Glenn’s family went to Applebee’s last night and discovered that the restaurant is cutting back. Really cutting back. You have to bring your own candles now for their birthday cakes, because “Applebee’s doesn’t supply birthday candles anymore.”
So we took our five year old to an Applebees in Charlotte, NC last night for his fifth birthday. He ordered their “mac & cheese” and when it arrived we noticed that it did not have the usual breadstick. We asked why and were told that corporate felt that “they weren’t healthy for kids” so they have been dropped from the menu. So the dinner cost the same as before, just that the kids get less. Very nice.
Then the real kicker. He wanted chocolate cake for dessert. I told the waitress that it was his birthday but when they started coming out with the cake there was no candle. I asked that they put one in. They went back into the kitchen and came back out five minutes later – again no candle. They sang the song and he ate his cake. I asked “why no candle?” and was told that “Applebees doesn’t supply birthday candles anymore. If you want a candle in your cake, you have to bring your own.” Amazing. Things are so tight that they can’t put a candle in a five-year olds’ cake. I guess every penny counts today.
Our advice to Applebee’s customers in Charlotte: if you have a kid, bring a couple of phone books with you next time. You know, just in case they’ve sold off the booster seats.
(Thanks to Glenn!)
UPDATE: After reading the negative vitrol posted in the comments, Glenn sent in the following clarification:
Chris, it appears the my original post yesterday was completely taken out of context by the vast majority of those that posted comments in response. I was not upset that we didn’t get a candle. My five year old was not upset. It was simply a candle. Not a big deal. I didn’t feel that Applebee’s “owed” us a candle. We stuck one in a cupcake for him at home and there was no issue. The point I was trying to make was that chains such as Applebee’s must be hurting financially if they are cutting back on things such as bread and candles. They told me that they used to supply them and now they aren’t – I just found that interesting that a chain as big as Applebee’s is looking so closely at small things, such as candles, to save a few dollars. I understand that every expense impacts their bottom line, but things must be worse than we thought if they are proactively removing candles from their kitchens.And as far as the bread, again, I just found it interesting that it used to be part of the kids meal, but now they have removed it, while keeping the price the same. If McDonald’s removed fries from their “Happy Meals” but didn’t drop the price, I am sure that people would complain that they are paying the same but getting less. That was all I was trying to say. My son got along just fine without the breadstick. He wasn’t upset.
As for taking my kid to Applebee’s for his birthday – he turned five. He likes their “mac & cheese.” As a parent, I just wanted my kid to be happy on this birthday. Nothing more, nothing less. It certainly doesn’t make me a bad parent. Is Applebee’s the best restaurant in the world? No. Are there better places to go? Yes. But he asked to go there, and it wasn’t a big deal. It was his birthday. I wish the people that posted responses would either remember what it was like to be 5, or had a 5 year old of their own. When you have a young kid, you do end up going to restaurants like this. That is why they are called “family friendly.”
(Photo: jemsweb)
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I think everyone can agree it’s a pretty crappy customer experience, but can everyone agree that OP is a huge whiner?!?
Kids at this age do not care, they just want to have fun and get their presents. –
Hell, maybe he’ll instead remember that crappy birthday where he didn’t get a candle? –
I agree for the most part, though I don’t recall having a candle at my birthday parties as a kid…I probably did, but I really don’t remember if I didn’t, so if I didn’t, then oh well.
On the issue of the candle, and whether the kid cared, or even noticed:
Don’t forget about the whole blowing out the candle and getting a wish thing.
1 Light the candle
2 Sing Happy Birthday
3 Blow out candle
4 Make a wish
If the family has a thing where they do birthday dinners at Applebee’s, and in the past were given candles, they had a reasonable expectation that there would be a candle this time.
On the issue of the importance of the poster’s complaint…
Some people don’t need to be mad as hell to submit something to the consumerist. Maybe it’s just an interest thing…. you know…. things that make you go hmmm…. Assuming that every submitter was barely able to stop crying long enough to send an e-mail is kinda lame. Assuming that people care whether or not it is important to you is childish. If it’s unimportant to you, then why comment? Just continue on to another post about things that are more relative to your life.
my suggestion: stop eating at applebee’s.
not only will you avoid the emotional trauma caused by a missing bread stick and birthday candle… you will avoid another bout of explosive diarrhea.
Ok the breadsticks I got fine same price less food ok that’s shady. Funny though that breadsticks are bad for kids but mac and cheese is the source of all vitamins and minerals.
As per the candles well if the lady was really complainning I would use a cigarrette instead
This is one of the saddest story I’ve read on here… some poor kid’s mother doesn’t even love him enough to spend a few minutes in the kitchen cooking him a real meal at home, not even one time a year on his birthday!
I guess cooking up some macaroni and cheese (assuming that’s the kids favorite meal) is so complex and requires such specialized equipment, one has no choice these days but to farm the task out to an indifferent, loveless commercial enterprise that essentially herds people like cattle in and out of the feeding trough and fills their bellies with crap, pre-processed frozen garbage.
The fact these days that people have lost any sense of home life and instead depend upon buying their ‘fun’ and ‘celebrations’ from corporations is the sign that we’re set to lose far more than just bread sticks and candles from our lives.
@JohnnyE: well said.
this is worthless if you don’t mention WHICH charlotte location.
Things are so tight that they can’t put a candle in a five-year olds’ cake.
Or, providing the implements for a birthday celebration is outside the scope of responsibility for a chain restaurant!
I understand the impulse to post stories that – while inconsequential – shed some light on the minor battles. I agree with other commenters that the standard shouldn’t be set such that only the most egregious stories make it to the site.
On the other hand, this is not one of those cases. The customer got what they ordered from the menu, didn’t get something that they didn’t order, and unsuccessfully made a demand on the staff that was outside of their responsibility.
What next, someone posts a story that “Things are so tight at Red Robin that they didn’t have a party hat waiting for little Jimmy.”
tl;dr
If Applebees wanted to cut back, perhaps they should have considered getting rid of just the candles, and instead using lit breadsticks in their place. Woo!
Also, thanks to Consumerist for answering my ever-nagging question of, “Who the hell eats at Applebee’s?”
Well, whatever, I’m sure they are “taking this seriously”.
Glenn wrote in to the tipline to clarify his previous email:
I just read the initial posting, then I read your follow-up not having read the responses. It seems odd to me that people would take your statement the way they did. I mean, I understood the purpose of the post and did not take it as whining or anything, more observation and surprise on your part. Also, trust me, I have a 5 year old, he also adores Mac and Cheese. He knows where he likes it and where he doesn’t. Why are people critcizing you because you let a 5 year old choose what and where he wanted for his birthday. Had you taken the 5 year old to “Chez Foo Foo” (or whatever fancy one) restaurant, he would most likely have been miserable, but these people would think you are a great parent. Good for you for choosing your son as more important to please.