Blood in the Water

I went out to eat tonight, with my wife and a good friend.  The restaurant was part of a chain and in the 'burbs. 

I smelled blood in the water.  This place wasn't going to be open for long.  You could just feel it.  Tangible hints of a restaurant bleeding money, more than it was bringing in. 

Hints such as a ticket board that never held more than six tickets at any one time during our visit, but not long enough to hold an entire room's orders if the place were packed.  New orders were being placed on the right or left depending on who decided to expo at any given time.

Too many FOH employees on board on a slow night.

Cooks not stabbing tickets on their end, and at least one too many cooks on the line.

The menu wasn't balanced, the pricing wrong.  With beef prices going up and their location, losses would be taken soon if not currently.

No one asked us if we wanted desserts, or offered to upsell on water, or anything else for that matter.

They did have Jolly Ranchers instead of mints in a bowl as we left. 

I do like Jolly Ranchers.