It’s my guess that this all started when the company’s stock started trading publicly in 2005. Once it started trading on NASDAQ, Ruth’s Chris was obliged to cater to its stockholders, diners be damned. Increase the profits to increase the value of the stock.
Of course every restaurant wants to increase its profits, whether they’re on the stock exchange or not. It’s the tactics that Ruth’s employed that I have a problem with.

It’s called upselling, and on its face there’s nothing wrong with it, in fact it’s good business sense. An example is when you order a martini and the server suggests a premium gin instead of the house brand. To a martini lover, one made with Bombay Sapphire is better than one made with Gordon’s, and it’s worth the additional charge. Or, when taking the dinner order, the waiter might ask if the diners would like to add a salad or cup of soup. It’s clear that it will cost extra.

But if a server takes the entree order and then asks, “What would you like on your salad?” the upsell goes low. The diner infers that the salad is included.
That’s the sort of upselling I experienced at the Lake Mary Ruth’s Chris. We were a party of six, and shortly after we were seated a young woman came to the table holding two bottles of water. She greeted us and said, “You have your choice of still or sparkling water this evening; I’ll start with the ladies.” I stopped her and asked if tap water wasn’t a third choice. It was. This was followed by the waiter pushing to add appetizers and salads, implying that it would be odd not to accept his recommendations.

After I wrote about that experience, I heard from a woman who had taken her son and three of his friends to Ruth’s to celebrate his 18th birthday. She and her husband sat at a table on the other side of the dining room to give the younger people their privacy but told the server that they would be picking up the tab for the birthday boy and his friends. She couldn’t believe it when she saw the bill.

Her son’s waiter, hearing that it was the kid’s birthday, went heavy on the underhanded upsell. The kicker was when he said, “This is such a special occasion — why don’t you let me bring you a lobster?” He made it sound, the woman told me, as though the lobster would be a gift. (A table of adults might have caught on; it’s even slimier that the server took advantage of his guests’ naivete.)  Anyone who has ever ordered a lobster in an upscale steakhouse knows that the cost can hover around the hundred dollar mark and above. The waiter probably made a few extra bucks in a tip that night, the paying couple not knowing the backstory until later, but the restaurant — the company — lost any repeat business from that family.

I suspect a lot of people have left Ruth’s Chris Steak Houses feeling a little poorer, and probably a little sheepish. If you feel you’ve been taken, why would you return for more?

Ruth’s Chris has good food. I’ve never felt the steak was the best in town, but it’s a quality product. And the atmosphere in the restaurants has always been sufficiently upscale to reflect the prices. But along with the food and the ambience, you’ve got to factor in the service. There’s a reason the industry is called hospitality. The businesses that understand that are feeling less of a pinch these days, I suspect. A pinch, yes, just like everyone else, but they have a better chance of surviving. I’m not sure Ruth’s Chris will.

The chain’s founder, Ruth Fertel, was a shrewd businesswoman. She built the restaurant into one of the country’s most successful brands. She also knew how to treat her customers. I never met Fertel, who died in 2002, but I can’t imagine she would approve of how her now publicly-traded company treats its public.

The event is sponsored by, among others, WLOQ (103.1) Smooth Jazz Radio and Orlando Home & Leisure magazine as well as the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. There will be wine tastings, cooking seminars and chef demonstrations, and live music performances on an outdoor stage.
The fest will be set up along Robinson Street adjacent to Lake Eola Park. Let’s hope they block off the street or things could get ugly.
This is how it will work: There is an admission charge to get into the festival site — $10 in advance or $15 at the door, which is technically a gate. That money basically covers the cost of the musical acts. And no, you can’t avoid the charge if you promise to wear earmuffs and not listen to the music.
If you want to sample the food and wine — and keep in mind this is a food and wine festival — you’ll need to purchase beverage tickets. About $4 will get you a beer or a glass of wine.
You follow the same drill for the food stations. Tickets are $2 each and you’ll need two to four tickets per food item. Each restaurant will have three items available at their booths. Keep in mind that tickets can be purchased only at ticket stations. Don’t stand in line waiting to get a beer or something to eat and try to buy the tickets from the vendor. Won’t work.
You can also pay $12 for admission to the Wine Tasters Guild Wine Garden, which will get you up to six tastes of wine and cheese. (I’m not sure the cheese is limited; you might be able to get your money’s worth right there.)

Information is still coming in on who will be doing cooking demonstrations, but I hear that Norman Van Aken and Melissa Kelly will both be in attendance. They’re two of our celebrity chefs with restaurants in the area who actually visit their restaurants and participate in the community, unlike some others. (Has anyone seen Todd English lately? Wolfgang Puck? How about Arthur Treacher? Anyone?)
You can get loads of more information and find out how to purchase your tickets in advance at the Fest’s Web site. By the way, if you purchase a ticket to go on Saturday, it’s good for Sunday if you want to go back. Hours on Saturday are noon to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m..

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) November 2, 2008 — A whopping 60% of restaurants said they have decreased their Yellow Page directory spending over the past two years, downgrading their listing from a display ad to a bold listing, or from a bold listing to free listing. This was one of the many facts that surfaced in RestaurantMarketing.com’s “Restaurant Yellow Page Usage Report” — a survey of 214 different restaurants across the USA in various food and concept categories, from casual, to pizza to fine dining.

Restaurant marketer Joel Cohen, developer of RestaurantMarketing.com says that a total of 69% of respondents who decreased their Yellow Page expenditures over the past 2 years, eliminated their directory expenses altogether by going to a free listing.

Cohen reports that 42% of restaurants indicated when decreasing their directory expenditures, the Yellow page reps applied more sales pressure than usual and sometimes even threatening scare tactics.

Cohen says, “some restaurant owners reported that some sales reps said that their restaurant wouldn’t succeed without them being in the book. Some owners said they were hounded daily while others said they were the target of insults because of their decision.”

According to the survey, Cohen reports that the love affair with Yellow Pages is over. 80% of the restaurants surveyed said they didn’t feel that the various Yellow Page directories are successful in getting them new guests.

Over the next two to three years, 44% of the restaurants do not see the Yellow Pages as being part of their advertising budget, with 36% projecting it to be extremely minimal.

ORLANDO, Fla. Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ — From shuttles fueled with hydrogen to dinner plates made from sugarcane, the 10 theme parks owned by Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC) — including SeaWorld and Busch Gardens — are launching initiatives to tackle some of today’s most pressing environmental challenges in the areas of waste, water, food and fuel.

To view the Multimedia News Release, click here.

Eco-minded vacationers know and love the parks for a commitment to wildlife conservation that spans more than five decades, and can now see and support even more environmental efforts during a park visit.

“Our company is committed to environmental stewardship with our day-to-day business decisions,” said Jim Atchison, BEC’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “It’s not always the easy way or inexpensive way, but it is the right way.”

Culinary: Serving Sustainable Sustenance

All of the seafood served to guests — and even the salmon fed to Shamu — will be purchased from sustainably-managed fisheries that promote environmentally responsible stewardship. This change affects more than 220,000 pounds of seafood and is on track for completion by early 2009.

BEC works with the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Certification Council in sourcing sustainable seafood options. Both are international, non-profit organizations that promote environmentally responsible fishing, fish farms, processing and food safety.

Partnering with the Rainforest Alliance, the parks also serve coffee and chocolate purchased from growers who meet demanding social and environmental standards. This global certification program ensures food is farmed and harvested in ways that protect wildlife, habitats and people.

Waste Management: Going Beyond the Recycling Bin

These efforts extend past what’s on the plates … to the plates. While some of the plates, forks, knives and spoons in many of the park restaurants look and feel like plastic, they are actually made from renewable resources such as sugarcane and vegetable starch.

The first of the theme park companies to incorporate such efforts, BEC worked with suppliers for more than a year to identify new products that could meet the demanding needs of parks that accommodate millions of guests a year. Products must be microwavable, freezer-safe, oil-resistant and capable of handling hot or cold food and beverages … and made from renewable resources.

The new products will replace 12.5 million pieces of dinnerware the parks dispose of each year.

The parks recycle more than 50 percent of all their waste, including animal and construction waste as well as traditional recycled materials. In 2007, the parks recycled more than 1 million pounds of food waste by sending it to soil amendment and mulching operations instead of landfills. Building on this success, each park continues to expand aggressive recycling programs with innovative new applications.