No desserts for B-Days? Unreasonable!

The only ones making a bigger deal out of this, is everyone replying
to how 'stupid' this person is. There are a lot of things you can get
free on your birthday, AS ADULTS. Although many stores/food places
require you to join their club/newsletters online: Sephora gives a
free gift for your bday every year along with captain D's giving you a
free meal, cold stone gives you a free creation ice cream, and also,
American Eagle sent me a coupon for a free item UNDER 50 DOLLARS this
year... And yes, various food places give desserts for free for your
bday.. In this economy, you would be a FOOL not to use all the
birthday freebies you can get. I sure as hell do. If I play my cards
right, I could get a free meal/dessert/drink every day of the month of
my birthday(: what's wrong with that? They are offering! And it's not
wrong to ask.

So on my birthday I'm going to come over your house and you're going
to feed me free cake right?? How many people take advantage of the
"free cake". You don't deserve something free over everyone else, pay
for your food like the rest of us do.

I guess everyone wants something for nothing... Its not their
responsibility to cater to you on your birthday.. why didn't your
friends get you a birthday cake and bring it to the olive garden for
you and all your friends to share. Not just YOU.

Sorry, but no restaurant "owes" you anything because its your
birthday. GROW UP.

The only reason you picked Olive Garden is because you thought that
they would give you a free slice of cake?

Seriously? How are you?

I love coming to the site, and seeing the title of this letter in the
list on the left margin. It brings a smile every time.

I think the Raintree Forest Cafe gave out free ice cream to my grand
daughter on her last birthday...but she was 2! I think once you hit
your pre- teens then the whole free dessert thing for your birthday is
asking too much!

Wow, I go out to eat to, well, go out to eat.

I think it's time to be a grownup and pay for your dessert.

You are mad because you didin't get something for free? Are you
kidding? If a restaurant doesn't want to offer a free dessert, that's
their choice. If you don't like it, then don't go there!

P.S. - That mint comment was hilarious though!

Just curious - did you ask for a free dessert? I find it strange that
a waiter would just say we don't give free desserts because you said
it was your birthday.

BTW, I don't have any chain restaurants near me which I'm thankful for
(except for one McDonalds - I don't eat fast food so I don't go there)
- when we go out on my birthday or my husband's birthday...we may
sneak a message to the waiter to put a candle in the dessert we order
- but I absolutely don't expect the dessert for free. Sometimes, they
throw something in - sometimes they don't - if they do I appreciate
it, if they don't - it's no big deal.

I don't really know anyone who does this anymore, at least not the
places I go to. If you want a cake with your birthday dinner so badly
it is incumbent upon you to call ahead and ask before you just walk in
or make reservations.

Free birthday cakes for adults are IMHO a waste of resources.

Big deal. You're with family/friends. Shouldn't that fact be the most
important thing than getting a freebie?

I would never expect a free cake for my birthday and I definitely
don't want them to sing to me.

I hope that on your way home you stopped at your local gas station and
requested your free gallon of gas because it was your birthday. How
about that free gallon of milk from the supermarket?

i know in the past a lot of places would make all the staff gather
around a table to sing their own version of a happy birthday song and
present a free dessert

however that's kinda died out in the past few years.

partially because some patrons would like about it just for a free
dessert. i know this because i've overheard guys bragging about it.
(i was not impressed)


plus with rising costs a lot of places have dropped it altogether. or
the free dessert isn't worth it.

some places do hybrids - no free dessert but they make it fun. The
Hard Rock Cafe in Dubai does a thing where you stand on your chair and
they present you with a pile of whipped cream with a candle on it.
you try to blow it out while they lift it up and down, trying to get
whipped cream on your nose. (yes i did it. actually that whole day
was pretty much a nice birthday for me)



my own personal recommendation... just get the dessert you like. it
might not be free, but if it's something you really like, it'll be
good.

there's one place i went to in buffalo ... they actually sold
"birthday cake". it wasn't actually my birthday (it was about a week
later or so)... the cake was pretty good... though apparently it came
with a song

if i ever go back, i'll prolly order that cake again but... (unless
it's my birthday) i'll specify that i dont need the song



though... whenever i see the whole song thing... i think of "Waiting"
... where the staff hated the song and they ended up making the kid
cry. (lol)

I don't pick restaurants based on if I will receive a free desert on
my birthday. I choose a restaurant based on the menu and word of
mouth. I have gone to plenty of restaurants on my birthday before and
never mention it to the servers since I don't want to make a big deal
out of it. Even if someone with me should mention it, I still wouldn't
expect a free desert.

I don't find this that outrageous. I have been out to dinner a few
times on my birthday, I never expected a free dessert. I don't know
why but it would never even dawn on my to think it would be for free.

I have seen lists of restaurants that that do free birthday desserts
or the "kids eat free" thing. I would check those next time.

I actually think it's cute that they would put a candle on the mints.
Even though they give mints to everyone.

I also expected this to be a parent complaining on behalf of their
upset child, which, while still not a legit complaint in my book,
would be a little more understandable....

I think it is pretty unreasonable to expect restaurants to give you
for something these days. The econcomy has been in the tank for the
past two years and restaurants had to cut back on things.


I really do not remember Olive Garden ever giving something to people
are celebrating birthdays. In fact my mom has gone to Olive Garden in
the past on her birthday. They allowed her to bring in a small cake
for us to have as a dessert.

Next time call ahead to see what kind of free things they offer for
your birthday. I hope you didn't let this ruin an otherwise wonderful
day for you!

Maybe you dining party could have chipped in and bought you some
dessert. I would expect my friends to chip in and buy me dessert
before I expect some corporate company to buy me dessert.

I got a free desert at Olive Garden on my birthday. BUT I am a regular
customer who takes people there often enough they recognized myself
and my bf. Oh and I didn't expect one. I ordered what I wanted and was
fully prepared to pay for it but my waitress and the manager came by
and told me my desert was on the house. Why? Because I spend money
there, tip 20-25% and treat the staff like they are family I like.
Want something for nothing? Treat people well and they will treat you
you like family.

Sorry, you're not entitled to anything. If their policy is not to give
out freebies to birthday guests, then that's that.

Happy birthday.

If you want a free desert for your birthday go to Ryan's Family Steak
House, which is an all you can eat buffet, but ask before you pay
first.

If my kids have a birthday when we go out to eat, I always ask when I
get there either before I pay or sit down. I just ask for a manager
and quietly ask him if they offer this and if they don't I don't throw
a fit. I don't go to a restaurant based off of a freebie, I go for
the service and the food.

Did you ask your friend if he was charged for the so called free
desert and if he looked at his bill to see if he was charged for it?

I love how "customer satifaction" is now based on how much free stuff
they can get, and whether or not the restaurant is willing to bend
over backwards to do everything you want.

whatever happened to recommending a place because the food or service
is good?

Now all we hear about is how this place stinks because they wouldnt
take my coupon that was 3 weeks out of date, or they stink because I
didnt get a free dessert on my b-day, or they are horrible because
after 2 years they changed their menu and removed the item I liked.

Some people need to stay home.

I'm with those who think that 1)you shouldn't ever assume and 2)while
it might have been nice of them to provide a dessert, it's certainly
not complaint-worthy when they didn't. Esp. since they never said
they would.

As the others have pointed out, you should not assume anything as to a
business's policies and you should not feel that you are entitled to
anything free. The only thing you are entitled to at Olive Garden is
good food, good service and a clean environment. This, of course, is
in exchange for money.

I worked briefly at Applebee's a couple yrs ago and they had stopped
free desserts for birthdays because people were abusing the heck out
of it and the company was losing too much money (ny abuse I mean some
customers, adult and children, were celebrating their birthday every
time they dined). So you can thank your fellow consumers for why you
did not get any free food.

"Without even thinking about it, I assumed I would recieve a birthday
dessert at the end of my meal"

It was wrong for you to assume this. There is no reason whatsoever
that you should assume everyone is going to do this. You set yourself
up for disappointment.

THAT'S really sad.

I know nothing about Olive Garden, because I have never eaten there.
But most chain restaurants DO NOT automatically hand out free birthday
desserts.

However, I am a member of the TGI Friday's "Give Me More Stripes"
program, as well as a subscriber to the 99 Restaurant & Pubs e-mail
club. Both asked for my date of birth when I signed up, and both sent
me coupons for free desserts for my birthday. The point is, some
places will do it if you sign up for their email/loyalty programs.

But if Olive Garden chooses not to do this, that is their business.
That's just the way it goes!

This letter is unreasonable, not the fact that they did not give you
something for free. I cannot believe you are complaining that Olive
Garden failed to provide you with free food. While it is a nice
gesture that some restaurants offer a birthday dessert, it is not
something that someone should expect every restaurant to offer.

Maybe the benefit if "we are all connected" is to get the message out
there that people shouldn't expect free desserts in restaurants on
their birthdays. If this reference is supposed to shame OG, that is
pretty sad.

This isn't a diner, where they dish out $0.20 of ice cream and give it
to you gratis. They have real desserts that cost real money.

If you went to a fancy steak house, would you expect to tell the
server quietly it is your dining partner's birthday, and you expected
a free dessert with two forks?

Did you assume the restaurant gets the birthday desserts for free, and
in turn gives them to "deserving" customers on their "special day"?

It seems unreasonable to me for the restaurant to buy desserts, and
then give them away for free.

When I go into a restaurant, I feel I deserve good service and to get
what I pay for. But I don't expect anything for free, except a glass
of water.

At the TGIF's I frequent, the servers tell me people come in expecting
all kinds of stuff - like servers singing songs to celebrate a young
customer making the honor roll. If you need special recognition, that
is what family is for, at home.

Apparently since it was a big deal to you to get free dessert,you
should have called ahead and asked, and based your restaurant choice
on that.


Good Day

Why would you expect free food? I don't think this is unreasonable at
all...