Title reference so no one has to guess:
"Everybody here Get it outta control Get yo backs off tha wall 'Cuz Misdemeanor said so Everybody (Step, step) Everybody Everybody (Step, step) Everybody".
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Tampa is undergoing major "growth" and gentrification in the downtown area as well as South Tampa. As a result, we have had a major boom in new restaurants and old restaurants trying to open sister restaurants or get to the "prime realistate" which right now is on Water Street.
As a result of more than just this, but our economy and the price surge we all are seeing a major housing crisis in Tampa as people are out priced from their homes for those who are moving from other states. What we don't hear a lot about is the inflation on food in restaurants.
This is something I have been wanting to touch on for months as I started to notice as a person who on average dines out 10 times a month the prices that have become acceptable to charge (at least in my area of South Tampa and the areas surrounding) have dramatically increased. Things that I have noticed are for example a Pre Fixe chef's menus used to be around 75.00 to 125.00 a person and now it's becoming acceptable for that to start at 390.00 per person at some places. This was prior to any Michelin status ever being given in Tampa.
Now that we have Michelin status in South Florida I see prices even higher and not even at Michelin Starred restaurants or restaurants on the guide. Just random restaurants just because they can. The reason I am even talking about this:
Now, statistically, if I eat out 10 times a month, all 10 aren't going to be great, they just can't. Do I always talk about the 1% that isn't, sometimes. I wait, I wait a while before I write anything because I have to think about what led to the things that happened during XYZ dinner that made this dinner so bad that I have to warn people. With the fact that so many restaurants are competing now for Michelin status in Tampa and because the bar is set higher how wide is the margin of error
NOW. So, while prices rise, so does pretentiousness. Its like, how can a restaurant get pretentious with you because they feel they deserve prestige, but don't expect you as the customer to expect a high level of service? And I am seeing that. I am seeing that a lot in Tampa and it's disheartening. If you are requiring a credit card to make a reservation, saying you will charge 25.00 to 50.00 per person if you cancel or are more than 10-15 minutes late, and you are charging 150 to 400.00 for a dinner that both people are required to opt in to, why should the bar not be the same for your service and your food quality?
I am not calling anyone out this time. But in the last month yes, I have been out more than 10 times and almost 40% of those times service was below the bar yet, I was still expected to smile, comply, tip, and keep it cute and let's get one thing straight, it's never fun when your getting told about yourself ie; me calling out establishments. But sometimes you just have too. This definitely is not that kind of blog and I try to keep it positive and informative on here, but if I am dining and my service is terrible why would I not warn you all so the same thing doesn't happen to you?
There is a restaurant operating right here in Tampa proper openly discriminating against minorities and they remain open because no one knows most of the time before they even walk through the door. So, you have to speak up when service is not what it should be.
I don't have a problem on praising places I visit that are good, great, or exceed my expectations, but if you are on the other end of that it's the same equal opportunity and you have to get told. And frankly, I am calling out my city too for the obvious raise in prices because they can get away with it. There is a raise that is popular in my house "Just because you can doesn't mean you should".
It's just my two cents.
XOXO
GLUTEN FREE MEALS COOKED BY MYSELF-
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