Then take it OFF THE BOARD!

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by 19etz55, Jan 1, 2019.

?

What might you have done?

Poll closed Jul 1, 2019.

  1. Just let it go

    118 vote(s)
    76.6%

  2. Walk out

    15 vote(s)
    9.7%

  3. Ask for the manager

    20 vote(s)
    13.0%

  4. Contact the corporate office

    8 vote(s)
    5.2%
Multiple votes are allowed.
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Page 5 of 7
  1. NickTheGreat

    NickTheGreat Maven (1,470) Oct 28, 2010 Iowa
    Trader

    I don't care if it's a chain or a Mom & Pop place, having 3 kicked beers on a chalkboard would irritate me.

    I was at a Flix Brewhouse and had to order 3 beers before I could find one that wasn't 'out' from their printed menu. I get a glossy, printed menu. But not a chalkboard.

    Though, I'm not one to make a stink, so I'd probably say nothing and bitch about it on the Internet later . . . :stuck_out_tongue:
     
    #81 NickTheGreat, Jan 2, 2019
    Junior, 19etz55, BBThunderbolt and 1 other person like this.
  2. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I just threw diet coke (or sprite) out there as an example. To be honest, the only time I drink diet coke these days is on board a SWA flight (so I don't really drink a lot of it). Any inexpensive, low calorie beverage would do as far as I'm concerned (sometimes I'll get tea or coffee for example), if the only options available all happen to be beers I don't care for.

    Beer has a lot of calories and alcohol, both things I try to be careful about my intake. My days of thoughtlessly imbibing some sort of macro swill just because "it's there," or is the only thing on offer, are long since over. I would encourage everyone to have a similar mindset, but as always, people can do whatever they like. :sunglasses:
     
    #82 John_M, Jan 2, 2019
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  3. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I think you're right Terry, but in my experience certain things are a bigger priority than others when it comes to large chains. Running out of wings at a place like BWW would be a big deal, as they'd lose business and customers if that happened. Running out of certain beers I think falls under the category of "not a big deal." They get beer deliveries once a week I think, at which time they'll restock anything they may have run out of during the previous week. I'm sure the feeling is that this is more than sufficient advance planning.

    While a customer might walk if they run out of wings at BWW (or stuffed potatoes at TGIF), I'm sure the feeling is that if they don't have a customer's first beer choice, then they'll likely have his/her second or third choice. Running out of a particular beer simply isn't a "life changing circumstance" for a large chain, and my guess is that most have the same feeling when it comes to keeping an updated draft list. How many of their customers are going to care? How many are even going to notice?

    As others have suggested in this thread, I think the moral of the story (in terms of the OP) is to avoid going to a large chain restaurant if this is something you find particularly irritating. If for whatever reason you do go and you encounter this sort of experience (which I certainly have), just figure it comes with the territory and relax about it (or simply refuse to ever go to a large chain restaurant).
     
    #83 John_M, Jan 2, 2019
    LeRose and KarlHungus like this.
  4. pat61

    pat61 Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2010 Minnesota

    1) I would not ordinarily go to a chain restaurant and if forced to go I would not have large beer expectations and would be happy if hey had anything drinkable that was not AB Inbev, Miller Coors or Heineken
    2) I would ask them to take it off the board but I would not be snarky about it
    3) If they did not take it off the board, because it would not be a place that I would ordinarily go to, I would be delighted to have yet another reason not to go back
     
    #84 pat61, Jan 2, 2019
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  5. anfield86

    anfield86 Pooh-Bah (2,606) Nov 21, 2006 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Second problem:

     
    #85 anfield86, Jan 2, 2019
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  6. kdb150

    kdb150 Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2012 Pennsylvania

    The number of poorly run craft beer bars I've been to where the board or menu is several beers out of date is too numerous to detail. Hell, one time I asked a craft beer bar why they didn't have a taplist on their website, and they told me it was too much work to keep it updated.

    Keeping expectations in check and letting this go at a chain restaurant is the right call. I mean let's be honest - you probably weren't going there specifically for the craft beer.
     
    #86 kdb150, Jan 2, 2019
    19etz55 likes this.
  7. Bshaw22

    Bshaw22 Initiate (0) Aug 29, 2013 Wisconsin
    Trader

    exercise your rights but not going back. This is the ultimate punishment.
     
    #87 Bshaw22, Jan 2, 2019
    TurkeysDrinkBeer likes this.
  8. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    Wow! Imagine my shock!

    The Red Robin nearest me actually has a beer flight on the menu!

    Here it is:

    Signature Beer Flight
    • RED ROBIN 1969 LAGER™
    • SAMUEL ADAMS® BOSTON LAGER®
    • LAGUNITAS IPA®
    • 4-oz. pours
    :sunglasses:
     
    #88 MNAle, Jan 2, 2019
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  9. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I wouldn’t expect that a chain restaurant would invest in this but the ultimate solution is an electronic beer chalkboard which lists all of the beers and lets you know how much of each beer is remaining in the keg.

    Cheers!

    [​IMG]
     
    #89 JackHorzempa, Jan 2, 2019
    Tdizzle, chrismattlin, IPAExpert69 and 5 others like this.
  10. bbtkd

    bbtkd Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,790) Sep 20, 2015 South Dakota
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    These are slick, and I really like how they can show how much is left in a keg. The associated app is a big plus. The real expense here isn't the monitors and a PC to input info on, it's the monthly service charge for DigitalPour. As a customer I think it's great, and I understand they pass the cost on to the customer. Of course they do need to keep it up to date, so if they're not changing a chalkboard, they wouldn't update this either. This would be overkill for most chain restaurants.
     
    #90 bbtkd, Jan 2, 2019
    sharpski, algebeeric_topology and TurkeysDrinkBeer like this.
  11. anfield86

    anfield86 Pooh-Bah (2,606) Nov 21, 2006 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Untappd has this functionality built right in, it's just up to the business if they want to manage it...best part of the app, IMO
     
    #91 anfield86, Jan 2, 2019
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  12. NYRunner

    NYRunner Crusader (420) Nov 5, 2018 New York

    Not worth getting annoyed: if they don't have my first choice, I'll get my 2nd or 3rd, and if there's nothing that I'm in the mood for, then I'll have a glass of the house wine. Why let this get in the way of a nice dinner with family or friends?
     
    #92 NYRunner, Jan 2, 2019
    Tdizzle, rgordon, GOBLIN and 2 others like this.
  13. Sandis

    Sandis Savant (1,064) Jun 18, 2018 Minnesota
    Trader

    I avoid chains at all costs for a multitude of reasons which includes their frequent inability to keep tap selection boards updated. However, if I do end up having to eat at a chain restaurant I'd simply have to let the matter go because it is what I assumed was likely to occur.
     
    #93 Sandis, Jan 2, 2019
    Troutbeerbum and GOBLIN like this.
  14. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,276) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Funny story, similar: local pub, 12 taps, Friday night at 6 pm, group of 8. "I'll have this... we're out of that. I'l have that... we're out of that, and so on. By the time we got around the table it was 5 out of their 12 beers, so OK, I grabbed a pen and crossed off the beers that they didn't have and asked what do you have - "I don't know" was the response. When she came back she gave me the list and I wrote it in. She left as we decided, and when she came back she said we're out of this and that as well - 7 out of 12 beers for the night gone and no one printed new menus! Nor did they for the next 2 hours that we were there, and I highly doubt that they bothered at all.
     
    #94 NeroFiddled, Jan 2, 2019
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  15. GOBLIN

    GOBLIN Pooh-Bah (2,676) Mar 3, 2013 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Geeez . . . Makes me wanna stay home
     
    #95 GOBLIN, Jan 2, 2019
  16. Treyliff

    Treyliff Grand Pooh-Bah (5,025) Aug 10, 2010 West Virginia
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    It's a chain restaurant, let it go. Now if it were a bar or brewery, different story.
     
    #96 Treyliff, Jan 2, 2019
    algebeeric_topology, LarryV, 19etz55 and 1 other person like this.
  17. Coronaeus

    Coronaeus Grand Pooh-Bah (3,744) Apr 21, 2014 Canada (ON)
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I’m getting a lot of negative sentiment here regarding chain restaurants. You guys are standing on the wrong side of history here. Some of you need to re-read your Kojeve.
     
    #97 Coronaeus, Jan 2, 2019
  18. NeroFiddled

    NeroFiddled Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,276) Jul 8, 2002 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm missing the Kojève connection, please fill us in.
     
    #98 NeroFiddled, Jan 2, 2019
    algebeeric_topology and cavedave like this.
  19. surfcaster

    surfcaster Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2013 North Carolina
    Trader

    I am shocked to see 3 pages of replies on this one.

    I mean come on --hopefully in the New Year folks can let "more things go."

    I plan to.
     
    #99 surfcaster, Jan 3, 2019
    Tdizzle, Junior and GOBLIN like this.
  20. nc41

    nc41 Initiate (0) Sep 25, 2008 North Carolina
    Trader

    Me. I’m thinking those kinda chains, but as pointed out to me there’s places like Yardhouse

    But I’d let it go, it’s only beer and not all that serious. Even these chain craft places can get staggeringly busy, which is why I don’t usually go.
     
    #100 nc41, Jan 3, 2019
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