Not Invited

I got a forwarded email early last week from a co-worker about a new restaurant that had just opened in Oldsmar, FL called the Twisted Bamboo.

She forwarded me the email because the restaurant was promoting "free food" from open to close during their "soft" opening week. The free food included a meal for two, drinks, appetizer and dessert. Obviously, I was sold as this could be prime material to blog about.

On Friday I called the restaurant around 6pm to double check. The polite employee told me that yes they were giving out free meals but it was, "invitation only." I asked her if I could get an invite, which she answered awkwardly, "no they had already been given out." Feeling defeated I asked when they would be "open to the public" and she told me this Monday.

Do you think I have any intention of ever going to this restaurant? No.

Why? They didn't keep their promise. They told me earlier in the week that I could come get a free meal. I planned, plotted and spent quality time "thinking" about what I was going to get there. I invested time and they let me down.

Just think if I had loved the Twisted Bamboo. I most likely would have went again to eat and spend money. I would have told all of you about it. Their "free meal" would have returned possibly hundreds of visits by me, my family and potentially you.

If you owned a brand new restaurant, and had an eager customer on the phone willing to drive out of their way to eat at you restaurant, wouldn't you do everything in your power to get them in the door? Even if this meant "stretching the rules" of being invited or not invited?

Sometimes we are so limited by the rules we fail to see the possibilities in breaking them.