[Bjeanj]

Just had dinner at Augustines. They are doing a buffet only due to short wait staff. I had stuffed shells meatballs salad topped off by cheesecake dessert. My husband had meatballs, ravioli, and sausage and peppers.

We both thought the meal options were good and flavorful. Dinner was especially yummy.
$15.99 each.

[mikreb]

So bad the last time we ate at 1812 I would never consider going back even if it were free. Rude server and clueless manager.

[Michael G.]

I hate buffets will a passion.

[Dana1963]

Seems to be going DOWNHILL like the LIGHTHOUSE.

[billethkid]

The pandemic, supply chain allegations and short of help have become well worn excuses for many businesses to provide less than satisfactory service/delivery/quality/et al.

I am not saying that is the case at 1812.

Increasingly difficult to sort the reality from the "convenient" excuse.

[Dana1963]

Originally Posted by billethkid

The pandemic, supply chain allegations and short of help have become well worn excuses for many businesses to provide less than satisfactory service/delivery/quality/et al.

I am not saying that is the case at 1812.

Increasingly difficult to sort the reality from the "convenient" excuse.

Florida stopped the Federal Subsidies for UNEMPLOYMENT in June. Nationally the $300 Subsidies STOPPED in September.
It’s come down to Wages, Benefits and Working Conditions.

[MrFlorida]

Since the pandemic, I tend to stay away from open food sources.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Dana1963

Florida stopped the Federal Subsidies for UNEMPLOYMENT in June. Nationally the $300 Subsidies STOPPED in September.
It’s come down to Wages, Benefits and Working Conditions.

I would think it would come down to no income = no food and no shelter regardless of wages, benefits and working conditions. Which begs the question: Just where did all the workers go?????

I hate to trash businesses, especially restaurants in TV, but Augustine 1812 might have been the worst restaurant experience ever. Made a reservation for 5:30 prior to a show at the Sharon, then picked my menu selection from their website. When we arrived, they asked if we've heard about their buffet. We replied no thanks, we'll just order off the menu, only to find out there was no menu. They might have mentioned that at the time the reservation was made. Regarding reservation, they stated they only had 5-5:30 available, which was fine for us prior to the show, but the restaurant was less than half full right through 7:00 o'clock. The "buffet" consisted of a pot of soup, a meager salad station, and 3 pans that were supposed to be lasagna, chicken alfredo, and past primavera. At 5:55 they were "out" of lasagna and substituted tasteless spinach tortellini. The chicken alfredo was watery and the pasta overcooked. There was a pot of meatballs that was the only thing edible, as well as some pizza.
We saw a server whom we knew from other restaurants and asked what was going on. The short story is that they can't get kitchen help---kids right out of high school want to start at $25/ hour with benefits and 4 weeks vacation! Pretty pathetic, especially since this server said the owners are very generous and he was getting paid more than twice as much as his prior job. Does this mean "the kids" that would normally take these entry level jobs are living on mommy's basement couch and playing video games and Instagram all day long??? (probably not, no basements in FL)
Is this our future?????

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by MrFlorida

Since the pandemic, I tend to stay away from open food sources.

And why is that???? Please, please don't tell me anyone thinks they can get COVID from food. Please.
If the statement was that people should have stayed away from open food sources for the last 100 years, I might agree, but only since the pandemic.........well, res ipsa loquitur

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

I would think it would come down to no income = no food and no shelter regardless of wages, benefits and working conditions. Which begs the question: Just where did all the workers go?????

I hate to trash businesses, especially restaurants in TV, but Augustine 1812 might have been the worst restaurant experience ever. Made a reservation for 5:30 prior to a show at the Sharon, then picked my menu selection from their website. When we arrived, they asked if we've heard about their buffet. We replied no thanks, we'll just order off the menu, only to find out there was no menu. They might have mentioned that at the time the reservation was made. Regarding reservation, they stated they only had 5-5:30 available, which was fine for us prior to the show, but the restaurant was less than half full right through 7:00 o'clock. The "buffet" consisted of a pot of soup, a meager salad station, and 3 pans that were supposed to be lasagna, chicken alfredo, and past primavera. At 5:55 they were "out" of lasagna and substituted tasteless spinach tortellini. The chicken alfredo was watery and the pasta overcooked. There was a pot of meatballs that was the only thing edible, as well as some pizza.
We saw a server whom we knew from other restaurants and asked what was going on. The short story is that they can't get kitchen help---kids right out of high school want to start at $25/ hour with benefits and 4 weeks vacation! Pretty pathetic, especially since this server said the owners are very generous and he was getting paid more than twice as much as his prior job. Does this mean "the kids" that would normally take these entry level jobs are living on mommy's basement couch and playing video games and Instagram all day long??? (probably not, no basements in FL)
Is this our future?????

if there so generous why aren’t people coming to work for them ., many restaurants are doing well and not just big places , tropical smoothie and Starbucks have so many people behind counter there bumping into each other, I wonder why ? Hmmm maybe they pay better

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

if there so generous why aren’t people coming to work for them ., many restaurants are doing well and not just big places , tropical smoothie and Starbucks have so many people behind counter there bumping into each other, I wonder why ? Hmmm maybe they pay better

Maybe, but not according to the guy we know who works there, and previously worked at two other restaurants in TV. Let's assume he knows more about it than either of us.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Works where?? And if those 2 places I mentioned then maybe my eyes need to be checked because I’m a regular in both , how about you ???? And not at LSL

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

Works where?? And if those 2 places I mentioned then maybe my eyes need to be checked because I’m a regular in both , how about you ???? And not at LSL

The server I was referring to is not a kid, he's about 50-55 and works at what TV considers fine dining establishments. I won't give the names of the 2 places he worked prior, but they are both in the top 5 restaurants in TV, and have nothing to do with kids behind the counter at tropical smoothie or Starbucks, neither of which I frequent. Why is it hard to acknowledge that an experienced, mature server who is actually working at the restaurant in question knows more about this than either of us?

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

I can’t figure out what your trying to say that this guy can’t make money or can’t get a job which my post wasn’t talking about , I’m out most nights to eat and never cook and frequent the top 4 or 5 places and others lower down the list , I’m friends with many on staff and they are happy and doing well , I mentioned tropical smoothie and Starbucks as an example of places where they seem to get enough help maybe because they pay , I was writing from general observation of what I see and hear , not from one person and we all know that the restaurant business is not kind to older servers

[npwalters]

I would think it would come down to no income = no food and no shelter regardless of wages, benefits and working conditions. Which begs the question: Just where did all the workers go?????

I've been asking this question for a few months now. I have worked a couple of jobs that I didn't want in order to get by in the past. Same with my wife. We had to in order to pay the bills.

I really don't know the answer but they have money for basic subsistence somehow.

We ate at Gators in SS last night. Good food but very poor service and dirty conditions due to a lack of servers and other help. We left a decent tip anyway since the lone waitress serving the outside seats was trying hard. Won't go back until their help situation improves.