Dear Editor:

In response to Mr. Palmer’s letter “Couple pay $10.95 in add on charges.” I feel his letter was very misleading and downright unfair to the restaurant in Hartselle. I say this because I was the very punctual server that he referred to.

The restaurant “does not charge $2.29 for water.” as he stated in his letter.

When people call to reserve one of our two private party rooms, one of the questions they ask is how much do we charge.

The answer is: There is no charge for any room or the building itself if the parties are eating with us. We book parties that also run past our usual closing time and even on nights when we are not even open. No matter what the case might be, there is no charge.

All parties have a choice though. Either a pre-set menu: price includes drink or they can choose from our full menu where you will be charged for your entrée plus a drink of your choice. We offer sweet and unsweetened tea, lemonade, Pepsi products, freshly ground coffee, decaf and yes, water.

Even if you choose to drink one thing with your meal and coffee afterward, every person in the private party will only be charged for their entrée and drink. The person booking the party is made aware of this policy. If someone has concerns about this, the owner will work out other options to better suit each individual party’s needs.

As for “Forced Gratuity,” I personally do not like to add it to any ticket. I feel my services go above and beyond the gratuity charged. The only time I add it is if I’m asked to do so. If the customer feels I did a good job, they usually leave more. Sometimes, do I have an “off” day and make mistakes?

We all do (Not in the case of this party). I will apologize and do my best to fix any problem.

I too am thankful for I-65. It brings many satisfied customers to us. Nowhere north or south of Hartselle will you find a more reasonably priced and elegantly decorated restaurant, especially during the Holidays.

The restaurant where I work is family owned. We do not have a large staff like chain restaurants. What we do have are dedicated employees that are willing to work double shifts or longer, missing out on their own family time during holidays, because we value our customers and the business they bring us and to Hartselle.

Besides our full menu, we offer homemade specialty dishes and homemade desserts, not prepackaged heat and eat dishes. Our chef puts her heart and soul into all she does here to make your dining experience an enjoyable one.

We are also aware of the recession. That is why the restaurant offers quality, home-cooked meals at such reasonable prices. Being a single mother waiting tables, or a college student needing extra tuition money, or a family-owned business trying to survive in a small town, we are all aware of how bad the economy is.

I appreciate each and every one of my customers. They have supported me and my daughters here in Hartselle for many years. Mr. Palmer’s letter was unfair because it has the potential to really hurt the business because it was very misleading. He may not have named the restaurant where I work, but he didn’t have to and he knew it. Hartselle is a small town.

Many times, I have been told we have a neat little town here by new people coming to Hartselle. I totally agree.

P.S. As for the sales tax on your ticket, you can’t blame us for that. Blame the government.

Karen Griffith

Proud Hartselle Restaurant employee