Last week in my MyPoints email, there was a coupon for TGI Friday’s buy one entree, get one free. I printed it out and met my old coworker there for dinner.
She said a friend of hers was there over the weekend and the server was complaining that Friday’s was losing money on this deal. Possibly. Or in some cases, it might prompt a family to dine out, others will buy an appetizer or drink they would not normally get. What I think the server meant is that people are probably tipping on the discounted amount, not the original amount of the bill and the servers are seeing less money in tips. Compared to other times I have been to this location, every table (except for the party of 24 next to us) kept turning over and the servers were kept busy. I could only think her friend talked to the server who is the type that would rather have no customers or only perfect high tipping customers than more customers and potential for more tips even if not all are high tippers.
Back to our table, when we sat down and our server took our drink order we presented the coupon and he and he said something about needing to take it to his manager and we assumed to key it in. So we dined, chatted, laughed about how they were not giving appetizer plates to anyone around us (people hovering over the main plate and chowing down) and when the bill arrived we saw two amounts: the original total and the discounted total. We went halvies on the discounted total and tipped on the original total. We left and then realized our bill must have been less than just the discount*. Our server or his manager who keyed in the coupon might be the reason Friday’s is not making money off this promotion?!
I know, karma is going to kick me in the rear for not making this right, but some times I think the universe gives you freebies (i.e. you are a public librarian who works on President’s Day, here ya go!) 
*I can pay attention to my own bills when I am in the comfort of my own, but that table of 24 was distracting so we were anxious to settle up and leave and took the check at face value.
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Well, good for you. Most of the time if you don’t double check your tab, they OVER-charge you.
BTW… check out my blog. I need your address… you won something.
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