10. Red flag: The menus are a mess
“It may seem counter-intuitive, but I can often predict the upcoming experience based on the menus I’m offered,” Guinn says.
“If the restaurant delivers torn, worn, or dirty menus, that tells you the waitstaff isn’t adequately trained, or that the manager doesn’t pay attention to his or her restaurant environment.”
Menus with bread crumbs, stains from food, and spilled sauces signal they’re not cleaned regularly. If the staff isn’t paying attention to this important detail, they may be missing even bigger things.
“It’s a sure sign that attention to detail is lacking. A manager who ignores the front of the house often has difficulty in the administration of both the front and back of the house,” Guinn says.