I have never encountered such a level of disorganization, and I've been working for a startup for 7 years. The staff we interacted with last night should be awarded for their creative and absurd excuses, along with their ability to acknowledge the problem by saying,..."This is totally unacceptable, you are right," without taking any corrective action.
Our work Christmas party was booked in the private dining room at the Rum Kitchen Shoreditch, with a £50 deposit per head. On the Monday preceding our reservation, we pre-ordered our food menus. We arrived punctually at 6:30 pm to a disorganized and chaotic scene, raising suspicions. Tables were strewn with dirty dishes, and the staff appeared overwhelmed. Despite a substantial party of 20 people already seated, there was only one cook.
After several minutes without acknowledgment, we finally spoke to the restaurant manager, who informed us that the private dining room would be ready in 10 minutes. When we inquired about ordering drinks during the wait, we were told, "No, we are too busy right now," causing a second wave of apprehension within our team.
Thirty minutes later, we were seated in the private dining room, with apologies from the staff claiming that the previous booking had overrun. We saw no evidence of a large party leaving during our 30-minute wait. I requested complimentary drinks due to their responsibility to manage bookings better. A 30-minute delay was already unacceptable, and a simple call could have informed us that this was going to occur. We left a pleasant time elsewhere to be on time for our booking, expecting a modicum of consideration.
After an additional 10-minute wait, we received two bottles of rum punch and glasses for approximately 10 people, despite being a party of 15+. We asked for water, non-alcoholic options, and additional glasses. After 45 minutes, we had received nothing, and there was no sign of a waiter, despite our frequent attempts for an explanation. The private dining room, according to the website, includes a private waiter. Each time we inquired about our meal, we were met with new excuses, such as "40 of my staff didn't show up" or "someone called in sick." The cook even claimed, "I wasn't told about you guys." What is quite perplexing is that we did speak to the team during the day, around 3 PM, because we wanted to ensure one meat fest would be halal.
Frustrated by the lack of improvement, we decided to leave. We secured another booking at a nearby curry house for 8:30 pm, where the service was prompt, courteous, and efficiently turned the night around. Unfortunately, four team members with commitments or residing further away went without a Christmas meal.
We were instructed to contact Kaleam for a deposit refund. Upon calling the next morning, I spoke with the same restaurant manager. Instead of acknowledging their mistakes, I encountered more excuses. When I questioned why water was not brought during the wait, the response was, "but we didn't even have enough glasses!"
I cannot adequately express how frustrating this entire experience has been and how many opportunities the staff or management had to improve it. Acknowledging their loss of control and inability to fulfill orders could have been an option, rather than making us wait like inconvenienced patrons in a chaotic environment.
To date, I have not received a response from Kaleam regarding a refund or a proper apology. If you are considering planning a private event at the Rum Kitchen, I urge you to think twice. This level of mismanagement does not resolve itself overnight.More