After leaving a continuing education class for real estate I stopped in to Bennigan's to kill some time and have a bite to eat before getting on Interstate 95 in rush hour. I was actually surprised to see a Bennigan's still open as I know many of the stores were closed due to insufficient sales. After sitting in traffic for an extended period of time, I stopped in. I asked the bartender what the happy hour specials were and his response was, 'you can have whatever you would like, it's always happy hour'. Really? That would be equivalent to me responding to a buyer in real estate telling them that they too, could have a million dollar property if they would like. I then asked the bartender what the 'well' vodka was. He looked at me as if I had two heads on my shoulder and asked me to repeat it. I then repeated it several times and he still didn't 'understand'. I then SPELLED the word 'well' out for him. He still pretended to not understand. Therefore, I asked for Smirnoff. He had his other bartender pour me something different. (In the mean time he's explaining to another customer... in perfect ENGLISH how he is teaching his son several languages because it is beneficial, etc.) The menu touts, "larger portions and pours". I've bartended and waited tables enough to know that what I received was not a 'good' let alone 'generous' pour. I let it go and thought perhaps it was someone in training.
In the background Spanish music played for several songs. I then inserted my own cash into the juke box for a different ambiance. I enjoy Spanish music and culture and I expect to hear such when I'm in MEXICO and to an extent in South Florida. However, although Miami is very much a diverse city, we are still in the United States. After my songs played, it reverted back to ALL Spanish music. It was 6:00 and slow for dinner time. After eating an appetizer I asked for my bill. I was told the amount, and given the bill yet it wasn't the itemized bill. I thought it sounded expensive considering the 'cheap' vodka I ordered and the even cheaper vodka I received. I looked it over briefly and headed out after what I thought was a generous tip considering the poor service and pour. Pun is completely intended! However upon leaving after such a lack luster experience to say the least, I added the bill in my head and realized something was off. I pulled back in and looked at my itemized receipt, the one I had to ASK FOR. It stated on there, that it was automatically allocated 15% to the bartender. Therefore, I tipped in total, 32%.
I went back in, asked for the manager and he proceeded to show me a 1"x 0.5" in size 8 font, on an insert of pizza specials of the menu, that it states because it is Miami, the auto-gratuity is applied. I proceeded to explain to him that it is shady and calculated considering I had to ASK for the receipt with the actual items and amount, AND I didn't order off the pizza menu, so I would have never known. This combined with the fact that I had to PAY for my music as well ensures me why Bennigan's is less than average and has closed many stores.
Again, while traveling in Mexico I expect such ambiance and embrace it, however they are very honest and forthright. This experience is absolutely unacceptable and shameful on management and the bar staff. The icing on the cake is that the website on the receipt doesn't even exist. I will not pay the auto-gratuity and will report this as fraud with my bank.in the end, this wasn't someone in training. It is a calculated theft by management and staff for the consumer to 'eat' the demise of a chain.
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