Continental Mid-town is serving drinks with a smile

August 28, 12:42 PMPhiladelphia Drinks ExaminerGerald McConway

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Philadelphia Drinks Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Continental Mid-town, 1801 Chestnut Street

The missus and I were out on the town last week and wanted to stop and have a quick drink. The Continental Midtown (1801 Chestnut Street) has long been a favorite as it is pretty much 3 bars in one. You can drink downstairs in the restaurant portion or you can do as we did and hit the upstairs swanky bar with hanging basket seats. You have a great view of the entire place and it gives you a chance to people watch. It is usually a little quieter up there and that is exactly what we were looking for.

Of course, there is also the beautiful rooftop bar. If you want the best spot in the city to have cocktails on a breezy summer night, this is a must. The bar is always jumping and the lounge with its soft couches and roaring fire place presents a very unique and romantic setting for a couple just looking to chill out and have a few drinks in the city.

While I would like to say this column is about some new incredible menu item or fancy new drink, it is not. This article is about something that I have not seen in this city in quite some time, customer service. While we had only planned on staying for one drink, we stuck around for a second because I was in total awe of the competency and attitude of our bartender, Kathy.

We walked upstairs and before we could sit down, her bright smiling face was there to greet us. I got my normal Stella Artois and the missus ordered a flavored Absolut and Cranberry. While the beer was poured perfectly and the drink made to perfection, it was the attitude and service that set this experience apart.

Regardless of whether or not I am going to eat, I always ask for a menu. I like to see how things have changed and also like to see how the attitude of the server changes if you don’t order anything. It tells me if they are really happy to have a guest at the bar or if they are just looking to pump up the check. Well before I could ask, she had already had them out and told us “I’ll leave these here for you in case you get hungry.”

Kathy returned about 2 or 3 minutes later to see if we wanted anything and upon hearing that we were okay for now, she responded, “Cool, I’ll leave them there and if you change your mind, just let me know and I will take care of it.” All of this with an honest smile on her face. It was here that I made the comment to my companion that I could not believe the personality and attitude that I was seeing. So far, this was the best service that I had in the city in years. The couple next to us overheard us talking and remarked, “She is always this way, it is the reason that we come here every week.”

Our drinks were empty and before the empty glass hit the bar, Kathy (I hope I am spelling this right) was right there to offer another drink. She refilled our drinks, supplied fresh glasses and thanked us again. Now there were other people at the bar and I continued to watch her dance from patron to patron with impeccable timing and that smile never left her face.

When the second round was finished, she was immediately on the spot to offer another drink, but we had to run and I just asked for the check. It was in front of us in about 10 seconds with a thank you for the business. After I paid, she again thanked me for the tip and asked up to come back again. I almost fell over as we walked out of the restaurant as again, this level of service has been absent from my experiences in the city for years.

In today’s economy, restaurants have to do everything they can to keep customers coming back. This is proof positive that it does not always mean giving food or drink away, it means giving us what we pay for and appreciating the fact that we are spending our hard earned money at your establishment. This is an employee that just gets it.

Mr. Starr, you should consider yourself extremely lucky to have a staff member like this. I am here to tell you that the bulk of the service staff in this city is absolutely miserable and continuously disappoints. The reason people, including myself, will come back to your restaurant is not because of the fancy furnishings or because it is the “in spot”, but because of service that Wow’s you. We can go anywhere we want and be charged the same price and get the same drink, the difference is in the smile and the appreciation that comes with it.
 

For comments and questions, email me at: jerrymcconway@simplythebestwriting.com