Jackson Jambalaya

Sounds like Changing Consumer Habits strikes again.

This entire social phenomenon has gotten to such low levels it can reach up and touch the bottom. I’m talking lower than whale shit.
Stop it all and get better clientele.

30,000 free meals per year? I raise the BS flag. Is that a typo?

Being open six days a week, that means they are giving away almost 100 free meals a day, or 50 at each location, with 37 a day at each location not tipping. It would probably make for a better dining experience for the rest of us if those 37 weren’t there, so I hope they end it. At an average of $30 per meal, they are giving away about $900,000 worth of meals every year just to bring in ungrateful subpar customers. Free birthday meals were designed for a genteel civil society we unfortunately no longer have.

People, come on! The Berrys are giving it away! They do not have to do it! Very nice but expensive for them! It doesn’t matter how many they give away. What matters is how ungrateful , rude and unappreciated people act. Thank you all to the BERRYS, very nice gesture. I’m sorry people act like this and make dumb comments! Your giving heart is appreciated!

Nobody cares

The folks not tipping on free birthday meals are the same folks who don’t tip anyway.

Dear Mr. Berry and the employees, please know we DO appreciate you. I am so sorry you have had to deal with some bad folks. I love this restaurant and have always had a great time. You have done a wonderful job all these years. Whatever you decide, we are behind you. Blessings.

Entitlement Culture Rot…. 😳

Where’s my free stuff?

Perhaps a cover charge is in order ?

That tends to drive off a large chunk of the types that have been taking advantage of the Berry family.

As Randy Newman sang:
"We're rednecks
we're rednecks,
And we don't know our ass from a hole in the ground ..."

Yank the crab legs from the menu. Problem solved and money saved.

The Berry buffet is unsurpassed. Perhaps the restaurant host/hostess could mention the tip situation when seating a party with a birthday celebrator. I may be a little slow on the uptake, but I didn't understand the vague reference to "criticism."

Mr Berry Thank you, but if you could see what the buffet is doing to our people is just shameful, wasted food and belly’s hanging! I’ve been coming weekly for over 10 years and leave at least $5.00 tip. I make no more than 2 trips of small size plates!

I Knew It! I Finaly Found Somebody Who Don't Like Free Ice Cream!

Free stuff draws flies. And @5:57 is onto something: drop the crab legs and a large proportion of the No-tipping crowd will go elsewhere. That’ll be a win for Berry’s and a win for those of us who’d like to have and enjoy nice things once again.

That said, though, 20 percent of 30 bucks to point to the buffet and bring me a glass of tea is a mite steep.

Pay employees a decent wage and don't put all the guilt on customers buying a self serve buffet!

9:06: What is a decent wage? You seem to have winning ideas on running a business. Stay at home if you can't afford to eat out. We are already fat enough in this country, especially this state. Don't buy an expensive vehicle if you can't afford the tag.

I go out to eat on my birthday. I don't expect a free meal. To many people wanting something for free.

What do you define decent wage 9:23

This is an easy solution. Free buffet, but 20% tip is mandatory and paid up front. Who wouldn't gladly take that deal?

Yeah 9:23

Drop your juvenile insults and give us more of outstanding business advice. What should Berry's pay?

if you don't like the wage, don't take the job. you know what the wage is before you accept the offer. no employer is forcing employees to work for them.

"decent wage" is what the person wanting to get paid decides it is. that's not how the employer/employee relationship works. you want more pay, learn skills that justify more pay. you have to make yourself more valuable to your employer. and if they don't recognize that, then move on to somewhere that does.

it's too easy to take online classes, or in-person classes before or after your job, depending on your schedule. just have to put the time in. grants, loans, and programs are everywhere. i guarantee most people complaining about wanting a "decent wage" waste a lot of their time on a daily basis. time that could be better spent learning a skill, taking classes, or something that makes you more valuable.

your employer is not going to pay you more that what you can bring in. otherwise, the employer loses money. profit in a restaurant is already pretty slim. business loses enough money, and employees get cut. keep losing money and the business goes out of business. then nobody's making a "decent wage." and when that happens, y'all be on here bitching and complaining about businesses going out of business.

Sounds like you're doing pretty well bitching and complaining yourself. Bet you have yourself rated so high you get nose bleeds. My Oh My

Just another reason I don’t go to Berry’s.

ahh, the good ole, attack the messenger because you can't debate the message, response.

i'm not bitching and complaining, i'm giving direct advice, kind of like an uncle that doesn't care if i step on some toes with the delivery of my message, like some parents/others might. i'm not here to coddle people with aspirational messages saying everything is going to be just fine, it's not your fault, or agreeing that someone doesn't make a "decent wage" because of a greedy employer.

do you not like what i said because it rings true for you? are you someone that's mad because you don't make what you think is a decent wage? or are you someone that is doing pretty well because you developed the skills necessary to justify being paid more than a "decent wage?"

if the former, then take what i said as advice. most people don't do very well because they don't put the effort into the things it takes to do very well, not because somebody or something is holding them back.

if the latter, then you have already done what i advised. which means what i said is all true. and a sincere congratulations to your success.

Seems like you could raise the price of the meal 20%, program the machine to leave out the tip line when you print the receipt, make it clear that tips aren't expected, raise employee wages 20% and we all move on. This practice of tipping is unique to food service in this country. If I recall, most other industrialized countries just pay people a flat wage for waiting tables. Chasing tips is for strippers.

Blah blah blah Bitch bitch bitch

Next! You're really getting more and more like a broken record.

Give it a rest. Get off your little soapbox you're really losing it

Thanks for the sanity 2:21!

What do you define decent wage 9:23

In the 19 years since Kingfish launched JJ I don't recall any commenter ever defining what they meant by 'decent wage' or 'living wage'. They've trotted the soundbite out repeatedly over the years but when asked to define the wage they've never had the stones to name an amount and defend it.

Just cancel the free meal, as it clearly attracts people that don’t conduct themselves properly. Since you won’t be giving that free food away, then maybe you can keep the regular cost of a meal as low as possible. Another option would be to charge half price for people having a birthday. When people don’t have skin in the game they tend to act worse.