With a multiple-state tomato recall, an unknown frequency of lettuce shortages, and vanishing chips, what's a person to do when hunger strikes? What does a restaurant owe a customer when they are out of something he wants? What does a consumer have a right to expect?
Some people call for posting a sign at the drive-through window, others think an apology is in order, and others shrug it off and suggest you order something else. Perhaps what is owed depends on the type of restaurant and what it has run out of. Most people probably don't care so much that a restaurant has run out of pickles, but do care when they've run out of chicken or diet soda. Perhaps a drive-through order board should tell potential diners when major/popular items are unavailable, but condiments wouldn't warrant such notification.
And to what degree do we hold the store accountable? Recent destructive weather patterns (large-scale flooding, tornadoes, electrical storms) in half of the U.S. surely have had an effect (or will soon) on the transport of goods across this country. On the other hand, if a pattern of outages emerges after an appropriate period of time, then it's fair to judge restaurant management.
With these recent weeks of major disasters in this country, we think consumers should use their best judgment and be more forgiving when the circumstances call for it.
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