When dining out.....

It always amazes me the way in which someone ‘rates’ a dining experience. For each person it’s unique. For some, the food itself is the sole star of the evening, and if she flops, then the entire experience was for naught! For others, the food could have been average, and the service was so good that it was almost as though they had in fact paid for tickets to the theater and not a meal! And yet there are others still, who if they get a good vibe from the place it doesn’t matter really how poor or stellar the meal/service was. I find it hard to rate a dining experience solely on any one aspect of the aforementioned characteristics. And in fact I feel as though each of these characteristics play equally relevant though not necessarily equally rated parts.

For me dining out should be an experience that in no way is completely dependent on the food! The experience for me generally breaks down as follows: food is 40%, service 30%, ambiance 20% and price is 10%. Undoubtedly, the food should be the star- let’s face it that’s what you came there for. Service however is a close second; incompetence/ ‘slackness’ in the area of service can seriously turn me off from a meal and greatly affect my ability to enjoy the experience. Next is ambiance, and that includes company, lighting, music, color scheme etc. Last is price- if all of the other things fall into place, I rarely care what I pay for a meal. I mean really, you know by the time you order what everything costs, but the other factors are what help determine if you got your money’s worth.

So next time you’re dining out, think about these things and how they add up, and what is important to you! Then when you receive your check at the end of the meal, ask yourself “Did I get my money’s worth?” You may be surprised to see how it all adds up!