Restaurant boss tackles customers after receiving bad reviews
Brad Baxter and his team on the rooftop at Gonzo's Tea Room in Norwich, as they created 'corona cubicles' for social distancing. Picture: Brad Baxter - Credit: Archant
The boss of Gonzo’s bar in Norwich has hit back at customers moaning about the popular roof terrace.
The roof terrace at Gonzo's which has prompted some negative reviews. Pic: Archant - Credit: Archant
Brad Baxter, who runs the bar and restaurant in London Street, opened the roof garden last year and it has proved vital to offer more space for customers since lockdown eased.
But after getting some negative reviews on social media he felt he had to respond.
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It comes after another restaurateur, Kaeti Newport, from the Smokehouse in Ormesby, recently told how some of her customers had been badly behaved, with one even throwing a drink over a member of staff during the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
The new roof terrace at Gonzo's which has prompted some negative reviews. Pic: Gonzo's - Credit: Archant
A customer at Gonzo’s left a review on Facebook not recommending the restaurant because she was not allowed to take her pet on to the roof, saying “they wouldn’t let us in with a dog even though it wasn’t busy”.
Mr Baxter, who himself owns a dog and who named Gonzo’s after his beloved pug who died last year, responded on Facebook to say: “When dogs are on the roof they are outside ... do you know what dogs do when they’re outside? To not recommend Gonzo’s over a common sense rule is honestly ridiculous. Most ‘Karen’ comment of the week.”
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When it was pointed out that a dog was pictured on the roof, a member of staff joined in the wrangle, saying: “That’s the owner’s dog who is trained and doesn’t do his business on the roof ... dogs are more than welcome downstairs just not upstairs.”
But it was another customer’s review on TripAdvisor that really irritated Mr Baxter when they complained they had been served drinks in plastic cups on the roof.
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The reviewer said: “We walked up three flights of stairs to the roof, there were seven of us. We mainly ordered Pimms, a simple enough drink to make. But we got it in a small paper coffee cup for £7.50. Honestly.”
Mr Baxter said he was working all hours to meet the demands of the coronavirus restrictions and the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
“I am frustrated with rude customers,” he said. “I think it’s people who don’t go out very often and don’t understand the layout or rules – I mean, did they want me to carry them up the three flights of stairs? It’s pretty ridiculous to be crying over a paper cup.
“We are all working really hard to keep going and making the best of a difficult situation. But I don’t think we are yet to break even.”
