Fri Jul 20, 2012
Food and Drink

Lobster Love offering refunds to hungry diners

After technical difficulties delayed the arrival of a seafood dinner at the Evergreen Brick Works last night, organizers are offering refunds.

BY: Karon Liu

Last night’s inaugural Lobster Love dinner at the Evergreen Brick Works went off with quite a few hitches, as patrons had to wait hours for the lobsters to arrive on site. Even then, some didn’t get any lobster at all. Event organizers posted an apology on their Facebook page, offering refunds to those who were left out of the lobster love:

Love is patience. That is what many of the patrons at last night’s Lobster Love showed the city of Toronto. Although there were complications with the arrival of the Lobster Love Truck, due to technical difficulties, there was a great energy felt by all as 600+ foodie enthusiasts delighted in a eclectic seafood menu that consisted of oysters, Lobsters and yummy side dishes, paired with everyone’s favourite beer, Alexander Keith’s.

We would like to thank everyone who came out to experience this one of a kind event and apologize for the Lobster Love Truck’s tardiness. A refund process has been put into place for those patrons who were inconvenienced. Please contact support@wantickets.com. Thank you for your support and understanding. We appreciate you choosing to spend your evening with us.

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Anonymous

THE REAL STORY BEHIND LOBSTER LOVE

Chefs verbally harassing guests, animal rights abuses, and and all around shitshow at last month’s LobsterLove. Check it out!
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11:48 am on August 4, 2012

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Matt Bamo

In your paper edition you chose to print a photo of Aristedes Pasparakis with no accompanying article, and only a misleading tag line which implies that he is behind Lobster Love, and the whole Lobster Love debacle was his fault. What the hell is the Grid trying to do?!

Not only was the event not his at all, but he put his neck out there and single handedly made something out of nothing. He did this for no personal gain in order to try and save his friend Stavros’ disastrous festival.

Shame on the Grid!!! you had more to do with this festival than Aristedes did! Bunch of cowards.
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7:07 pm on July 28, 2012

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Laurence Stevenson

I’m from out of town so the lack of parking was bad. A movie and a wedding party the same night? Not good.
When the sitting is supposed to start at 6, why were we standing outside waiting for setup? Open the doors when you say you’ll open the doors.
I didn’t get hot lobster but the cold lobster was fine. Considering the other good stuff, I was OK with that.
The good stuff? The oysters, the band, the free beer and the desserts.
All in all, not a horrible night but it certainly could have been better, especially if we had been properly informed. There was, after all, good stuff to be had.
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8:00 pm on July 24, 2012

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Lester

I attended an event in Ottawa where the speaker was two hours late, they let us know excatly what was happening and they stopped charging for everything. Win and beer were free and all food. We were told very little about what was happening at the Brickworks event and kept getting different stories. They told us first that the lobster would be in one-half hour, which if it was not. If it was not there yet that would have been impossible. We were even told at one point that they had cooked some but becuse of the wait they did not think it safe to serve.

I had some suspicions because I know what it takes to run an event like that and they did not have the capacity to do it.. I calculate that beyond the cost of the event we were out of pocket over $100 that night. The handling of the event was terrible.

The Brickworks and all sponsors should be ashamed of themselves. .We actually were given no information on who was really running this event.
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8:35 pm on July 22, 2012

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Tony

Its funny how nonchalant the story. Why don’t you let people know what really happened at the event. Poor planning, food that was handled improperly and the cold goop that was served.

Oh wait, you were a sponsor of the event and who want’s to poison their own well.

#LobsterHate
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11:35 pm on July 20, 2012

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Marco Breba

I had a similar annoying experience at the UNO/La Carnita event at Brickworks three months ago. People waiting a hour in line just to get in so they can wait in another long line for tacos that don’t exist.

I’m thrilled that the people of Toronto have become enthusiastic supporters of one of a kind food events but we have to demand more reasonable service and food providers have to step up.
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7:41 pm on July 20, 2012

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Ian

Unfortunately, i don’t think solely a refund is appropriate here. Many people had put their trust in this even, and have been disappointingly let down. I know I personally feel like I wasted my time, and from a customer service standpoint, feel resentment at the general treatment of paying patrons. The lack of clear information, mixed with the fact that many people have lost an evening results in lower trust for any future events, and even bad press for the sponsors. I really do think more effort needs to be made other than an empty apology and a refund.
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5:24 pm on July 20, 2012

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Jeff

What would you propose to receive, Ian? Are you hoping for the event organizers to manufacture another alternate evening out for you, perhaps a paid babysitter and car-service?

I, too, was wholly disappointed by the event. The planning was abysmal, from the parking/shuttle bus, to the lack of signage and even clear entrance to the event, the event was doomed even before the Lobsters never arrived. This was an event that disappointed everyone involved.

Still, I will commend those who ran the event for facing the music. The person running things from Lobster Love that I spoke with had a sympathetic ear, a smile and offered to get us some food and a refund immediately. He handled things like a pro, when most people would have hid – probably with a few bottles of booze. That kind of professionalism and facing the music, even offering widespread refunds, is what people respect more than a well-cooked Lobster.
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1:03 am on July 21, 2012
ken

There is always a person who tries to milk the situation. Yes the event sucked and it was a wasted evening. I also have been on crazy bad dates but I do not ask her to pay me restitution for my time. So, suck it up, do not support the company and get a hobby so you have better things to do then squeeze people for their mistakes.
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1:56 am on July 25, 2012
Heather

I had the same experience as Ian.

Jeff, I wish that I had found an sympathetic event planner to refund my money. After 2 hours in line and 20 minutes at the tent asking for information, we left empty handed and hungry.
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3:52 pm on July 25, 2012