[rsetterlund]

This year we joined a team that has been playing trivia Sunday nights at City Fire for three years. We all live here year round so like playing year round. A couple of weeks ago the manager of the Sumter Landing City Fire came around to all the tables informing us that from now on we could not have more players that what was on our team registration. The reason was there were not enough chairs. So when all the chairs are full they start turning people away and won't let them in to stand? Yea right. We were also told that we could not just order drinks, we had to order food as well. Some weeks we did order food, just not every week and not everyone on the team. It was not fair to our servers. I heard, we are not leaving a big enough tip. If we did not agree to the new rules our table would be given to one of the 15 teams waiting to play. I find it interesting that our business is welcome when the snow birds are not here. I have been told that this happens every year when the snow birds and renters are here.

[getdul981]

If that's their way of doing business, then don't go there when the snow birds leave and see how long they stay in business. I hate it when the businesses cater to the snow birds. They should cater the people that are hear year round. Let the flames begin!

[Bonny]

This is the time of year that the staff can finally make some good money. Remember we have a lot of young people & single parents trying hard to make a living. It can get really slow in the summer.
Cut them a little slack. After the snowbirds & renters leave we will have the place to ourselves again.

[blueash]

Before it was City Fire, in its previous incarnation as Urban Flats, there was trivia there. You could order what you wanted, food, drinks, nothing. Then one week there was an announcement that everyone had to order a meal as they were not making enough for the time the tables were occupied. So dutifully next week everyone ordered a Flat. Lo and behold the food was a disaster as the kitchen couldn't handle all those orders coming in at once. And within a week or two more, the trivia was cancelled. Hope it goes better this time for you.

[bkcunningham1]

We play trivia on Monday night at Orange Blossom Country Club. We were told basically the same thing about the number of players. They didn't mention the food and drink part of the requirement though. A few people I know who are regular patrons of the business were offended.

It makes me a little curious that two different businesses said practically the same thing.

[OldDave]

As a wannabe who will certainly want to play trivia when/if we move there, I'd like to ask a question. Why don't you play at a rec center instead of restaurants?

[jbdlfan]

Go to Mojos in Belleview for trivia! $1.50 bottled beers and food deals!

[buggyone]

Originally Posted by blueash

Before it was City Fire, in its previous incarnation as Urban Flats, there was trivia there. You could order what you wanted, food, drinks, nothing. Then one week there was an announcement that everyone had to order a meal as they were not making enough for the time the tables were occupied. So dutifully next week everyone ordered a Flat. Lo and behold the food was a disaster as the kitchen couldn't handle all those orders coming in at once. And within a week or two more, the trivia was cancelled. Hope it goes better this time for you.

I enjoyed trivia at Urban Flats and our team usually did pretty good. We always ordered about 3 drinks each over the course of the evening and tipped appropriately and we always had good service. I do remember the fiasco with the food when everyone had to order. Just poor planning.

I did talk with the owner a couple of months later. He said quite a few of the table did not order much or tip enough so the servers could earn money for the night. He said there were actually a couple of regular tables who would just order ice water (with extra lemon, of course) and leave a $1 tip for the entire table at the end of the evening.

That, basically, is how Joyce and Bonnie got to their present spot as Mad Hatter Trivia at Canal Street Rec Center on Sunday night.

Do not fault City Fire. Fault the cheapo tippers.

[nitehawk]

Originally Posted by blueash

Before it was City Fire, in its previous incarnation as Urban Flats, there was trivia there. You could order what you wanted, food, drinks, nothing. Then one week there was an announcement that everyone had to order a meal as they were not making enough for the time the tables were occupied. So dutifully next week everyone ordered a Flat. Lo and behold the food was a disaster as the kitchen couldn't handle all those orders coming in at once. And within a week or two more, the trivia was cancelled. Hope it goes better this time for you.

City Fire has been doing trivia for some time now and there is no problem with the service or the food- Yes - there is a wait list just to get a team in play -- Dont blame them for making the teams buy a dinner (and it should be a drink also) If you dont like the rules take you ball and leave -- there are 15 teams waiting for your spot

[nitehawk]

Maybe there should be a minimum - then people dont have to have dinner or a drink

[rsetterlund]

As for taking our ball and playing some where else that is what we are going to do, because our table has already been given to another team. As for ordering food, I said we sometimes did, the problem is their menu is very short on selections.

For tipping, I always over tipped my server when the service was good and tipped 20% of the bill when the service was bad and most times the service was bad. I agree, the tables that order only water and then leave a dollar tip should be asked to leave.

The point that I was trying to make was, everything is always fine in the summer when we are still spending money in there. But in the winter we are not good enough.

There are so many things to do and places in and out of the villages to do them in we do not need to be treated this way.

[rsetterlund]

Won't know how it goes as our table was given to another team so we can not be there.

[rsetterlund]

Many times it is hard to get a room at a rec center. Plus if you do want to order food that is not an option. For drinks it would have to be BYOB, which is not a problem for me but might be for some people.

[mulligan]

Same guy does trivia at Taverna Red on thursday nights

[Cantwaittoarrive]

Originally Posted by rsetterlund

This year we joined a team that has been playing trivia Sunday nights at City Fire for three years. We all live here year round so like playing year round. A couple of weeks ago the manager of the Sumter Landing City Fire came around to all the tables informing us that from now on we could not have more players that what was on our team registration. The reason was there were not enough chairs. So when all the chairs are full they start turning people away and won't let them in to stand? Yea right. We were also told that we could not just order drinks, we had to order food as well. Some weeks we did order food, just not every week and not everyone on the team. It was not fair to our servers. I heard, we are not leaving a big enough tip. If we did not agree to the new rules our table would be given to one of the 15 teams waiting to play. I find it interesting that our business is welcome when the snow birds are not here. I have been told that this happens every year when the snow birds and renters are here.

The other side is yesterday my wife and I couldnt get a table outside, the bar was full and the inside was closed for trivia so they lost our business, of course every since they took sloppy joes off the menu I dont go as offten as I use too