The Starting Gate

We have friends that frequent this establishment on a weekly basis to whom are well known by many waitresses thereThis particular waitress DOES NOT have a dry sense of humorShe is the rudest waitress there (and must be related to the management) for them to say "she is well loved by many customers"She was rude and "pushed" us to purchase water when we told her it was too little early to drinkShe insisted we leave if we don't order anything and came back only five minutes later asking us what we wanted againWe were dressed to enjoy the entertainment and had no intention of leaving any time soonWe wanted to relax but felt so pressured by this waitress that we were uncomfortableIn any event, it is our word against theirsIf you send a friend here, sit at a table that is waited on by this waitress you will have a first hand account of what I am talking aboutSame said for the bathroom and their promise of "incredible food and fast and friendly service"It is a shame to feel pressured into purchasing something (even water) when other places with less than an atmosphere than the Starting Gate welcomes customers and allows them to sit and order whatever they want at their leisureShe indeed offended us with her "dry sense of humor" and we will never go back there againCalling the manager would not have resolved anything since they already think of her as a "well loved" individualAgain, I suggest a first hand In-Person" account of what I have experienced in order to see for yourselfI am sure there are many others who feel the same way

Starting Gate5052 Katella Ave.
Los Alamitos, CA 90720
May 12, 2015
Leah [redacted]
Revdex.com of San Diego...

& Imperial Counties
4747 Viewridge Ave. #200
San Diego, CA 92123-1688
Dear Ms. [redacted],
Thank you so much for informing us of a consumer concern and for allowing us the opportunity to respond. We take great pride in treating our customers like family and giving friendly and efficient customer service. Of course its disconcerting to learn this guest had a less than positive experience with us.
In response to this customer's complaint regarding being charged for water,  we do have a minimum of $10.00 per person purchase required during entertainment. It is posted on every table and many additional locations. However, it is up to the servers to enforce this minimum. We do not charge a cover or door fee and rely on paying customers to be able to continue providing the quality entertainment  we have become known for. Unfortunately many guests start with water and then leave without purchasing anything forcing us to enforce our  policy which is water free WITH a purchase, or bottled water may be purchased at any time. The consumer came in during a time it was necessary for us to tighten up this policy. While we understand she had intentions of ordering something later, there is no way for our servers to discriminate therefor it is our common practice to serve free water with any purchase. Had the guest spoken to a manager at the time of contention I believe the situation would have been successfully resolved immediately.
Regarding the server, she is a well loved, favorite amongst our customers. She has a dry sense of humor and was following our rules by implementing the policy. However, we will be addressing the manor she used with this server as well as all the servers so we  do not offend any of our paying guests. 
Regarding the peripheral items mentioned, we are owned and operated by a hispanic family, and are in 100% compliance with all health and licensing ordinances. 
Thank you again for bringing this to our attention, we value all opportunities to continue providing extraordinary experiences through live entertainment, incredible food and fast and friendly service. 
Respectfully,
[redacted]
Customer Service
Starting Gate

Review: This complaint is against a server (a woman, the oldest one there). She has a tight [redacted] hairstyle and her legs are [redacted]. We have always enjoyed coming here but recently our experience was terrible. We were never waited on by her before but we have seen her. We wanted to come early to enjoy the karaoke. We sat down and wanted water as it was too early to drink. She said if you're going to sit you have order drinks. We were never charged water before and we wanted to water. We ordered two waters and she said that will be $6.00. We were outraged. We always had free water from the other waitresses. She said if we didn't pay, she would call the bouncer to remove us. We couldn't believe our ears. She practically chased us out and told another couple to wait behind our table because we were going to be leaving. She told the couple that they just want to sit and not order and that was not true. It was early and we had every intention of paying for drinks as we always do but just not right away. I was injured and I could not stand as I explained. She said, you "walked in here, then you can stand". She came close to my face and said, "well...what are you going to do huh?". We walked out and will never come back again. Also, building and safety should be informed about the women's bathroom stalls. When they open they hit the backs of other women looking in the mirror. The bathrooms are dirty. Also, I read on [redacted] that they found rat droppings in their food and the health department should also be informed. But the main thing is that this waitress should be fired. She cannot speak to customers in the tone that she uses. Perhaps she was prejudice because we were Hispanic, I just cannot understand how rude anyone can be.Desired Settlement: I would like to be apprised of what is being done as to this woman and the health hazards of this restaurant/bar.

Business

Response:

Starting Gate5052 Katella Ave.