Pleasing People

I like to make people happy. I try to do it in my family, in my full-time job, and especially at Holy Smokes. I just like to see people smiling. It genuinely warms my heart to see someone's eyes light up when I set a rack of ribs down in front of them. My other favorite activity is watching them when they take that first bite and the meat cleanly separates from the bone and they chew it is ecstasy as a little barbecue sauce is dabbed in the corner of their mouth. The final joy comes when I see their plate of empty bones and the only thing they're upset about is the fact that all of their ribs are gone. I love it.

That is why I take negative feedback very seriously. I do not like to hear that someone has dined at my restaurant and had an unpleasant experience. I recently received feedback from an anonymous customer via our website saying that the food was just okay but they otherwise had a rotten experience. I am grieved to hear that. My goal is to make my restaurant a place where lives are changed. I want people to leave happier than they were when they arrived.

I honestly think that we do a pretty good job. There is always room for improvement. We are aware of our flaws and we are working as fast as possible to correct them. Even still, I hear that you can't please everybody... and that kills me. I guess it is something I have to get used to.

I always want to know what we are doing right, and what we are doing wrong. If you have comments, you can send them to our e-mail address on the "Location and Contact" page of the website or you can leave feedback on the "Whadayathink?" page. Either way, all three owners see the comments.

I would lastly like to encourage everyone to please give us an opportunity to right whatever wrongs we may have committed. The last feedback I received was sent completely anonymously. I really don't think it is fair to completely bash my work and not give me an opportunity to answer your feedback and make it right. We will bend over backwards for you if you'll give us a chance. Whoever wrote the feedback that I'm referring to, if you happen to read this, please give us another chance. Download the coupon and come in for a free sandwich. We've learned a lot in the last six months and I feel that while we have a long way to go, we are light-years ahead of where we were.