THE GRINCH HOSTESS WHO LURKED at APPLEBEES....

Okay...it has taken me a day or two to get over this but as I start to write about it I can feel my blood pressure rising once again.

Just let me set the scene....
I have had a couple of really "not so good" lunches at Applebees in the past and it has taken me at least a year to go back for a meal. A week or so ago a few of us went after late night scrapbooking to have a bite before we crashed for the night at our own homes. I have to say I was impressed and most of all my husband was impressed - he is quite picky you see when it comes to food! He absolutely raved over how good his steak was that night. So, my scene is set okay....hang on to these thoughts.

It was on December 24, 2007, Christmas Eve, the evening prior to the big celebration. My husband, son and I had no plans this year (which is a first) to be anywhere with anyone to celebrate (that was a personal choice - which is also another Loongggg story for another day). Anyhow, we chose to head Applebees for dinner that night, calling ahead and knowing that they were open until 8:00 p.m. (or so they said - you can't take anybody's word anymore!)

We arrive at Applebee's at 6:00 p.m. We get out and go in and are standing inside the door as there are two other families waiting to be seated in which this conversation is ensuing between the two unidentified families "I thought they were closed now and not taking anymore people?" "Well, we thought we were the last one's in and then they let you in?" At this point the Hostess comes back to her post. The lady sitting nearest the hostess says "I thought you were closed now?" and the hostess says, "we are and we aren't taking any more people - we didn't expect this" (forgive me for thinking this but is Applebee's not a restaurant/food service/serving customers, perhaps even being polite and with a smile? I mean, am I like asking tooo much?). The hostess says "you (meaning the woman who was talking with her) were the last people we let in and we just cannot take any more people." (Now, I need to add at this point that the hostess was practically gasping for air). The customer asking all these questions then gives me and my family the eye of "goodbye"....at which point the hostess tells us that we have to leave because they cannot take anymore people, yes she did tell us we had to leave and I am 100% serious (now mind you there was plenty of parking in the parking lot and it truly was not that crowded). So, she basically kicked our A##es out the door. I was LIVID and said "FINE, there are othere businesses that can take my money!" My husband was trying to get me to calm down but I thought HOW RUDE, I mean seriously, HOW RUDE? I mean imagine, I work at a hospital and if they bring someone in and we say I am sorry but we are just WAYYYYYY to busy and we didn't expect this - we are NOT taking anymore patients at this time....I would be in the unemployment line and rather QUICKLY I might add plus all the lawsuits that the hospital would have against them for "refusing service" (so maybe Applebees and Hospitals are NOT in quite the same line of service).

I will tell you that we did end up at Mandarin Pine having Chinese and the owner and her family were more than happy to serve us on Christmas Eve and make us feel like true customers! We had a wonderful family dinner just took us a bump to get to where we were "supposed" to be!

Hopefully the Hostess heart at Applebees will soon start beating like MR. GRINCH'S did!

P.S. Neener, neener, neener - I just called the manager at Applebees and told him what happened - he was unaware of it closing at 6:00 and it wasn't in his log book - for whatever that is worth!