OPINION
V. A . y s'’ . \
The Clarion
The fork, spoon and knife scenario
COLUMN
Restaurants have always been a understanding.
part of my life. I enjoy the experi
ence of trying new tempting and tan
talizing menu items. At the mere men
tion of their name manicotti, fettuccini
BY LENORA
MOODY
OPINION
EDITOR
alfredo or Swedish meatballs make
my mouth water. However, the one
thing I absolutely hate about some
restaurants is the horrendous service.
My restaurant experience ranges
from the local fast food McDonalds
to the Swan Terrace. I have eaten ev
erything from greasy cheeseburgers
to scrambled eggs with chives. I
have not found very many things I
do not like to eat. Usually the oppo
site occurs and I end up eating too
much.
Food is calming, an icebreaker,
and a problem solver. The last thing I
need is poor service taking away
from my “sedative.” I need a waiter,
waitress, or cashier to be as prompt
as they can, courteous, polite, and
Recently I had the experience I
like to call the fork, spoon and knife
scenario. During “Spring Break,” I
traveled to Virginia Beach. While on
this trip I visited many restaurants of
varying classifications.
One restau
rant may be re
ferred to as the
fork restaurant: “Swan Terrace.” The
service was excellent at this restau
rant. The waiter or waitress consis
tently checked to see if my parents
or I needed more water, the food
warmed or extra food. The second
day we ate at the restaurant, they re
membered we had the buffet, my fa
ther had coffee and milk and my
mother and I had water. They know
how to “fork” the client’s comfort and
needs.
The “Inter
national House of
Pancakes,” how
ever, is the spoon restaurant. This res
taurant did not have bad food or at
mosphere, but they got almost
everybody’s order wrong. My parents
and I entered and ordered our food
and drinks. The waitress brought two
waters and one coffee. My father re
quested milk for his coffee. I do not
Spring break jealousy
Dear Harlan,
My girlfriend and I have been
going out for six months and I’m start
ing to get the feeling she isn’t happy
with me. She always tells me that I’m
perfect, but sometimes I don’t believe
her.
She is taking a trip to Florida with
some friends and all her friends have
their mates going with them but her
and another guy. I think she has had
a relationship with this guy before and
I am worried that when they go down
there them two will get it on and not
tell me.
Why do I feel this way? Should
I worry about that happening?
At home and worried
Dear Worried:
Editorial Board
Michelle Crabtree, Chris Fredricksen, Lillian Scarpinito, Lenora Moody,
Rachel Mikaelsen and Jamie Welch
Advertising Manager
Shannon McGuigan
Managing F.ditnr
Helen Bessette
Photographers
Chris Beauvais
Lindi Lagman
Staff Writers
Wendy Byerly
Laura Ferrell
Jesse Janicula
Joseph Moerschbaecher
Helen Oland
Ginger Palmer
Lillian Scarpinito
Rene Zeno
Adviser
SaraB. Rader
i
believe the waitress listened carefully,
because she brought him a glass of
milk to drink. A few minutes passed
and the waitress brings out the order
for the next table. This order included
French toast, eggs, pancakes, hash
browns and onion rings. The woman
asked if the onion rings were an ex
tra charge since they were a substi
tute. The waitress explained they were
and the woman told her she didn’t
want them. I believe apology is good
to keep the customers happy, but this
establishment went overboard. The
waitress explained about the onion
rings two different times and apolo
gized. The manager explained three
different times and apologized. This
tradition continued with other cus
tomers. The manager apologized two
times to the booth behind ours and
four times to the booth down from
ours. Apologizing is a good business
concept in order to keep the custom
ers coming back. However, they are
going to need a bigger spoon if they
continue to overdose their customers
with sugar coated words.
The knife restaurant is the first
restaurant
my parents
and I visited
over “Spring
Break.” This restaurant is more com
monly known as “The Western Steer.”
This establishment did not care about
providing any service: whether we or
dered or not, if there was food on the
bar, if we had anything to drink or if
our table was clean. I believe the only
thing the employees of this establish
ment cared about was discussing the
latest fashions and best clubs. This
“knife” restaurant really knows where
to stab a person to make them feel
un-welcome.
I realize every waiter or waitress
has bad days, where they do not want
to serve another screaming and de
manding customer. I know. I have
dealt with these types of customers.
However, I believe every knife and
spoon restaurant in existence has the
ability to become a fork. All the waiter
or waitress has to remember is to treat
people how they would want to be
treated. Plus, remember someday
when they meet that same demand
ing customer in their work environ
ment they can “tip” them their just
dessert.
HELP ME HARLAN
Spring is mating season and
spring break is the official break of
the mating season. At least you’ll be
able to keep taps on her during
MTV’s spring break coverage.
If you continue thinking like this
the next break between you and
you’re girlfriend will be your break
up. If you can’t trust her then you
can’t continue dating her. I don’t
know what she does to make you
uncertain of her feelings, but jealousy
and distrust are poison to a dating.
Talk to her. Look her in the eyes.
Decide if you can trust her and stop
thinking this way. You have the abil
ity to control what you want to think.
If you can’t trust her you’re going to
think yourself into a jealous place that
will only lead to the end of something
that could be “perfect.”
r'
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