to the
public, but after watching my mother cry and seeing the embarrassment on
her friends face I felt that I had to let the public know what happened
to us and to let the owner of Riverfront Seafood know that you have to
treat your customers with respect in order to have them be repeat
customers. So please pass this onto your friends and family, because
next time it could be your mother, grandmother or best friend it happens
too if we don't stop this now!

[Ironlung]

I've heard "not so nice" things about that place before. If this did happen, the lady shouldn't be sending an email, she should be sending this to the KTN. Some of that does seem a little out there. Not sure if it's true or not. I don't know why anyone would care how many people are in their party. Alot of that is hard to believe. Could just be some one trying to settle a score. I never had a problem there.

[imported_VTgal]

Yeah, seems kinda fishy to me.
Pun intended.

ZING!!!

[Ironlung]

Was that pun intended? [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[imported_VTgal]

Yeah, I had to add that. Ha.

[imported_elp6n]

I find this story hard to swallow.

The first line "I am a prominent Kingsport businesswoman" (without giving a name) is typical of someone tryng to puff up the believability of a story. You will find similar beginnings to many email urban legends.

This prominent Kingsport businesswoman also has very bad grammar and punctuation.

The writer of the story wasn't even there as the group spoke to the hostess or as they were being seated, so she doesn't know the whole story and can't say for a fact what was said.

I'd bet with a little research this kind of letter can be found circulating with various restaurant names. It sounds similar to the Nieman Marcus Cookie Recipe legend.

[Ironlung]

Mythbuster. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[PVVikeFan]

Dang. Doesn't sound like much of a business to me. I would like to hear the owner's side of the story. If this is true I would never go there.

[imported_ut1]

I take most stories like this with a grain of salt. I've been to Riverfront many times and always had a good experience there, so I found the story to be unsettling at the least. The e-mail I received also had the KTN's e-mail address on it, so I'm wondering if that was just to try to add credibility to the story.
If its true, then maybe this lady will step forward and own up to her side of it.

[imported_elp6n]

I love Mythbusters. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]