Steak 'n Shake

I made a promise not long ago that I would only post positive reviews. I am about to break that promise.

I visited Steak 'n Shake in Acworth tonight. My wife and I had just finished shopping for a few things, and thought a light dinner was in order, and Steak and Shake would be a treat. We had very little wait, as there were plenty of tables.

I ordered chicken fingers, and Phyllis ordered a turkey club. Easy enough, and delivered in a timely fashion. Everything went sour from there.

Soon enough, my drink glass was empty. After a pass or two, our server asked if I wanted a refill. I responded yes, and about ten minutes later was provided one. When that came, I ordered a milk shake for dessert.

I noticed that a group of students had come in the door, as had a middle aged couple, and three elderly ladies. All of those people stood by the "Please Wait To Be Seated" sign for quite some time. Keep in mind, there were several empty tables, and an ample wait staff hanging around the pickup window, seemingly unaware of duties to perform.

After several minutes had passed, the five or six students walked out, never having been spoken to. A few minutes after that, the middle aged couple stepped around the hostess station to see what was going on. After getting someones attention, they were seated at one of the many empty tables. The elderly women were taken care of at the same time.

There were several young people working. The majority of them were paying more attention to each other than the dining room. There were two people who appeared to be management (they had on regular clothes instead of a uniform). For the most part of my visit, I saw only the female manager, who seemed to be helping the cooks.

After waiting a good ten minutes for my milk shake, I told my wife we were leaving. At that point, as we stood up, our waitress looked up from her conversation with an "Oh YEAH" look on her face and ran to the shake machine.

At the register, I told the hostess/cashier that I never got my shake, and wanted only to pay for my original order. She asked me if I wanted to wait for a shake to go, because it had already been added to my bill. I said no, I was only paying for the original order, as I had anticipated enjoying the shake at my table and not while I drove. She then turned and walked away from me, to ask the manager for permission to change my order. That was when I saw the second manager, back by the desk, doing I don't know what.

I put the money for my original order on the register and walked out.

I could blame the service tonight on the wait staff. OR I could direct the blame where it belongs. On a Saturday night, the managers should be on the floor. They should be ringing the register, greeting the guests, and most importantly, giving direction to a very ample staff that had relatively little clue as to what to do with their time. If we are to expect a team to perform, we should be providing direction.