[srswans]

ikr - a diner out of coffee?

This is RT44 location in the old Sunny Pint slot. I got seated around 10:20 a.m. and asked for a refill around 10:45 and was told that they were out of coffee. Naturally, I said I'd wait for them to brew more but the server said that the coffee was delivered by truck and that they literally had no coffee. The server also indicated that this was not an uncommon occurrence.

Hmm.

I still tipped well - this is not the server's fault.

Just a head's up for the coffee addicts out there.

[JohnN]

No joe no go

[Pugchief]

I hope they took the charge for coffee off the bill.

They could have sent one of the staff to the Publix a block away to buy some. If this is a "regular occurrence" they should have already had some Publix coffee in the cabinet for emergencies. Poor management skills and completely unacceptable.

[Taltarzac725]

Darrell's Diner Expands With Two New Locations and More to Come


Never been there but may try the dinner menu if and when it opens .

Oh! And by the way, you had me at twenty-two.

[Stu from NYC]

No excuse to run out of coffee. How hard is it to send an employee to get some

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by pugchief

i hope they took the charge for coffee off the bill.

They could have sent one of the staff to the publix a block away to buy some. If this is a "regular occurrence" they should have already had some publix coffee in the cabinet for emergencies. Poor management skills and completely unacceptable.

i love it when someone is right

[Worldseries27]

Originally Posted by stu from nyc

no excuse to run out of coffee. How hard is it to send an employee to get some

i've never heard this from any restaurant ever

[SaucyJim]

I was curious, as I know a bar cannot just run to the local liquor store when they run out of Jack Daniels.

--- ChatGPT Question ---

If a local diner runs out of coffee, can they just send someone to the store to buy more or are they required by health statutes or some law to only serve coffee provided by their vendors?

--- ChatGPT Answer ---

Generally, yes — a diner can send someone to the grocery store and buy more coffee. There is usually no law requiring restaurants to obtain food only from their regular distributors.

Health regulations in the U.S. are primarily concerned with:

Food safety (proper storage, temperatures, avoiding contamination).
Approved sources (food must come from a legitimate commercial source, not someone's garage or home kitchen).
Traceability in case of recalls.

So if the diner normally buys coffee from Sysco but unexpectedly runs out, an employee can typically go to Walmart, Costco, Sam's Club, Publix, etc., buy commercially packaged coffee, and serve it.

There are a few caveats:

Alcohol is heavily regulated. A restaurant generally cannot run to a liquor store and buy beer or liquor for resale; alcohol usually must come through licensed distributors.
Some products (shellfish, meats, raw milk, etc.) may have additional recordkeeping requirements.
Certain franchises may have corporate rules requiring approved suppliers, but that's a business policy, not usually a health law.
Local health departments may require invoices or proof that food came from an approved source, so saving the receipt is wise.

In fact, restaurant owners and managers do this all the time during emergencies:

"We're out of half-and-half? I'll be back in ten minutes."

So if your local diner runs out of coffee, there's ordinarily nothing illegal about sending an employee to the store to buy more, provided it's commercially produced and handled safely.

[Mrmean58]

Originally Posted by Pugchief

I hope they took the charge for coffee off the bill.

They could have sent one of the staff to the Publix a block away to buy some. If this is a "regular occurrence" they should have already had some Publix coffee in the cabinet for emergencies. Poor management skills and completely unacceptable.

The cup of coffee price on the menu is the same for a single cup or if you sit at a table and drink coffee for hours.( Ummm?? Maybe that's why y'all drove Katie Belles out of business). Who is going to pay for the coffee at Publix? The days of a petty cash box is long gone.

[Rocksnap]

Theres 30 seconds of my life im not getting back.

[srswans]

Originally Posted by Pugchief

I hope they took the charge for coffee off the bill.

…

No. But I was offered a Pepsi product as a substitute.

[Indydealmaker]

Originally Posted by srswans

ikr - a diner out of coffee?

This is RT44 location in the old Sunny Pint slot. I got seated around 10:20 a.m. and asked for a refill around 10:45 and was told that they were out of coffee. Naturally, I said I'd wait for them to brew more but the server said that the coffee was delivered by truck and that they literally had no coffee. The server also indicated that this was not an uncommon occurrence.

Hmm.

I still tipped well - this is not the server's fault.

Just a head's up for the coffee addicts out there.

This particular location is the only Darryl's so far (eaten at 8) where there seems to be a management void.

[Nell57]

Definitely a management void.
I’m one person managing one kitchen. I’ve NEVER run out of coffee. You know when you’re getting low ….thats the time to go shopping.
People consider Darrell’s a mom and pop diner. Fresh, hot plentiful food.
No one slammed OP for the post…..and restaurant critics ALWAYS get slammed on TOTV.
Just shows how we revere our morning ☕️

[Rodneysblue]

Originally Posted by srswans

ikr - a diner out of coffee?

This is RT44 location in the old Sunny Pint slot. I got seated around 10:20 a.m. and asked for a refill around 10:45 and was told that they were out of coffee. Naturally, I said I'd wait for them to brew more but the server said that the coffee was delivered by truck and that they literally had no coffee. The server also indicated that this was not an uncommon occurrence.

Hmm.

I still tipped well - this is not the server's fault.

Just a head's up for the coffee addicts out there.

So they should have sent someone to the store and buy some to get by. The Crew from the day before should have either done this or at least gave the next crew a heads up. I’ve had to do this before , no big deal. Come on people, take some initiative!

[Danube]

Originally Posted by Mrmean58

The cup of coffee price on the menu is the same for a single cup or if you sit at a table and drink coffee for hours.( Ummm?? Maybe that's why y'all drove Katie Belles out of business). Who is going to pay for the coffee at Publix? The days of a petty cash box is long gone.

Good question. Maybe ask AI who will pay?