Zikrayat Lebanese Restaurant & Lounge

Review: November 12, 2013

Dear Sir/Madam:

RE: Zilfrayat Restaurant

[redacted], VA [redacted] Telephone ###-###-####

I am submitting this complaint against the above mentioned restaurant. I went there with two girlfriends on Saturday evening September 15, 2013 to have a drink. The owner, [redacted], escorted us to the bar because there was no table available although I had made a reservation. I ordered a glass of wine, my friend ordered a cup of tea, and the third friend ordered shisha. We stayed there for a couple of hours listening to the music.

We had been to this restaurant on several occasions previously but not over the weekend. When we asked for the bill, the bar tender handed us a bill for $82.50. We were shocked and requested an explanation. The bar tender told us that there is a minimum charge of 30.00 per person on Friday and Saturday evenings. We responded that he never informed us when we arrived. He responded that it is listed at the bottom of the menu.

We told him that we never saw the menu because we had not intended to eat dinner. In fact, the bar tender never informed us of the minimum charge when we sat down. There was no sign posted at the bar about this minimum charge. Furthermore, there was no sign posted at the entrance of the restaurant where the hostess sits. [redacted], the owner never told us about this minimum charge either. When I called to make a reservation, the manager who answered the phone did not mention the minimum charge either. Had we known about this minimum charge, we would have ordered more drinks and food to cover the minimum charge. We never interacted with the bar tender since he gave us our order. He never returned to us to ask us whether we would like to order something else. He was very busy preparing drinks for the tables, and never bothered with us.

I asked for the owner [redacted] but I was told that she went home already because she has an infant. We paid the bill but I had intended to contact her the following day for clarification. I called [redacted] on Sunday afternoon and spoke with the manager. [redacted] refused to speak with me. I left her two messages but she never called me back. Putting a sentence at the bottom of the menu does not constitute informing the clients of this minimum charge. We went to the restaurant at 11 pm. We had already eaten dinner and never saw the menu. We were not told to see the menu for important notification about charges. Zikrayat is a night club, not strictly a restaurant and the majority of the clients do not eat dinner, only order drinks.

Zikrayat Restaurant is breaking the law and is guilty of extortion. They must inform their clients of minimum charges to allow them to make an informed decision about their charges. Our bill should have been $29.00 plus 6% tax. For your information, the bar tender did not offer us food for the minimum charge to take home with us either.

I am now requesting a refund for the balance of the bill. I am also requesting that your ’ office makes them comply with legal rules of posting their minimum charge at the door. I have not yet contacted the Revdex.com. I need protection from your office.

Many thanks for your time and attention. I will be waiting for your response.Desired Settlement: see Attached document

Business

Response:

To whom it may concern

[redacted] Did not have reservations that evening. She was escorted to the bar with her 2 girlfriends because we were fully booked and all our tables were taken. [redacted] has patronized the restaurant for many years and knows very well that we have a $25.00 minimum spending charge on nights with entertainment She was not over charged and was charged accordingly. Her tab was the $25.00 minimum charge because they did not meet the minimum charge that evening plus tax and gratuity. I have no reason to defend our restaurant this is a rule which is passed on to all our patrons on nights with entertainment She was happy and dancing all night. We charge a minimum charge because we do not charge a cover charge for the entertainment we only ask our patrons to spend a minimum of $25,00 per person. So that being said Her bill was a subtotal of $75,00 plus tax which is 10% came out to $82.50 which actually the bartender did not add gratuity. Sorry to hear that she was disappointed but these are our rules in the restaurant. So in fact there was no over charge at all. We have been nothing but nice to [redacted] just like with every customer that walks in our door.