If I wanted to start a series of these, I doubt I could keep track of the numbers past the first hundred.
Anyway, here’s the gist of a story happening in Raleigh. One restaurant in an expensive location closes down. Its ownership group is embroiled in lawsuits. The restaurant had also sold a bunch of gift certificates that have apparently not been refunded.
Second restaurant opens in the same location. Agrees to honor the previous restaurant’s gift certificates at the urging of mall owners, but stops when they realize they’ve already given away $4,500 in free food. (They were absorbing the cost of the certificates.) They had no legal obligation at any time to honor the gift certificates, since they weren’t involved with the previous restaurant. They did it for the sake of creating and keeping good will with customers.
Here’s a quote, from after they stopped taking the gift certificates, from one of those customers who didn’t get her $100 certificate redeemed:
“I’m sorry he got stuck…It’s not my problem…He should have done his due diligence. Or he should have sucked it up and paid out those gift certificates.”
Seriously, that’s the representative quote The News & Observer got from one of those customers whose good will is valued. I’m hoping other people didn’t react the same way, but the misguided anger is amazing.
Anyway, South, the new restaurant, has agreed to take the certificates until August 31. It sounds like the old ownership will pay for them. I haven’t been there – Durham’s more my area – but I’ve heard the food is good. If you’re in the area, try them out. They’ll probably enjoy having folks in who will pay the usual way. :)