response to palm restaurant review
From the contact sticks page…
Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted on Tuesday, December 19, 2006 at 09:35:30
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Name: Britt Isaac [at a local PR firm]
Reason: News TipMessage: Can you please pass this along to Mike? I didn’t see a place to email him directly, and I didn’t think posting a comment on his blog was appropriate.
Hi Mike,
My friend Eric Sturm recently pointed out your review of The Palm on Sticks, and I was really disappointed to hear about your experience. I actually work with The Palm, so I called the GM to ask him about it.
Jeff shared with me that once he realized the extent to which you and your party had been disappointed, he assured your host as you were leaving that he would take care of the entire bill. That happened after the complimentary dessert had been offered and declined, and unfortunately after your host’s credit card had been swiped. It was a discrete conversation that you were apparently not aware of. Surely if you’d known about this, you might have felt at least somewhat differently about your experience at The Palm and mentioned it in your review?
Also, I want to point out that Jeff joined The Palm in Tampa as General Manager in mid-September just two weeks before the inspection in which a number of violations were cited. An entirely new executive management staff was brought in, and I can tell you from personal experience and observation that they immediately went to work to correct every single problem on that list. Jeff is hoping that his request for a follow-up inspection will be granted so that the restaurant can operate with the clean slate that it now deserves.
Mike, I didn’t post a comment on your blog because people are entitled to their individual tastes and opinions. But I feel like Jeff has been inadvertently mischaracterized as lackadaisical about service at his restaurant when nothing could be further from the truth.
I would like to ask you to consider amending your review with this new information.
PS – One of their regular customers here in Tampa just hosted a surprise steak and lobster dinner for 14 servers at The Palm to thank them for doing such a great job over the past five years. He worked with Jeff to arrange the scheduling so they’d all have the evening off, and then they were called in at the last minute to serve a party of 100. When they arrived, they were seated with their host for dinner. I can’t think of many other restaurants that build that kind of relationships with their customers.
Submit: Submit
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Notes:
Here’s the original review of the Palm Restaurant Westshore.
Eric Sturm wrote the fantastic Tampa networking book Access: Tampa Bay, makes you aware of your Weekly Options, populates the TampaGold calendar, and is also one heckuva great guy.
Matt writes the reviews, not Mike 
Hey Matt! What about the free meal discussion?
I’m not aware of any offer to pay for the meal. Although the GM and my friend’s dad talked after the meal for a minute or two away from us so I don’t know what was said. What I know was that my dad’s friend was unhappy, the GM walked away, and then he appeared again when we were outside the door of the place leaving, and judging by body language and the sounds of the conversation still seemed to be doing “more harm than good” IMO
We certainly hope that the Palm would immediately “work to correct every single problem” found by State inspectors. Shoot, we hope all restaurants try to pass health inspections. Also, I encourage Britt and Jeff to contact us after the next inspection, so we can announce the new and improved results to everyone.
We think it is wonderful that the Palm’s regular diners thought so highly to throw a party for Palm employees. Unfortunately that does not change Matt’s specific experience. Britt has been informed that the original review will not be modified, but it does now include a link to this response.
Britt, you are free to post comments on Sticks of Fire at any time, about any topic. Furthermore, if you have some news that should be shared with your neighbors, by all means, contact us, as you did.
Tags: citizens, restaurant, review, tampa
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December 26th, 2006 at 9:01 am
Good service goes a long way. Just look at Bern’s. I’ve been there a hand full of times and found the food to be just “okay”. But their service is second to none.
For me at least, that ratchets up the experience a few notches. If it was just on the food, I’d give Bern’s a solid 6 out of ten. But with the entire experience, they shoot up to an 8 or 9.
On the other hand, any restaurant is a collection of people. Your server could be new (like in this case) or having a bad day. The kitchen could be in disarray for any number of reasons.
December 26th, 2006 at 11:31 am
wow, thats a pretty aggressive response from the palm via some pr flack. when a restaurant as to hire pr to improve its image, then you know there have been problems. also interestng that they care enough to to try to influence a blog review that only gets a few written responses and is probably only read by a few hundred, at most.
still, it shows the palm, or someone in management higher up, is mart enough to try to influence the restaurants image even out in the blogosphere…
hey, mr flack: how about free steaks and drinks for a day for all at the palm to make up for the filthy kitchen which is now presumably sparkling clean????
December 26th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
dreaming, you’ve obviously never been to the Palm. They rely heavily on image – think about the comment about Bern’s above – and are right to hire an aggressive PR person, especially since the ever-developing advent of Bay Street.
Why so cynical about an attempt to smooth over an issue? Isn’t this better than not caring?
December 26th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
I think dreaming has a great idea. Why not invite the Sticks team out for steaks and drinks. Ethics aside, I’m hungry!
December 27th, 2006 at 8:41 am
I have been to the Palm. Service was excellent, food was excellent – but look out for the bill when it arrives. Do they finance ?
And now counting: 186,173 unique visitors to Sticks of Fire in 2006.
re: PR FLACK
Britt Isaac is a pro for the clients she represents.
January 11th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
The new GM stinks! I’ve never met a more self-righteous person in my life. My wife and I had a horrible experience 2 weekends ago, and then I find this write up on your website, does not surprise me at all. What is happening with that place? This place changes management every year! I’ve received an invitation to three or four ‘meet the new guy’ parties over the last 5 years. I think it’s time for the executive staff to have a look at themselves. I mean come on. Go to Capital Grille or Ruth’s, where you know what you’re getting. And best of luck with that PR firm, they need all the help they can get obviously.
January 11th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
One more thing for the PR person, according the the FL health inspection website, the 15 violations took place on October 19, one whole month after the new GM arrived. Here is a copy of the posting, which can be reviewed in entirety at http://www.healthinspections.com
Location Address: 205 WESTSHORE PLAZA DR
TAMPA, FL 33609
Inspection Information
Inspection Type Inspection Date Disposition Critical Violations Non-Critical Violations
Routine – Food 10/19/2006 Warning Issued 15 2
Violations:
A summary of the violations found during the inspection are listed below. Critical violations are displayed in red.
Violation Observation
01B-14-1 Critical. Observed dented/rusted cans.
02-26-1 Critical. Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name.
03A-07-1 Critical. Observed potentially hazardous food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
08A-22-1 Critical. Observed improper horizontal separation of raw animal foods and ready-to-eat foods.
08A-28-1 Critical. Observed food stored on floor.
08A-29-1 Critical. Observed uncovered food in holding unit/dry storage area.
08B-04-1 Critical. Observed cloth used as a food-contact surface.
09-04-1 Critical. Observed bare hand contact of ready-to-eat food by employees and establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure in effect.
12A-22-1 Critical. Observed food employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands and the establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure.
12B-02-1 Critical. Observed employee eating in a food preparation or other restricted area.
15-28-1 Hood filters are not tight-fitting and firmly held in place – leaving open spaces.
17-03-1 Critical. Observed missing/inaccurate/damaged gauges on dishmachine.
21-12-1 Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses.
22-17-1 Critical. Observed soiled reach-in cooler gaskets.
22-20-1 Critical. Observed buildup of slime in the interior of ice machine.
32-15-1 Critical. No handwashing sign provided at a handsink used by food employees.
53B-08-1 Critical. No proof of required employee training provided. All public food service establishments must provide the division with proof of employee training upon request, including, but not limited to, at the time of any division inspection of the establishment. Pro This violation must be corrected by : 01/19/2007.
March 7th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
[...] that The Palm in Tampa has a new management team. I’ve eaten in a few Palms, and the one in Tampa is a longtime mess compared with the rest. A [...]