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they had this for valentines day, great deal.

Seems like a great deal, thanks!

I had this last night, and it's definitely a good deal. But they charged a mandatory 17% gratuity on the regular price of all the items added together, which was $36.00 in my case. I didn't see any mention of this anywhere, that's just the way it was when I got the check. I wasn't sure whether I thought this was fair, but I just paid the bill the way it was. I can see it both ways. If I was using a buy one get one free coupon, then I'd tip on the price for both meals together. But to me this is a bit different. It's kinda like buying a sampler platter and getting charged a mandatory gratuity on the total as if you had bought each item in the platter individually.

Quote from nimbusdog : I had this last night, and it's definitely a good deal. But they charged a mandatory 17% gratuity on the regular price of all the items added together, which was $36.00 in my case. I didn't see any mention of this anywhere, that's just the way it was when I got the check. I wasn't sure whether I thought this was fair, but I just paid the bill the way it was. I can see it both ways. If I was using a buy one get one free coupon, then I'd tip on the price for both meals together. But to me this is a bit different. It's kinda like buying a sampler platter and getting charged a mandatory gratuity on the total as if you had bought each item in the platter individually.

i agree...that is kind of lame. this deal sounds pretty good though. sounds like a ton of food. my gf and i can barely finish 1 appetizer and 2 small pizzas. gonna try this out soon hopefully.

Quote from nimbusdog : I had this last night, and it's definitely a good deal. But they charged a mandatory 17% gratuity on the regular price of all the items added together, which was $36.00 in my case. I didn't see any mention of this anywhere, that's just the way it was when I got the check. I wasn't sure whether I thought this was fair, but I just paid the bill the way it was. I can see it both ways. If I was using a buy one get one free coupon, then I'd tip on the price for both meals together. But to me this is a bit different. It's kinda like buying a sampler platter and getting charged a mandatory gratuity on the total as if you had bought each item in the platter individually.

This is NOT the standard, I can hardly believe this happened. I am an employee 2+ years there and we RARELY put gratuity on any check; the company policy is parties of TEN or more (most restaurants do 6+ maybe 8+) and even then often times we don't bother adding the gratuity.

I know for a FACT this is not the policy on the promotion. Maybe one restaurant out of 72 has enacted this policy (perhaps due to a less well off clientele/area of business) but like I say I have a very hard time believing this is the policy restaurant wide, and I can GUARANTEE it is not the policy company-wide for this promotion.

In conclusion, this is a pretty good deal, considering the pizza itself's menu price is $20 even. Therefore you're essentially getting 2 soup/salad and a desert (pizookoie) for free. Please tip accordingly!
*peace*
EDIT: Additionally I should mention you do NOT need to print or bring anything in for this. Staff company wide has been instructed to offer the discount upon customers requesting it.

Quote from droppunx : This is NOT the standard, I can hardly believe this happened. I am an employee 2+ years there and we RARELY put gratuity on any check; the company policy is parties of TEN or more (most restaurants do 6+ maybe 8+) and even then often times we don't bother adding the gratuity. I know for a FACT this is not the policy on the promotion. Maybe one restaurant out of 72 has enacted this policy (perhaps due to a less well off clientele/area of business) but like I say I have a very hard time believing this is the policy restaurant wide, and I can GUARANTEE it is not the policy company-wide for this promotion. In conclusion, this is a pretty good deal, considering the pizza itself's menu price is $20 even. Therefore you're essentially getting 2 soup/salad and a desert (pizookoie) for free. Please tip accordingly! *peace* EDIT: Additionally I should mention you do NOT need to print or bring anything in for this. Staff company wide has been instructed to offer the discount upon customers requesting it.

I used this deal a few weeks ago for 2 of us and we weren't charged a gratuity. It is important to remember to tip on the full amount before using a coupon.

I agree w/ the above poster, it is $20 for a med. pizza so you are basically getting 2 small salads and a pizookie FREE!!!

Quote from droppunx : This is NOT the standard, I can hardly believe this happened. I am an employee 2+ years there and we RARELY put gratuity on any check; the company policy is parties of TEN or more (most restaurants do 6+ maybe 8+) and even then often times we don't bother adding the gratuity. I know for a FACT this is not the policy on the promotion. Maybe one restaurant out of 72 has enacted this policy (perhaps due to a less well off clientele/area of business) but like I say I have a very hard time believing this is the policy restaurant wide, and I can GUARANTEE it is not the policy company-wide for this promotion. In conclusion, this is a pretty good deal, considering the pizza itself's menu price is $20 even. Therefore you're essentially getting 2 soup/salad and a desert (pizookoie) for free. Please tip accordingly! *peace* EDIT: Additionally I should mention you do NOT need to print or bring anything in for this. Staff company wide has been instructed to offer the discount upon customers requesting it.

droppunx, I was in a large party with split checks, so I'm sure that is the reason why the mandatory gratuity was added. I just found it interesting that they automatically add it on the total of all items individually, and not the total deal. Personally, I would have tipped more than 17% of $20, but not the 17% of $36.00 that I was charged. I'd be interested in knowing how it's handled in other cases where items are discounted when bundled together. For instance, I know at BJ's that the salad costs less when ordered with an entree, as is often the case in many restaurants. So when the mandatory gratuity is added, is it added on the total as if the salad was regular price, or the discounted amount?

On a side note, one of the other couples in our party ordered the chicken lettuce wraps. The server came out about 10 minutes after the placed the order to ask if they had ordered the chicken or the shrimp lettuce wraps, and they said they has asked for the chicken. About 15 minutes later, their chicken lettuce wraps came. When they got the bill, it had both the chicken lettuce wraps and the shrimp lettuce wraps listed (although the shrimp lettuce wraps never actually came to the table), and the shrimp lettuce wraps were listed as comped. Interestingly though, the 17% gratuity was charged on the total as if they had been charged for both sets of lettuce wraps, one of which they never ordered or received. I couldn't help but wonder if the waiter did it this way merely to pad his tip, or if there was a legitimate reason for it. I would have thought he could just remove the unordered item from the ticket instead of listing it as a comped item. But maybe the kitchen actually made them and they were just never brought out, and he had to account for them some way.

Quote from nimbusdog : droppunx, I was in a large party with split checks, so I'm sure that is the reason why the mandatory gratuity was added. I just found it interesting that they automatically add it on the total of all items individually, and not the total deal. Personally, I would have tipped more than 17% of $20, but not the 17% of $36.00 that I was charged. I'd be interested in knowing how it's handled in other cases where items are discounted when bundled together. For instance, I know at BJ's that the salad costs less when ordered with an entree, as is often the case in many restaurants. So when the mandatory gratuity is added, is it added on the total as if the salad was regular price, or the discounted amount? On a side note, one of the other couples in our party ordered the chicken lettuce wraps. The server came out about 10 minutes after the placed the order to ask if they had ordered the chicken or the shrimp lettuce wraps, and they said they has asked for the chicken. About 15 minutes later, their chicken lettuce wraps came. When they got the bill, it had both the chicken lettuce wraps and the shrimp lettuce wraps listed (although the shrimp lettuce wraps never actually came to the table), and the shrimp lettuce wraps were listed as comped. Interestingly though, the 17% gratuity was charged on the total as if they had been charged for both sets of lettuce wraps, one of which they never ordered or received. I couldn't help but wonder if the waiter did it this way merely to pad his tip, or if there was a legitimate reason for it. I would have thought he could just remove the unordered item from the ticket instead of listing it as a comped item. But maybe the kitchen actually made them and they were just never brought out, and he had to account for them some way.

Okay, I can answer both these questions with certainty because I've worked there FAR too long
1) The POSI software running our computer systems requires us to ring in the soup/salads for the full price ($5.95 vs $2.95) in order to get the $19.99 promotion, so your server had no choice about pricing because the $19.99 button won't work if you don't have the full price ones rang up. However if you're NOT taking part in the promotion, and are in a large party of 10 or more, and order an add on salad to your meal ($2.95) you will certainly not be charged the gratuity on $5.95 but instead only on $2.95. The only reason you encountered this is because you had the promotion.
2) The mistake here was not your servers, but the managers. There are 2 ways to comp something from a check: one way which removes it from the bill entirely, this is for when things never did get made/brought to the table (as was the case for you) and the other way which stills shows it on the bill (this is for when people send something back because they didn't like it, etc). The way your Lettuce Wraps should have been comp'd should have deleted it entirely from the check, therefore you wouldn't have seen it on your bill or had the gratuity compute it into it's total. This was not the server being greedy but the manager's mistake.

Defiantly double check your receipt before you pay. They used to have a lunch special for BJ's beers @ $3 (regular $4.95). They had a huge sign when you walked in for it. We went there about 4 times, every time the sign is right in front, and they charged the full price every time. Sort of a pain to ask to get it changed, but if we didn't pay attention they would have screwed us.

We found it pretty hard to believe that 4 different servers made the same mistake, so I'm pretty sure that that is standard practice (i.e. attempt to overcharge you, and fix it when (if) you ask). Otherwise, great place

Quote from nimbusdog : I had this last night, and it's definitely a good deal. But they charged a mandatory 17% gratuity on the regular price of all the items added together, which was $36.00 in my case. I didn't see any mention of this anywhere, that's just the way it was when I got the check. I wasn't sure whether I thought this was fair, but I just paid the bill the way it was. I can see it both ways. If I was using a buy one get one free coupon, then I'd tip on the price for both meals together. But to me this is a bit different. It's kinda like buying a sampler platter and getting charged a mandatory gratuity on the total as if you had bought each item in the platter individually.

Wow...this is a good deal; but if I go we'll have the kids with us...this would be way to much for just two of us...plus they can eat the desert thing and we'll get the calories from the beer instead..sounds like a better deal!

Hmmm.. BJ party... 20$...hmmm

Quote from droppunx : Okay, I can answer both these questions with certainty because I've worked there FAR too long 1) The POSI software running our computer systems requires us to ring in the soup/salads for the full price ($5.95 vs $2.95) in order to get the $19.99 promotion, so your server had no choice about pricing because the $19.99 button won't work if you don't have the full price ones rang up. However if you're NOT taking part in the promotion, and are in a large party of 10 or more, and order an add on salad to your meal ($2.95) you will certainly not be charged the gratuity on $5.95 but instead only on $2.95. The only reason you encountered this is because you had the promotion. 2) The mistake here was not your servers, but the managers. There are 2 ways to comp something from a check: one way which removes it from the bill entirely, this is for when things never did get made/brought to the table (as was the case for you) and the other way which stills shows it on the bill (this is for when people send something back because they didn't like it, etc). The way your Lettuce Wraps should have been comp'd should have deleted it entirely from the check, therefore you wouldn't have seen it on your bill or had the gratuity compute it into it's total. This was not the server being greedy but the manager's mistake.

Thanks for the reply droppunx. In your restaurant, if someone orders this promotion and they're part of a large party, do they also get charged the gratuity on $36 (or whatever the total would have been without the promotion) and not $19.95? For the tables that order the promotion that aren't automatically charged the gratuity, how do they tip? Do they more or less tip as if it was a $20 meal or a $36 meal? I'm just curious to see what the general consensus is here.