Have you ever done this?
By ElicBxn
@ElicBxn (63252)
United States
September 6, 2009 2:11pm CST
Have you ever gone to a restaurant so often that you've made friends with the owner?
I don't mean you already know the people, you just go in so often that you get to know them?
Well, I was at Sam's picking up cat litter and Normandy Blend (a frozen veggie blend that is helping us with our diet) and I was going to the front to check out and couldn't believe what I saw...
Coming toward me pushing a cart was the owner of a Chinese restaurant we used to frequent. Then, coming up behind him was his wife.
I was excited, the LAST time I saw them was also at Sam's (they'd closed the restaurant a few years back so I couldn't go even if I wanted to.)
When the roomie came up from getting the litter we all had a happy little reunion, visiting for a few minutes.
So, have you been to some mom & pop place enough to make friends with the owners? Do you ever run into them at different places?
Now, remember, Austin is the 18th largest city in the U.S. so we aren't talking a small town here - tho it might as well be for me sometimes. I was in there a couple of months ago and ran into some people that live at the place my mother does, but they are still on the independent living side of it.
8 people like this
23 responses
@rg0205 (2636)
• Hong Kong
6 Sep 09
Yes, and again, a Chinese restaurant but big deal because I live in Hong Kong, right?
hehehe
Still, yes, my family and I go to this Chinese resto weekly and the owners already know what we normally order when we dine there. It's nice and they're very friendly and provide great service and that's why we keep coming back.
3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
6 Sep 09
in many small places you go in and if you go there often, they remember you, but its the running into this couple at Sams that is so different!
last time I saw them was also at Sams, almost a year ago - right after I had my gall bladder surgery - in fact, I didn't have a car right then because mine was in the shop, and a friend had taken me
1 person likes this
@rg0205 (2636)
• Hong Kong
7 Sep 09
It just goes to show how small the world is, doesn't it?
I have had the same experience, or similar but the people my family and I have the tendency to run into was our old neighbors who we don't know personally but never cease to smile and greet them in case we do bump into each other.
Sorry to hear about your surgery. Hope youre better :-)
1 person likes this
@weasel81 (2496)
• Australia
6 Sep 09
our local chinese, has been in town for over 10 yrs now. i used to go there for lunch when i was at school, now it's mainly take away for us. so we've gotten to know the owners and you ask how the kids are doing. you ring up and they have a fair idea on what your going to have and know how you like it if you don't want something in it like sea food.
3 people like this
@slickcut (8141)
• United States
6 Sep 09
I cannot remember ever running into a owner of a store Or restaurant i have went too, but i always run into a few friends when i am at the store, and i am always a mess..Haha...So now i really clean up good & put on my make up before going to the store...So i haven't ran into any friends lately..
Guess when i go messed up i will see them all again...Lol
Guess when i go messed up i will see them all again...Lol3 people like this
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
6 Sep 09
I don't often do that, but one guy I'm always running into - and I don't even LIKE him that much, but he's another fannish friend, he doesn't live that far away, used to see him at Albertson's before it closed, but that was the closest grocery to his place so I wasn't surprised to see him there - but at Fry's?
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
6 Sep 09
I guess as u know by now i live in a small town & know alot of people here. The strange is i go for years & not see people so i'm alwaygs glad to run into people like u did. Hope your sunday is going great.
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
6 Sep 09
that's just the kicker, is that I'm always running into people I know of course I've lived 53 years in this city - so I've had a chance to get to know a lot of people, the amazing thing is that I don't feel like I really do know that many until I run into them!
1 person likes this
@tamarafireheart (15384)
•
6 Sep 09
Hi Elic,
I do bubmp into people that I used to work with many years ago and one has just found my on Facebook, I have not seen or heard from her for 14 years, its amazing.
Tamara
3 people like this
@horsesrule (1957)
• United States
7 Sep 09
Oh yes indeed and that's part of what made the food taste so good there, right? LOL No, seriously, we used to go to a restaurant for years and years and years until it was sold and then closed down. I did know who the owner was but I was not impressed with him, he was an old poop but I got to know every one of the waitresses and it was great! No, not just because we got free stuff but because when it was slow, all the waitresses would come and sit with us and we'd eat and talk. It was one of the most pleasant experiences of my entire life. They came to my birthday party, we went to each other's candle parties, housewarming party when a couple of waitresses moved out on their own. Many of them were young ladies who'd just graduated high school and were starting college. When the restaurant changed, so did everything else and the place just wasn't the same anymore. I really miss that. And we would see them out and about at stores and stuff, sometimes we still do in fact.
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
12 Sep 09
When I moved here nearly 4 years ago, my friend introduced me to the owners of our local (an hour away) supermarket. He knew them well because his brother used to live next door to them. As well as the supermarket they also had a shop that sold a bit of everything. I purchased a lovely dining setting from them...they delivered it for nothing. One of the table legs was split I later discovered and I returned it for them to send back to the manufacturer. All went well, nothing was any trouble. They were a lovely couple and always greeted me happily by name whenever I did my shopping. Recently they retired and were moving away. Carole gave me a hug and a kiss and I was so moved...I cried all the way home at the wonderful kindness of these people. They were still packing up their home so I saw her again a week later and got another lovely hug goodbye. They didn't go out of their way to be friendly to all their customers but for some reason we were more than acquaintances, more like special friends, we would talk about our families and how things were going. I miss them quite a lot.
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
8 Sep 09
Not the owner but I have made friends with the servers on occassion. One is now my customer as I am hers when we go eat there. lol
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
6 Sep 09
hi ElicBxn I have lived in the town of tustin ca uptil now for many years.I went to one restaurant all the time so that the waitresses all knew me. well I hadnt been back therein almost a year but mybest friend took me into the restaurant for lunch andit was like old home'week aS the waitresses all spoke to me and told me they had wondered where I went as they hadnt seen me in so long.I never knew
who the owners were of Spires but they own two of these and probably live in a foxy place like Beverly Hills not plain old Tustin. I now live in Garden Grove ca.
2 people like this
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
6 Sep 09
there used to be a place kind of like that here, but the last time I went it had been so long since I had been in there and had changed so much, they didn't know me, but when I mentioned the riding teacher I used to go with, they remembered her!
1 person likes this
@rksbigblue (115)
•
7 Sep 09
I have done this in pubs not in restaurants though. I prefer changing the restaurants and tasting different dishes and preparations. But then I have seen people who don't get to know anyone even after many years of visiting a unique place. Its all up to the social skills of the person really. The more the person is interested in other people the more are the chances that he/she might make a lot of friends irrespective of whether they visit the place often or once in a while.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
7 Sep 09
well, we don't have pubs like you do, bars here include lots of ear splitting loud music and drunk people and if it isn't nuts or pretzels, don't expect food...
I like different food, but when it comes to Chinese food I want to go to a place where I know the people speak enough English to let them know I need to have the corn starch left out.
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
7 Sep 09
I've been to some of those too.
There was one restaurant that we went to the other night, Sea Dragon - we were celebrating my newly reduced cholesterol.
This was years ago and one of my first times there.
A waiter walked up to us and pointed at me with his pencil - "No corn starch, no msg" he said. Turned out he had worked at the restaurant that the couple had owned, China House, when I would go in there and remembered me.
@KaraKATAD (246)
• Philippines
7 Sep 09
yep! me and my family went to a small restaurant in our village a lot and we eventually made friends with the owners. This also happened in our optical shop, computer store, etc. I guess people here are just really friendly. It's a lot of fun and not only do you meet new people, but you can get in on the best things from their respective business!
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
6 Sep 09
There's a restaurant that we've been going to for generations. We were there today with my husband, for our 2nd anniversary. Now he's a big part of the family, and we're very happy to have him share in our traditions. It's really great to have a place like Sunset Villa, our second home.
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
7 Sep 09
In a way yes. I lived in a very large apartment complex. There was a Chinese restaurant nearby. Well their boys would sneak over into the apartment complex to go swimming in the pool. So I knew their son fairly decently when I was in grade school. We still go into their restaurant from time to time. The owners wife still recognizes me and asks often about my mom when I do get in there. I've always loved their cooking, not even the buffets can compete with them in taste & variety.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
7 Sep 09
No I can't say that I have done that. Though there was one time that I was eating at a sea food restaurant near the "corner" as we call it, and the owner of the restaurant happened to be friends with my old boss... We talked for a few minutes. I think he ended up coming to me because the waitress must have been impressed with the way I pronounced Tsaziki I couldn't tell ya how to pronounce now or even if I am pronouncing it right... I had pronounced it right then only because my boss was greek and he wanted me to know how so I could impress the customers, I guess...
In any case, I haven't ran into him again, though I don't remember what he looks like so I wouldn't know if I had. The owner of this restaurant I was at, well the restaurant itself is in a different county then the one I worked in, though the restaurant I used tow ork in was (it's been closed down) only a few minutes away from our county... ahh, tongue twister.
1 person likes this
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
20 Sep 09
I have met the owners of a convence store in public once but that was a long time ago. this does not typicly happen to me.
@rosepedal64 (4188)
• United States
7 Sep 09
Oh yes..There is little country restaurant that is about 15 miles from where we live. We try to go there often. We have got to know who the waitress are and what shift they work. It is really nice to be noticed and called out by name when we enter. I have runned across the waitress in other stores and get the same welcome from them as if I was in their restaurant. That does feel good to be noticed. A great discussion for the soul. You have a nice day..1 person likes this
@KMPierce (165)
• United States
7 Sep 09
Yes, I've had this happen before. I like to run into people like this because it gives me a sense of community. I live in Dallas and much like Austin it's not small, so whenever I run into someone I know (regardless of how well I know them) I get excited.
