Indian restaurant with takeaway service

New Years Eve.

Yes we've had exactly the same experience lately in a couple of our favourite Indian restaurants. Apparently with more people eating at home and using delivery couriers it's a growing problem. It's not cheap to eat out nowadays and frustrating to feel your custom isn't valued isn't it ?

We experienced that on a regular basis in an Indian we used to go to on a regular basis, the food was excellent but we got so fed up we stopped going, and this was over 8 years ago.

Yep same here with Inidan restaurants even some Chinese and Thai

Friends and family have all decided it’s far more relaxed in our homes. More table room, don’t have to worry if we get a bit boisterous 😂 No waiting, drinks are a lot cheaper.
When finished flop on the sofas in the sitting room.

We have experienced that and staff and customers smoking at the entrance. We really don’t bother as we asked to be moved twice because of the draft caused by the door constantly opening.

Our local one has a separate reception area from the main restaurant, any deliveries they make are from the rear of the kitchen, so it’s fine.

Yes, this has become a common problem especially with Indian restaurants. It's like sitting in a takeaway with chairs rather than a restaurant. The constant door opening and ensuing draft is something I hate when eating in particular and the helmeted drivers lurking around the bar area don't add to the ambience either. But, restaurants have got to make a living so I don't know what the answer is.

Stop visiting.

Have a take away, take it home. Clearly

On New Years Eve many more people buy take out. In my Indian restaurant take away is separate from the restaurant itself. There are more Indian take outs only nowadays because more people eat at home.

Take away delivery are not cheap either

Re the cold, because of the door constantly being opened, I’ve found the same in a Cote Brasserie (no takeaways) in central London. People who were arriving kept standing in the doorway - instead of coming in and shutting it. More than once I had to call, ‘Could you please shut the door? It’s very cold outside!’

Lemongrass - takeaway deliveries are not cheap, but often the total cost is cheaper than eating in the restaurant if you provide your own drinks and wine etc at home. And you can better wor out the cost of a takeaway before you order. We’ve come to prefer them post-Covid, fewer germs around too!

Same ere I'm afraid and it gets very draughty. We don't go often= too lazy to go out on a Winter's night.

Witzend snap! There's a curtain round the door area but it's generally so crafty that we always ask for a table further in to the restaurant. Apart from that it's our favourite place for a meal out. I dislike Indian food and prefer to eat Chinese food in an actual restaurant.

Drafty!! Cote restaurants are otherwise excellent.

Aveline

Drafty!! Cote restaurants are otherwise excellent.

Agreed! Great for brunch, too - we once had a large extended family brunch at the Festival Hall Cote - an excellent selection of dishes, plus Mimosas (aka Bucks Fizz) and very reasonably priced.

I have always been a trouble shooter, It was my job and I am an eldest too. So for things like this it is the way that you tell it!! We went to a chinese that is very good and the same thing kept happening about draughts etc. I know the manager so called him across and told him a) how cold we were finding it and that we would not stay for any sweet or coffee but go home earlier. That he must be losing custom from this situation as most people just dont go back or let him know why b) suggested a way he could make a change at the entrance so that with only the cost of another door he could make sure that the delivery people went through one towards the kitchen , which stopped heat being lost in the restaurant c) reminded him that whilst we may not come several times a week but we were regulars as were other friends of ours , and that if this continued he would lose up all together.
He listened, spoke to his delivery drivers and at first they went round to the kitchen door, which was a bit of a pain, but helped the people in the restaurant. Then he got the new door put in and did very well as it solved the problem, I was very pleased that he had taken notice of my ideas and therefore go back to them more than I used to and telling other people about what they did , other people came to join them too. So I think look at the problem, see if you can think of a way round it, speak to the owner or manager. Maybe there are not able to do anything but at least they can listen to your comments and be aware of the problem

Our favourite High Street pizza restaurant has the same problem, but its glass frontage wouldn’t allow for the fitting of a second door, alas. Excellent idea, nonetheless.

Our local fish and chip shop always has delivery people hovering around waiting for orders.
We quite often have to wait a long time for our own order.

Luckily it’s not a restaurant but a takeaway.

It’s a similar routine in Costa Coffee.
Delivery drivers being served before customers.

I got fed up once of waiting and left,

I have some Indian friends who have had their own restaurant for years. Two years ago they realised there was a problem with couriers, their own delivery team and customers collecting takeaway, constantly coming through the door, so they made some alterations. They built a small lobby in the entrance area, with a door to the main restaurant and a separate door to a service counter serving the takeaway trade. Dining-in customers entered the restaurant and takeaway customers, delivery staff and couriers entered the service area door, problem solved! He did lose half his front bar area and one table for four, but he said sooner that than have many dissatisfied customers and lose trade! He is a very shrewd businessman and has an extremely successful, popular restaurant, in an area where many have closed, especially recently!

Ideally delivery drivers would be able to collect from the back door. Would probably make it easier and safer to park their mopeds too.

Our fave greasy spoon, which also does Mediterranean, salads, pasta you name it, does a lot of takeaways. Also rushing stuff out to people in wrongly parked cars. We have people in helmets in and out lots of people eat in and the door is positioned to avoid icy blasts. Service very good, they remember what we usually have. So it can work.