Canoe
 

Canoe has been a favorite of my wife and I for many years. As we often do, this past Saturday at about 5:30PM we arrived with a party of five. Upon entering, I noticed the "be patient our service will be substandard" warning posted. I must admit that it hit me the wrong way during these times of high unemployment. The hostess then approached us to escort us to our table when suddenly I heard the person behind the counter announce to us that our table would be available to us until 7:30PM. I must admit that that too hit me the wrong way especially since I had just been warned to expect substandard service. Our server was perfectly fine, our food was absolutely great as always, however....throughout our meal I watched a parade of Canoe people walking past each party in the upper dining room looking at each table as if to say " hurry up!" The table bussing people were literally falling over one another as they removed plates as each guest in our party completed their meal thus subjecting ever increasing pressure on those who had yet to finish eating. As my Mother was the last to finish eating, she did so at a table that was otherwise cleared. As I sympathized with how it must have made her feel, I was also downright embarrassed. All five guests in our party noticed and were adversely impacted by this "hurry up" atmosphere.
As we left the Canoe at exactly 6:52 PM I commented that we still had another 38 minutes ....... then I saw the line of people at the door waiting to sit.
This is the second straight time we have experienced the rush. The Canoe is a great restaurant , however, if this happens a third time I will never return. Is success damaging the Canoe? Has this happened to anyone else at the forum during a peak meal period at the Canoe or elsewhere? Has anyone been given a time period for table availability especially from a restaurant that will not take a reservation? I guess I am feeling like a Canoe II at the North End location or an additional Canoe location closeby may be a better alternative than to abusively manipulate the customers who created the success at the Canoe in the first place.

Did you inquire as to why the change? You may want to call management and ask about the sign and the service, maybe there is or was a reason for it.

Canoe
 

We miss the old Chequers!

Sounds to me like they had a private function scheduled for 7:30. Did they clear the other tables around you in the same manner?

All of those things that you describe have happened to my brother-in-law and his wife on two (possibly three) separate occasions. The only reason he has allowed that to happen after the first time is that other folks urged him and his wife to join them. I don't think his wife will ever go back.

I have never experienced this, but that's probably because I haven't been to Canoe in years.

But seriously...a sign warning of substandard service? I think I would've turned around at that point and gone somewhere else. That feels like they're telling me they don't want my business.

Wow, I can't imagine entering a business that had a sign warning of substandard service. Can I give a substandard tip?

Canoe is just not worth the drive from Gilford for me. I hear the food is great but tried it only once and so long ago, it may have been pre-canoe. I guess the food makes up for all the weird policies.

I have never in my life heard a guest being told that their table is only available for a specific amount of time. That would rub me the wrong way, in such a way that I would want to stay at my table for as long as I possibly could, just to see what they would do. That is just plain rude. If I want to have a nice leisurely dinner with a drink or 2 before my meal, dinner, then dessert and possibly an after-dinner drink, that is what I will do.
And the sign warning me of possible sub-standard service? Well that is just crazy. Why would you post that, is business that good that you can possibly turn away business? There are ways you can get around that, such as limit the number of tables a server has. Sure, leaving empty tables may look bad, but it is better than giving sub-standard service.

In a past life I was a restaurant guy for 10+ years, and I have never heard of such a thing. Those guests walking in the door have money to spend, or else they wouldn’t be there. I would want them to spend their money at my restaurant, and would certainly want them coming back to spend more money. And I would most definitely want them to tell their friends to come back and spend money.

To me, some poor business decisions were made at Canoe when you were there. And it looks like it has happened before based on wakeboardmom's post.

Good luck to Canoe, they are going to need it once word gets around.

someone should speak to the owner, maybe this done by the manager on duty and the owners did not know about it

I wanted to comment on this because I feel like you are unfairly slandering the restaurant. I remember this sign and it asked customers to be patient so that everyone can receive the best service possible (paraphrasing, of course). Your paraphrasing on that seems a little off, especially since you mentioned that both the food AND service was great.

And yeah, there's a lot of unemployment right now. It's the fall season when seasonal workers return to school or their winter homes. But if you had paid attention this summer, many restaurants and grocery stores had help wanted signs in the window in the middle of July.

Sorry, but I just feel like it's unfair to bash any local company if you don't have the facts to back your argument up.

This is interesting . We went to The Bob House Saturday night and at about 8 pm a group of 6 very upset people walked in . They said they had a reservation at Canoe at 7 pm and at 7:45 they were still in the standing area ! The Bob House was able to get them in the last table they had .

I think the post was right on what happened !


I do get a kick out of the folks that get upset when people on the forum complain about any local food establishments . God forbid you do it on your first post !
However the local food service people are watching the forum and can use the comments to correct issues. Or they can ignore the comments and go the route of the Woodshed .

Six Sigma , continous improvement ( or your gone ) :liplick:

I must disagree
 

I'm sorry but you seem to be the one that is a little off. Several people have agreed on the signs contents but you are disputing it with "I believe I remember" and "I"m pretty sure". Those kinds of prefaces are not a good way to win a dispute.

I've myself have been to canoe exactly once, which was enough. To me this is a overpriced venue that justifies it's prices on 'mystique" rather than Great food and service. With all the wonderful places to dine in the lakes region I've never understood why people put up with Canoe.

CT

Well to make you happy, sir, I have corrected my rhetoric to make it more appealing to what you're looking for. I AM confident of what the sign said, but not of the exact wording. If it makes you happy, I can take a picture if I end up stopping in there any time soon.

Also, when you say "several people have agreed on the signs contents"...I fail to see anyone agreeing. Only Sully (the first poster) confirmed this. Everyone just agreed that the wording is terrible. Nice try.

Canoe
 

I especially miss eating lunch in the big dining room instead of the bar area. The old Chequers always had it open. I do enjoy the Canoe's seafood chowder and would eat it in the parking lot if I had to.

Excuse me, I guess your world doesn't include room for someone else's honest opinion....................

You are incorrect. You didn't like Canoe or felt rushed? That's legitimate. You have a right to that. But putting any business (especially local) in a bad name because of incorrect facts is slander.

I'll be the first to defend your right to your opinion and I completely accept that our opinions might differ. It's when things just aren't true is when I tend to disagree.

It would not make sense to drive from Gilford with O's in Laconia.

We also went to Canoe last Saturday night with a party of 5. We arrived promptly at 5pm which is opening time. We were greeted immediately and were informed that they had a table for us that was available to us till 7pm. We did not see the sign for subpar service. The food was great. Service was great. We did get to finish and still had 45 minutes to spare. We all thought the time limit was hilarious :laugh::laugh::laugh:

I have been only to Canoe once and my family enjoyed it greatly. We have been trying to get back ever since...

Charlie

I too saw the sign and it is not what others have "confirmed". See for yourself!

Charlie it sounds like your just plain old cheap!!!!
You do not got to the Canoe or O's expecting to spend twenty bucks and walk out with change in your pocket. You go to those places to get quality food and pay good money to get it.
We have been to both but now with O's close by we have no need to go to the Canoe.
We don't go out often but when we decide to go to O's with friends we know it's going to run $50-70 each before we leave.
From our experiences so far it has been well worth the money spent.
It sounds like T-bones might be more of what your looking for.

Your time limit was great. Sully's was not great. Either way, I have never, ever been to restaurant that gave me a time limit upon seating my party. it's just not cool.

Went to O's last Sat evening and notwithstanding that we've had some excellent meals there in the past was in fact disappointed. Personally I don't like their policy of not accepting reservations for a party of 2. I did inquire that in the future if we could call in & put our name on the list, but they would not do that either. When we arrived it was an hour wait. The 14 oz strip steak I ordered was at best at room temp and was a bit overcooked (I ordered med rare). I did tell the waitress that it's a shame that a steakhouse has it's steaks eclipsed by the lobster mac & cheese. Perhaps it was just an off night. We might return, perhaps in Jan- Feb when they do not have the lines. My point, when you charge premium prices; you have to consistently deliver the quality.

I don't particularly like Canoe; I want to, but there is usually some little annoyance that turns me off such as the time limit. I have, on occasion, been told when I've made a reservation at a restaurant that there is a time limit and I then choose not to complete the reservation. I would have also been turned off by Canoe's policy of telling you when you arrive.

On the other hand, the sign about the service is honest and well written and this IS the situation up here when many of the servers go back to school. This, by itself, wouldn't have bothered me at all.

On the other hand ( my favorite phrase ), it really would have been annoying to be warned that the service might be slow and then be told there was a time limit. Sort of, "hurry up and eat, but you won't be able to because the service will be slow."

Newbiesaukee, I do agree it can be annoying but look at the other side of the coin. I'm a painter, if I spend an hour or two chatting that is time that I've wasted and not made money.
I dinning establishment that has the kind of turnaround in a tourist area doesn't make money by having guests sit around chatting while others wait at the door. I've always believed if you want to hang around chatting that is what the bar area is for.
I you were the one standing at the door watching a table of people that had eaten and the table was cleared chat it up how would you feel?
INHO that is one big difference between your chains and a high end eating establishment. These are some of the same complaints people have posted about Sandy Point yet they admit they knew that going in.
One thing we usually do when going out with friends is to time our visit to the end of the rush, this usually leaves us with a somewhat empty restaurant to take our time in. Yes we eat later but!

BR..I see your point, but putting a time limit is not normal business practice at a restaurant and is just a bad policy. I agree that some people do overstay at a table, this can be rude...but good restaurant management can account for this.

In my preretirement life as a physician, I both ran on time (mostly) and did not rush patients. It can be done. In your profession, your final result is what is important to you, not how fast you can paint ;and this is the way it should be. If you chat and waste time, it's mostly your loss, not someone else's.

A well-managed restaurant, as a policy, should not impose a time limit.

At one lakeside restuarant, after sitting and chatting for an hour after we ate, the manager offered to buy us a drink in the bar, so they could clear the table for the next guests. We were winding down by then and so we just left.

In Italy once, a coworker and I tried to leave a restaurant after dinner, and a few drinks, almost two hours total. We were scolded by the managment, when you eat there, you have the table for the whole evening.

Coming in during those months on the weekends and you will still have the same trouble.They are a very busy place year round. Awesome food!

I think that the note in the picture and "be patient, our service will be substandard" are very far apart.

So, after all this chatter about sitting post dinner for a few drinks and conversation, has anyone given a thought about the servers who would like a new group to increase their income via tips. Or do you tip by time and not dinner cost percentage?

I think most people are aware that, in the US, it is rude and inconsiderate to later diners, and perhaps waitstaff, to sit an excessive ( ah, there's the rub) period of time after the meal. But that is the way it goes sometimes in the restaurant business.

I believe the issue in this thread is whether the restaurant should set arbitrary time limits on your meal length.

Now here's a great solution to Canoe's problem. I will bet that most parties would get the hint and make the table available without taking up the offer.
Does anybody from Canoe read this thread?

So, Am I missing something?
 

I have read this sign a few times now and still can't find where it says (in quotes mind you) Be patient our service will be sub standard. Sullys interpretation and throwing in his own words (damaging words at that) makes his whole story non believable

How about if Mitt or Obama stopped for dinner. Would hey have to leave by 7:30 or some other time? I don't do Canoe, can not afford it.

Occupy Canoe! After the two hour limit.

(Please note: this is an attempt at nonpartisan humor and we may now return to the thread.)

I for one can say they don't. I am not surprised by a policy that limits dining time from this particular chef/owner. It is an ignorance of the trade, as well as a MORE PROFITS, that dictates their policies at Canoe and O's as well. These places are taking advantage of patrons, and they just don't care. I have never heard of any other restaurant limiting a diner's time at the table. I do remember Chinese restaurants in the 70's trying to rush you through the meal because of their experiences in an overcrowded country. Perhaps they are trying to re-instate this failed policy.

O's does not have a time limit policy. Any restaurant that has this policy I would never go to. It's ridiculous to say the least!!

Dan

"canoe" is a member of this forum and has replied to threads in the past. It looks like the last time they logged in was in January. In this post they give their personal email address where you can contact them.

Maybe its just me but if my table is finished dining and I see a waiting line for a table I move right along and find another place (bar) to have conversation if I'm not ready to leave.I would want the same courtesy extended to myself.I bet the same people that complain about being nudged after finishing dinner are the same ones that complain when they are waiting in line that those people are just sitting there while we are standing and waiting.

I am no Canoe fan, in fact I have not been there for seven years due to past experiences and I never will set foot in the place again. However, what SIKSUKR has suggested is fair and just to all, including the owners, the wait staff and the people waiting for a table.

Often, common sense makes the most sense.

R2B

Canoe
 

It sounds like the canoe is taking on water. I also have not had the best experiences there and have crossed it off my dining list. Based upon these reviews, it is surprising this place is still busy.