Cease and Desist: 5 Restaurant Habits You Need to Leave Behind Right Now!
Food culture encompasses several aspects of our day-to-day interactions with food. From the way we eat to the meal rituals that we partake in, there are several food culture practices in Lagos and Nigeria at large.
Although food culture practices are beautiful, there are a number of appalling practices that are upheld by both consumers and restaurant owners themselves. Here are some food culture practices that need to be gone with the wind, stat!
1. Restaurant Owners Fighting Customers on Social Media Platforms
Nigerians are proud people. A massive chunk of the Nigerian population has much more than a healthy - or necessary - sense of ego. With Nigerian business owners though, it’s an entirely different ball game.
In 2019, we witnessed more than a few restaurant owners dragging their customers for filth across various social media platforms simply because they registered their displeasure about services rendered by their businesses. Now, we all know that customers are far from perfect but there is no reason as a business owner to seek out a customer simply to berate them. Not only is this practice appalling, but it is also as ghetto as ghetto can be.
Borrowing wisdom from Tobi’s article “A Masterclass in Managing Disgruntled Customers by the Tearoom”, do not use your business page to harass, bully or abuse people on the internet. It might be pretty tempting but do not ever do it. Don’t.
2. Unpleasant Attitudes Towards Restaurant Waitstaff
Waitstaff in Nigeria can be infuriating. From mixing up orders to responding slowly or simply ignoring customer requests and preferences, there are numerous ways in which waitstaff can annoy your appetite away. For most Nigerian businesses, customer service is a myth.
However, customers, as well as a restaurant’s waitstaff, have responsibilities. One of your responsibilities as a customer is to not frustrate the poor man or woman who’s been punished by the universe to wait on your table.
Waitstaff are humans beings who have feelings, and there is absolutely no doubt that these feelings get hurt when customers berate them simply because they feel they are above them. There is no need to take jabs at another human who is simply doing his/her job for your entertainment. Stop being a monster.
This sentiment is also applicable to food delivery personnel. Be nice.
3. Borderline Narcissist Selfie Culture In Restaurants
Let’s be honest, selfies are beautiful. We live for the moments where our friends gas us up because we’ve posted a fire selfie on social media. However, hogging public spaces simply because you want to take a killer shot is not cute. No dear. Stop it. Stop it now.
Frankly speaking, I get it. It’s only natural that you want to hog the mirror in the bathroom for the perfect mirror selfie but when you’re making 15 people who need to wash their hands and freshen up wait for you, that’s just selfish. Do better, love. I believe in you.
4. Being a Food Photography Terrorist
These days, seeing an attractive plate of food instantly awakens the food photographer in your soul, and all you want to do is produce the perfect shot from what you have in front of you. I get it.
However, what’s not cute is becoming a food photography terrorist. A food photography terrorist is a person who will not allow themselves or anybody else dig into their meal before getting the perfect shot.
Now, the quest for the perfect shot can be a wholesome experience but I doubt anyone wants to be held hostage by another human simply because they want to take a picture. Unlock your inner food blogger elsewhere.
It would also be a good idea to stop climbing chairs to take pictures of the food as well. Chairs, not stairs. Do better, loves. I believe in you.
5. Atrocious Behaviour at Chain Restaurants
You never know how nasty a Nigerian is till you see them at a chain restaurant. There are several atrocities Nigerians commit at chain restaurants. Talking over food that’s being sold to everyone, cutting in line, stabbing their plates with their cutlery and fighting for a chance to use the POS machine.
On the flip side, these chain restaurants themselves are not without sin. The waitstaff at several chain restaurants are rude, untrained and horribly slow. They pay little to no attention to hygiene and simply do not follow customer requests. Several chain restaurants have a hard time clearing tables once customers are done eating and while this is always an eye sore, you can only imagine how comfortable it makes the flies. Do better, guys. Do better.
There are several infuriating food culture practices in Lagos and Nigeria at large. Give us some tea on your worst food culture practices and how badly they need to go!