Good for the owner. Hey lady, how about teaching your kids to eat all (or at least most) the food that they take before getting more? http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060505/NEWS08/605050365/1010 Buffet owner won't fork over food to family that wastes Can you take too much from an all-you-can-eat place? The Dragon House in Urbandale says yes. By MIKE KILEN REGISTER STAFF WRITER May 5, 2006 Wendy Dershem had a battle at the buffet last Saturday. Dershem was told never to come back because her family wastes too much food. She argued that — hey, it's an all-you-can-eat buffet. But management at the Dragon House, 10912 Douglas Ave. in Urbandale, said it's not an all-you-can-waste buffet. It sets up an interesting question for buffet diners: When have you gone too far — plate piling, tasting and dumping — or is anything fair game for a flat fee? Dershem joined her boyfriend, Jason Trotter, and her children, Madison, 7, and Carter, 5, at the Dragon House Saturday for the $5.95 all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. It was their favorite spot, and the Des Moines woman and her children had dined there frequently since the children were babies. She said her group was one plate into the experience when a restaurant employee approached. "They told us we are not welcome there anymore. We waste too much food," said Dershem, 28. "But the buffet is all you can eat. And you know kids. They won't always eat everything and they want something else." Manager Kent Cao confirmed that Dershem was told not to come back if she continued to waste food. A waitress and cashier watched the group on past occasions and were concerned. "They just take one bite and throw it away," said cashier Lin Huyen. "They take four egg rolls and crab ragoon, take one bite of egg roll and throw the whole plate. That is wasting food." Managers at two other buffet restaurants, Old Country Buffet in Des Moines and Buffet City in Clive, said they have never warned customers about how much they take or don't eat. It's part of the buffet business. "We just suck it up and bear it," said Old Country Buffet manager Michelle Ward. Dershem said she was shocked by the scolding and complained to management when she paid her check. "It was embarrassing. There are no signs that say anything like 'eat what you take' or 'kids aren't welcome.' If it's a one-stop buffet, post it," she said. But Dragon House manager Kent Cao said Dershem's situation had gone beyond simply not cleaning plates. The group members took food, didn't finish it and then piled on the same food again, he said. "She's done that too many times," Cao said. "We would welcome her back if she has respect and knows what she wants." Bob Brammer, spokesman for the Iowa attorney general's office, said that consumer protection officials couldn't recall any complaints from customers about all-you-can-eat buffets. "Businesses are obligated to live up their offers," he said. "But implementation needs to be reasonable. People can't fill up a plate and hand it to someone who hasn't paid." Bob Oberbillig, an adjunct professor at the Drake Legal Clinic, says the patron would have no legal case against exclusion from a business unless there are other factors such as racial discrimination or mental health issues. "An establishment can exclude people if they smoke or waste food," he said. "It's still a private business." Dershem said she paid for unlimited food, whether eaten or not. Cao said it is folly to waste while hungry women and children don't have enough to eat.
I always tell my family take what you can eat, you can always go back for more if you need to. I hate people that waste food.
I go to a buffet place on occassion that has a sign warning you to not take what you can't eat or they'll charge you for it. I have no problem with that.
Most days it is. A few months ago they had a story about the first Popeye's that opened in Iowa and how busy it had been. Unfortuately, the top story in Iowa that day hit close to home for me, literally. A 17 year old kid, who was a classmate of my brother, killed a 13 year old with a high powered rifle and then turned the rifle on himself. It is the third classmate in my brother's class in the last 4 years to commit suicide. I can't wait for him to get to UT in 07. The family in this story deserved it.
Mrs. Dershem, this is the most blatant case of fraudulent advertising since my suit against the film, The Never-Ending Story'/.
What a great lesson to teach your kids. It's "all you can eat" so just get as much as you can, you don't have to eat it.
Why would you go to a buffet and NOT clean your plate? That's the whole point of buffets, isn't it? Especailly Chinese! I always make sure to take a small shovel with me when I go to a buffet...
I would assume that the family brought the story to the news outlet. I also assume from reading this trhread as well as a Yahoo thread that the vast majority of the folks support the restaurant in this case. Did the family really think they would garner sympathy?
Apparently, their mother never told them the "eat your food! there are starving children in China" story like mine did.
Sorry to hear about that tragedy. I guess the suicide bug is going around in that town or something...Anyway, Is it me or is it that kids today are more depressive and suicidal than ever before? I don't know if it’s a society thing or the music and television, but I notice kids aren't as happy today as in the past. I even read a book called "Generation Me" that asks the same question, and the author blames our society for the hedonism, selfishness, and shallowness of today's generation...It's an interesting topic to explore...
I just can't throw foods away if I don't have to (only when they have passed the expiration date, for example). When I go to a buffet place, the only plate of foods that i cannot finish is always my last plate in that meal too. buffet = all your can eat buffet NOT = all you can take and throw away
I seriously think people should live at least a year in places where everything is rationed from meat (4 oz per person per month), grain, soap, cloth to matches. After that they would have a better feel for how much things are worth. I had never experience semi-starvation like my parents did in the 50s in China, that was much worse they tell me.
That woman is a stupid hog. It's worst enough that she's a lousy parent, but to contact the press and give her children's names and ages for print is idiotic. She probably got kicked out of the only "authentic" Chinese restaurant in Iowa. I've been to Chinese restuarants in that state with at most 1 or 2 Chinese people working there.
