Category: Misc.

Soup Nazi Service at Gandolfo's in St. George Utah Store #11

By mrough
updated 7 months ago

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day usually a relaxing affair where one gets their food and starts the morning on a positive note savoring their culinary choice. Up til this morning my usual morning fare of choice was Gandolfo's Harlem Breakfast sandwich with Barbecue Sauce. All that changed with the self introduction of the "New Management".

Entering the Restaurant

Upon walking up to the restaurant I noticed a city truck outside working on a fire hydrant. A man in a Gandolfo’s shirt was outside talking on his cel phone loudly about filing taxes… but I digress. I enter the store and notice a couple of customers but no staff in sight.

The man in the Gandolfo’s shirt enters the store after me and asks if I was going to get a refill.

“Uh no.” I answer curious to the query about my beverage needs as he pointed to my already full mug.

“The water is out.” he said frowning so you can’t get any soda products.

“Ok” I shrug and proceed to the counter.

Ordering My Sandwich

The man in the Gandolfo’s shirt goes around the corner and proceeds to the register.
“Whadda you want.” he asks.

“I’ll have a Harlem” I start to relish the thought of the first bite of my sandwich.

Beep. Beep. Beep. “That will be $3.53” he states.

I hand over my visa card and watch it being swiped. He concentrates on the readout.

“Allrighty” he says and hands my card back to me with a reciept, sliding a battered pen toward me.

I sign the reciept after spinning the pen tip over the reciept to get the ink flowing.

Asking For Sauce

Turning away from me and walking toward the grill I ask. “Would you cook the roast beef with the sauce?”

He turned around and asked “What sauce? You didn’t order any sauce. Sauces are extra.”

Previous to this visit I had always been asked if I wanted barbecue sauce and if so then if it was to be applied to the meat after the grilling or grilled with it. Curious to this change of protocol I scanned the sandwich board for any mention of sauces or sauce charge, of which there was none.

“I’ve never been charged for sauce before,” my eyebrowse raising “and there is no mention of a sauce charge on your board.”

Hands on hips, chin thrust forward “That was the old management” he stated disdainfully “I am the new management, and we don’t give out free food. That is why the old management is gone.”

Wanting for an explanation I ask “Where on the board or anywhere is there a mention of an extra charge for sauce? I don’t see any.”

“It doesn’t matter!” the manager says getting louder “The sauces are not free, they cost extra!”

“If you are going to arbitrarily apply a sauce charge you should put it on the board or somewhere so a person knows they need to order it.” raising my voice to match.

“Dude I don’t need you yelling at me in my store!” he yells causing the two customers sitting in the store to turn and stare.

“I just want my sandwich!” I reply “Not a debate over sauce economics!”

The manager walks over to the register. Beep. Beep. Beep. Withdraws the amount from the sale and puts it on the counter. “I don’t need customers like you. I have plenty of customers that don’t cause problems.” he yells pushing the money toward me.

The rest as they say is history. My blood pressure raised, stomach growling, I leave the store to a parting “Have a nice day!” the fifty three cents jingling hollowly in my pocket.

I will probably never go in that store again.