[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by Golfingnut

Well thanks for nothing!

Before reading the info in the charts you put up, I thought I was doing great. Sigh!!! Anyone know who is hiring in The Villages.


Only kidding. Nice information. I did think the average income would be less here since so many complain about the price of beer

“We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.”

― Immanuel Kant

And many of us here in TV are doing very nicely without those great big houses....I mean Money Pits!!

[Golfingnut]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

“We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without.”

― Immanuel Kant

You must have picked that silly tidbit up at Woodstock. LOL. Don't bogart that joint my friend.

[Golf-Tinker]

I remember the day Kris fired George.

I remember the day he fired Damon.

I remember the day he fired you.

I remember the day he fired Don.

I remember all the days he fired so many servers, bartenders, hostesses, cooks, who wanted Havana to succeed. It is difficult today not to meet many of Havana's alumni working at another Villages restaurant. They do not have fond memories of life with Kris.

It will take much more than singing wannabes to lure me into giving him some of my hard-earned dollars.

[Golfingnut]

Originally Posted by Golf-Tinker

I remember the day Kris fired George.

I remember the day he fired Damon.

I remember the day he fired you.

I remember the day he fired Don.

I remember all the days he fired so many servers, bartenders, hostesses, cooks, who wanted Havana to succeed. It is difficult today not to meet many of Havana's alumni working at another Villages restaurant. They do not have fond memories of life with Kris.

It will take much more than singing wannabes to lure me into giving him some of my hard-earned dollars.

Wow... I have no doubt you speak like kemosabi on this, BUT I want this club to be better because it is so close and such nice atmospher.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by Golf-Tinker

I remember the day Kris fired George.

I remember the day he fired Damon.

I remember the day he fired you.

I remember the day he fired Don.

I remember all the days he fired so many servers, bartenders, hostesses, cooks, who wanted Havana to succeed. It is difficult today not to meet many of Havana's alumni working at another Villages restaurant. They do not have fond memories of life with Kris.

It will take much more than singing wannabes to lure me into giving him some of my hard-earned dollars.

The pattern of firing motivated employees listed above sounds like further proof that

"Money can't buy class."!!!!

[hdandydon]

Closed due to health reasons, roaches i was told.

[PaPaLarry]

Originally Posted by ilovetv

"Incredibly dire economic times for 5 years now".....in The Villages?????

Anybody with eyes can see that the market here in TV has been almost immune to the slump the rest of the nation has been in. Any person running restaurants and food service should know the facts contained in The Villages Commercial Property website linked below.

Anyone doing business here should know a couple of key facts about the "economic times" of the people here who would LIKE to frequent Havana CC, but have been served food literally unfit for a dog within the same week in which we had really good food and decent service!

If anybody has caused dire economic straits at Havana, it's been the management itself, that has allowed this sloppy customer service to continue for so long.

Take a look at the "incredibly dire economics" of the customers of Havana CC and all its competitor clubs here:



Attachment 16677

The excuse of "incredibly dire economic times" in TV and right around Havana is incredibly lame. For one thing, it is surrounded by hundreds of homes that cost over $200,000 with many being over $500,000, and they're filled with people who have money who do not want to cook and they have disposable income to go out to dine 4-5 times a week, at least!

The lameness of this claim explains EVERYTHING about why Havana has been dying for 5 years!

And by the way, I have worked in restaurants and know it's no easy job, but that's why you have to look for staff with brains that look at facts and listen to the customer!

And hire staff that have the brains and ambition to go over to Walgreens in 2 minutes flat and buy some 12-packs of BEER instead of telling golfers coming in from 18 holes in 90 degree heat that "we're out of beer"!!

[DavidHoe]

Originally Posted by PaPaLarry

Already someone that supposedly worked there, "remembers the day he fired me". The 70s were pretty good to me, but I am pretty sure, I would remember if I had been fired. Take it for what it is worth from another person in the know!

To the person who stated something to the effect of, "you take two minutes and run over to Walgreens to pick up beer", would also mean that you have broken Florida liquor laws, and that would just be something else you could heap on Kris for doing "wrong".

The Villagers are a very lucrative collection of residents. The Villages itself however is not immune to the openings and closings of both privately held, chain and franchise restaurants. Competition from within does not aid the pre-existing clubs.

One of the bigger issues in The Villages is the Villagers themselves. There is a fine line between entitlement and discerning. As stated before, I have been in the restaurant business for many years now. I have never faced the challenges anywhere that I did there, and that is one of the reasons I chose to leave working there. A few incidents stay in immediate memory because of how ludicrous the guests were but there were many. Starting pre-opening...we were actually doing mass interviews and a group of residents stroll in and walk to the kitchen to show their friends "their club". When I say a group, I mean somewhere between 12-15 strangers just doing what they pleased. Really? Another incident, a gentleman came in one morning right after we started serving breakfast. He asked for a table at 12:15 for lunch for his golf group of 12 men. I agreed to his request and he agreed to call me when they were teeing off on 17 so we could start the process. Well, 2:45 rolls around and his table that we saved for an extended period of time was now in use with no immediate chance of his group which had now grown to 20 being seated. Even though he did not hold up to any portion of his agreement, somehow we were in the wrong...up to the point that he chest bumped me when I asked him to leave due to his cursing and shouting. All his "friends" could do was tell me "he gets like that when he has been drinking and his golf game is off". Really? Another incident that jumps to mind is the weekend group that grew on one visit from 21 to 54 people in the matter of an hour or two, and then I get verbally abused by the group leader when I couldn't provide them with the level of service a "paying group of this size deserved". Lets start with the fact that most restaurants without true banquet facilities cannot even handle a group that large pre-planned, but a walkup crowd that constantly moved from seat to seat as other new friends joined in, yet somehow when my server can't remember one person who has moved to three different seats location and therfore a drink doesnt get delivered in a timely manner. THEN, you want 27 different checks also in a timely manner. Really?

Someone will post that other places handle those type crowds, and many of those that have tried in The Villages are no longer in business. I could go on and on and on about incidents unique to that area, but I won't. I have worked everywhere in the business from owning my own beer/wine pub to high end dining and everything in between. Dealt with tourists from all over the world, far wealthier clientele than The Villagers, and the salt of the earth locals, and nowhere have I found a more demanding (not discerning) collection of individuals as reside in The Villages. Those of you who have your minds made up will continue to badmouth Havana, Kris, and probably me now that I have spoken up. That is your right, but please before using my name or Kris', please know the facts. Since Kris is the only person up there that I continue to keep in contact with, anyone who states a fact relating to me is flat out lying. Plain and simple. Hopefully many of you will take a step back, and give Havana another chance. Since my blood pressure goes through the roof when I read lies and half truths and "facts" from folks whose only experience in the business is eating, I will not continue to post on this forum. The facts from me are absolute from within, not from a friend of a friend of a friend who read something online and had a bad meal there once and chooses to jump on the beating up bandwagon.

There is a difference between opinion and vindictiveness. If you don't like Havana, then don't go there, but WHY you folks find it your mission in life to beat up restaurants up there is beyond me. If you don't like a TV show, most folks change the channel. Consider doing the same. Change to another location, but do not continue to beat up those that honestly you have no real reason to. You just had a bad meal or two or bad service a time or two or you were a big chunk of the reason your experience was bad (see previous incidents of groups in The Villages) and you just don't want to admit it. But stop with the bashing, it serves NO ONE well except your own ego to see your opinion in print. Really!!

[Bonny]

Originally Posted by DavidHoe

Already someone that supposedly worked there, "remembers the day he fired me". The 70s were pretty good to me, but I am pretty sure, I would remember if I had been fired. Take it for what it is worth from another person in the know!

To the person who stated something to the effect of, "you take two minutes and run over to Walgreens to pick up beer", would also mean that you have broken Florida liquor laws, and that would just be something else you could heap on Kris for doing "wrong".

The Villagers are a very lucrative collection of residents. The Villages itself however is not immune to the openings and closings of both privately held, chain and franchise restaurants. Competition from within does not aid the pre-existing clubs.

One of the bigger issues in The Villages is the Villagers themselves. There is a fine line between entitlement and discerning. As stated before, I have been in the restaurant business for many years now. I have never faced the challenges anywhere that I did there, and that is one of the reasons I chose to leave working there. A few incidents stay in immediate memory because of how ludicrous the guests were but there were many. Starting pre-opening...we were actually doing mass interviews and a group of residents stroll in and walk to the kitchen to show their friends "their club". When I say a group, I mean somewhere between 12-15 strangers just doing what they pleased. Really? Another incident, a gentleman came in one morning right after we started serving breakfast. He asked for a table at 12:15 for lunch for his golf group of 12 men. I agreed to his request and he agreed to call me when they were teeing off on 17 so we could start the process. Well, 2:45 rolls around and his table that we saved for an extended period of time was now in use with no immediate chance of his group which had now grown to 20 being seated. Even though he did not hold up to any portion of his agreement, somehow we were in the wrong...up to the point that he chest bumped me when I asked him to leave due to his cursing and shouting. All his "friends" could do was tell me "he gets like that when he has been drinking and his golf game is off". Really? Another incident that jumps to mind is the weekend group that grew on one visit from 21 to 54 people in the matter of an hour or two, and then I get verbally abused by the group leader when I couldn't provide them with the level of service a "paying group of this size deserved". Lets start with the fact that most restaurants without true banquet facilities cannot even handle a group that large pre-planned, but a walkup crowd that constantly moved from seat to seat as other new friends joined in, yet somehow when my server can't remember one person who has moved to three different seats location and therfore a drink doesnt get delivered in a timely manner. THEN, you want 27 different checks also in a timely manner. Really?

Someone will post that other places handle those type crowds, and many of those that have tried in The Villages are no longer in business. I could go on and on and on about incidents unique to that area, but I won't. I have worked everywhere in the business from owning my own beer/wine pub to high end dining and everything in between. Dealt with tourists from all over the world, far wealthier clientele than The Villagers, and the salt of the earth locals, and nowhere have I found a more demanding (not discerning) collection of individuals as reside in The Villages. Those of you who have your minds made up will continue to badmouth Havana, Kris, and probably me now that I have spoken up. That is your right, but please before using my name or Kris', please know the facts. Since Kris is the only person up there that I continue to keep in contact with, anyone who states a fact relating to me is flat out lying. Plain and simple. Hopefully many of you will take a step back, and give Havana another chance. Since my blood pressure goes through the roof when I read lies and half truths and "facts" from folks whose only experience in the business is eating, I will not continue to post on this forum. The facts from me are absolute from within, not from a friend of a friend of a friend who read something online and had a bad meal there once and chooses to jump on the beating up bandwagon.

There is a difference between opinion and vindictiveness. If you don't like Havana, then don't go there, but WHY you folks find it your mission in life to beat up restaurants up there is beyond me. If you don't like a TV show, most folks change the channel. Consider doing the same. Change to another location, but do not continue to beat up those that honestly you have no real reason to. You just had a bad meal or two or bad service a time or two or you were a big chunk of the reason your experience was bad (see previous incidents of groups in The Villages) and you just don't want to admit it. But stop with the bashing, it serves NO ONE well except your own ego to see your opinion in print. Really!!

I totally agree. There are a few restaurants that I don't like for what ever reason. If I don't like it, I just don't go. I don't want them to close because some people like them, they just aren't my cup of tea. To get on here & work so hard to try to get everyone to hate a place hoping they will close is beyond my realm of thinking. I just don't get it. Move on ! Go where you like & be happy !!!
Really, life is just to short. What amazes me is most people really don't have a clue.

[Bonny]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

Great rant Love it!

Especially the run over to Walgreens (or Publix for that matter) idea. Idiotic to say you are out of something so basic. Maybe no draft beer (bad pumps etc.) but you could at least say "But we do have some nice ice cold cans and bottles!"

They can't run to Walgreens or any where else to buy beer or alcohol for a restaurant. They will lose their liquor license. Some places may take a chance and do that or borrow liquor from another restaurant, but you are definitely not suppose to do that.

[golf2140]

Havana was packed tonight!!!!! Could not get a seat in the rtestaurant.

[golf2140]

Davidhoe,

Those who complain the most go out to dinner, once a week / once a month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bonny]

Originally Posted by golf2140

Havana was packed tonight!!!!! Could not get a seat in the rtestaurant.

I'm so glad to hear that. I want everyone in the Villages to succeed. I don't want to see anyone close. Thank you for letting us know !

[ilovetv]

I'll own up to being wrong to say they should've run over to Walgreens to buy beer, if that harms the liquor license (they do differ from state to state, and in private country club situations state by state). However, I see no excuse for serving a plate of food that was literally refrigerator burned and stinky, and I see no excuse for a golf course bar being out of beer in early afternoon, twice within a week. It's not like the place can't know there would be golfers coming in for drinks after starting to play golf 3-4 hours before.

And it's not about the food nor beer, because nobody's gonna starve or die of thirst here. It's the lack of interest in serving the customer, who should not be stereotyped and labeled with all Villagers as cheap, entitled, and demanding snots as a sizable number definitely are.

I've said it myself many times here that some are disgraceful in refusing to tip decently when tipped-worker minimum wage is a "whopping" $4.77 per hour, or they refuse to tip "because we were told our amenities fee covers that in TV" or other such rumored and convenient excuses.

That being said, I think Havana has used up its chances to blame people or factors other than its own management. The customers and the employees are not in a position to make decisions about hiring the right people to overhaul, or design a turnaround plan to carry out, to resurrect this business. Only the owners and competent top managers can do that.

[ilovetv]

Originally Posted by golf2140

Havana was packed tonight!!!!! Could not get a seat in the rtestaurant.

Good to hear.