Dragons' Den's Duncan Bannatyne criticises Bowness restaurant on Twitter (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Dragons' Den's Duncan Bannatyne criticises Bowness restaurant on Twitter
9:50am Thursday 12th April 2012 in Bowness news
By Steven Bell, Senior Reporter
A BOWNESS Italian restaurant lambasted on Twitter by a multi-millionaire television star has hit back at his ‘offensive’ comments.
Straight-talking Duncan Bannatyne, one of five would-be investors in the BBC programme Dragons’ Den, criticised the service and food when he dined at Amore, on Quarry Rigg, Bowness, at Easter.
The no-nonsense businessman, 63, estimated to have a £430 million fortune, tweeted to his 506,000 Twitter followers: “In the worst restaurant in Windermere. Called Amore. Don’t go there.”
It was followed by: “Tragic customer service and food.”
Mr Bannatyne, who owns a string of hotels and health clubs, visited the Italian eatery with his two sons.
Speaking to the Gazette, Ruth Wright from the restaurant said staff were upset that Mr Bannatyne did not complain to them but vented his frustrations on the social network.
“We were offended,” she said. “When he came in we had a children’s party and there were a lot of children here.
“He didn’t book, he walked in and took a table. He knew there was a large family party on.
“It was the noise, not the food, that he didn’t like but he didn’t say a word, so we are upset that he would make a comment without saying anything to us.”
Mrs Wright added: “We have a regular clientele and people that come to us time after time.”
Spotting the TV personality’s critique, Bowness restaurant Porto, in Ash Street, seized the opportunity to invite him to book a table with them.
Mr Bannatyne took to the social media site again later to write: “Having fantastic meal at Porto in Bowness. My boys give Porto nine out of ten.”
Porto’s owner Faye Ramsey said the restaurant gained 80 followers after the plug, which had ‘got people talking’.
“We tweeted him to try to redeem his experience so he left thinking positive, good things about Bowness,” she said.
“He was polite and extremely complimentary. It shows how social networking can help your business.”
Mr Bannatyne later tweeted that he was ‘loving Bowness and Windermere’ and that he had enjoyed a ‘lovely lunch’ at Ambleside’s Wateredge Inn.
He was booked in to the Burnside Hotel and described his weekend stay as ‘great’.
Comments(26)
Lakeuk
says...
11:32am Thu 12 Apr 12
Porto did well out of this situation, they made the most of their social media presence to catch the customer and then give the customer service
Ben Berry
says...
1:55pm Thu 12 Apr 12
Lakeuk wrote:You also reported this first iirc...
There are lessons here for local businesses in both customer service and social media Porto did well out of this situation, they made the most of their social media presence to catch the customer and then give the customer service
lakesailor
says...
3:23pm Thu 12 Apr 12
Learn from criticism. Don't react against it.
Perhaps everyone who pays for a meal when a children's party is on feels the same. They don't say anything but they just won't come back.
At least this has alerted the proprietors to a potential problem.
Lakeuk
says...
4:05pm Thu 12 Apr 12
lakesailor- that would be the best course of action for a business when a customer enters their premises, make them aware of the situation, apologise, give them the option to leave if they want to
ianrosie
says...
4:43pm Thu 12 Apr 12
If he didn't say a word, how do they know it was the noise when the tweet in question said "tragic customer service and food" no mention of noise.
A large party in the restaurant should have no effect on their ability to service the other customers?
I am certainly no restaurant expert though!
Moonbase
says...
8:09pm Thu 12 Apr 12
Perhaps the owners could get there own back by inviting all the other 'Dragon's' for a meal and get that bloke who presents the show to 'Terwitt to Wooo' live.....forgotten his name...it's the one with a face for poker and a dodgy squint....he'd be fab!!
Ting a ling a ling!!!!!!!!!
churchy66
says...
8:24am Fri 13 Apr 12
Moonbase
says...
8:37am Fri 13 Apr 12
churchy66 wrote:I'll think you'll find most of the staff are poles and not very converse with the english language.
I must say I agree with a lot of the comments that have already been posted. Did the staff make customers aware that there was a large family party going on, obviously not? The owners need to look at the way they handle situations like this - and bascially learn from it, constructive criticism is part of the course, and in the age of tweeter it should make service providers more aware of their customer care. Bad news travels quicker than good news, together with bad publicity being apparently better than no publicity at all.
Cheap labour = This debate!!!!!
Kendmoor
says...
8:52am Fri 13 Apr 12
customer sevice and food = this debate, as were his exact words.
Ambience
says...
9:11am Fri 13 Apr 12
Moonbase
says...
9:12am Fri 13 Apr 12
Kendmoor wrote:Yes......'Tragic Customer Service'
nonsense, he said the it was tragic customer service and food - nothing to do with ethnicity, bringing it back to cheap labour rubbish (which it is, anyone working in the food industries round here knows that the its all the same level of low pay)
customer sevice and food = this debate, as were his exact words.
Pay peanuts and this is what you get.
If you can't understand english and converse then your in bother and here you have it.
As for your comment on the old card of 'Ethnicity'........t
his is probably why this country is in the state that's it's in.
P.S The food probably was c**p aswell.
Who cares!!!!!!!!!
Lakeuk
says...
9:50am Fri 13 Apr 12
Moonbase
says...
9:57am Fri 13 Apr 12
Lakeuk wrote:Both parties......Is that the childrens party and the Ballantines?
Both parties have been on radio cumbria this morning giving their sides. Came across well from both parties, listeners are divided in their opinions
I'll have to try and i play it.
Kendmoor
says...
10:02am Fri 13 Apr 12
who cares? you did enough to post ;)
Moonbase
says...
10:05am Fri 13 Apr 12
churchy66
says...
10:14am Fri 13 Apr 12
Moonbase wrote:Moonbase - 'I'll think you'll find most of the staff are poles and not very converse with the english language. Cheap labour = This debate!!!!!'
churchy66 wrote: I must say I agree with a lot of the comments that have already been posted. Did the staff make customers aware that there was a large family party going on, obviously not? The owners need to look at the way they handle situations like this - and bascially learn from it, constructive criticism is part of the course, and in the age of tweeter it should make service providers more aware of their customer care. Bad news travels quicker than good news, together with bad publicity being apparently better than no publicity at all.I'll think you'll find most of the staff are poles and not very converse with the english language. Cheap labour = This debate!!!!!
What on earth has employing Polish people got to do with this, do you know that they employ them cheaply and that they have poor English, or if they employ Polish people at all? The debate here - is he did not enjoy the dining experience at the restaurant. If the restaurant in question want to rectify this, they invite him back and hopefully make amends.
Moonbase
says...
10:29am Fri 13 Apr 12
churchy66 wrote:If you have a business that involes customer focus then surely your staff and standards are parramount.
Moonbase wrote:Moonbase - 'I'll think you'll find most of the staff are poles and not very converse with the english language. Cheap labour = This debate!!!!!'
churchy66 wrote: I must say I agree with a lot of the comments that have already been posted. Did the staff make customers aware that there was a large family party going on, obviously not? The owners need to look at the way they handle situations like this - and bascially learn from it, constructive criticism is part of the course, and in the age of tweeter it should make service providers more aware of their customer care. Bad news travels quicker than good news, together with bad publicity being apparently better than no publicity at all.I'll think you'll find most of the staff are poles and not very converse with the english language. Cheap labour = This debate!!!!!
What on earth has employing Polish people got to do with this, do you know that they employ them cheaply and that they have poor English, or if they employ Polish people at all? The debate here - is he did not enjoy the dining experience at the restaurant. If the restaurant in question want to rectify this, they invite him back and hopefully make amends.
As for rectifying the problem......Too late .com
As any chef will tell you 'Your only as good as your last meal'.
That's Amore...Ting a ling a ling
Lakeuk
says...
10:47am Fri 13 Apr 12
Bannatyne has said his issues were with time taken to get the food, quality of food and place being taken over by a party part way through his visit (thinks place should of been closed for a private party) - he always gives opinion on where he visits on his twitter.
Owners states they serve parties during the day and generally kids are not allowed in the evening - made no comment on the food, probable having regular parties lets the food speak for it's self
Listener views - some thought the restaurant should of warned customers on the party so they could of made a choice - some think B shouldn't of tweeted it with him being high profile - some feel businesses don't take on comments very well so feel it's right to comment the way B did
life cycle too
says...
12:25pm Fri 13 Apr 12
At least on Radio Cumbria, Duncan was given the chance to respond to the owner of Amoré's version of events - which is more than he gave them!
He also said in his tweet, that it was the worst in Windermere, which implies he has visited them all - which is clearly not the case.
Having seen his carefully cultivated TV persona, I personally would not take much notice of HIS opinion - but maybe his followers are like minded, and equally rude and judgmental?
Finally has anyone had experience of visiting one of his Gyms, then tried to NOT renew a 12 month membership?
Google it - it makes great reading if you have the time - there are so many complaints to read through!
I have eaten at Amoré (previously The Trattoria) for more than 15 years, and have only ever been disappointed by the behaviour of some of the other guests!
I hope they benefit from the exposure - but not so as to make it difficult to book when I next go there to eat! : )
AJD001
says...
3:13pm Fri 13 Apr 12
taigum
says...
1:16am Mon 16 Apr 12
Moonbase
says...
7:07am Mon 16 Apr 12
taigum wrote:Lol...!!!!
I think what moonbase is trying to say is that when it comes to restaurants in bowness... amore and porto are poles apart!!!
life cycle too
says...
10:40am Mon 16 Apr 12
Mind you I thought you would be more likely to find Dragons in any of the many Chinese restaurants in Windermere and Bowness!
Amoré should consider employing a well known Turk (apparently) called George, to slay the dragon..?!
Moonbase
says...
6:02pm Mon 16 Apr 12
life cycle too wrote:Mmmmmmm might do next time i'm Hungarian again.
Maybe Moonbase needs to Czech them out for themselves!
Mind you I thought you would be more likely to find Dragons in any of the many Chinese restaurants in Windermere and Bowness!
Amoré should consider employing a well known Turk (apparently) called George, to slay the dragon..?!
As for the Chinese theory i'm not too sure they would go there as Flied lice dose'nt fill you up as much as pizza.
Wok and Roll.....
life cycle too
says...
4:42am Tue 17 Apr 12
These comments are starting to "drag on" too!!!
Oops - I nearly put tattoo!
Kendmoor says...
10:25am Thu 12 Apr 12
Though at least he's being a little more honest than the westmorland gazette in their restaurant reviews..they never ever have a real bad thing to say about any restaurant they review!
looking forward to eating there now and judging for myself!