Backwards Golden Corral

For the first time in the 7 month we've lived here we ventured into the local Golden Corral. Now mind you, at our last duty we used to eat at Golden Corral all the time... Now I do remember a year ago it was $8.50 for an adult buffet... And on top of that they offered a 10% military discount. I always liked Golden Corral, we've been to quite a few across the United States. Now let me tell you, EVERY restaurant we've EVER been to of theirs has giving us a 10% discount. So anywayz, we venture into our local Golden Corral last night and see that this particular establishment raised their buffet price to a whopping $10.50 a person! And that doesn't even include a drink.

So I was irritated enough about that, because personally I don't think the food they offer is worth that. I much rather have gone to the CiCi's pizza down the street and paid $4.50 a person for dinner (minus the baby cuz she's free there). But this whole experiences had just turned me off the ANY Golden Corral here in Hampton Roads. Ok, so we walk up to the casher and this is how the conversation goes.
Casher: "Can I help you?"
Husband: [confused] "2 adults" (like she couldn't see us)
Casher: "Is she going to eat" [points to my daughter being held on my hip]
Me: "Probably"
Casher: "Two adults and a child"
[I look up at the menu to see "Child" is 3-12 and are $5, "babies" are "0-2" and are free]
Me: "Two and a baby"
Casher: "What?"
Me: "Two adults and a baby"
Casher: "How old is she?"
Me: "Two"
Casheer: [look of disbelief] She's 2?
Me: [pissed I'm being questioned] "Yesss"
Chasher: "She's 2?
Me: "I said yes, she's free right?"
Casher: "Only if she's really under 2"
Husband: "She's 27 months old!"

While she looks confused and is trying to count 27 months on her fingers and toe's, My husband hands her our military ID's because we just assumed since we had gotten military discounts at every other Golden Corral we've ever been to, that it was a company wide policy and we would receive them here.

Casher: "What am I supposed to do with these?"
Husband: "Military discount"
Casher: "What?"
Husband: "Mil-a-tary dis-count"
Casher: "You want a military discount?"
Husband: "Yes, Ma'am"
Casher: "HaHaHa, we don't do that"
[hands us our ID's back]
Husband: "Yes you do"
Casher: "No we don't"
Husband: "Yes you do, it's 10%"
Casher: "We don't do that"
Husband: "You don't have military discounts?"
Casher: "No, we don't do that!"
Husband: "What's up with the flags then"
[Points to the American, DOD, Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard flags hanging over the entry way and registers]
Casher: "We support the military"
Husband: "Yes I see that"
[Looks down at sign on the register that says "Golden Corral Supports You"]
Husband: "Ok, I'll have a military discount then"
Casher: [Irritated] "We don't do that"
Husband: "But you support the military" [Points at sign]
Casher: "What do you want to drink?"
Husband: "Do I have to pay extra for pop?"
Casher: "Yes"
[Irritated he starts to screw with her]
Husband: "Military discounts on pop?"
Casher: "No"
Husband: "Just water"
Casher: "Two?"
Husband: "No, one, We'll share it"
Casher: "What?"
Husband "Yes, two"
Casher: "That will be $24.50"
[Husband hands casher a credit card]
Casher: "I need to see your ID"
Husband: [Excited] "Oh, you're gunna give us a military discount?"
Casher: [Irritated] "NO, we do not do that!"

After that whole ordeal at the register we stand waiting to be seated... Every Golden Corral we've ever been to seats you... We stand there for a few minutes till someone behind us finally says "What are you waiting for?" We say "we're waiting to be seated" Yet again, we get a look like we're nuts and the lady says "Just sit down" ...Uhh ok... So we go find a seat and go about our half assed dinner.

Throughout the whole meal we couldn't stop talking about the military discount thing. We honest to God thought the casher must have been confused or misinformed. Towards the end of the meal we mentioned the whole military discount thing to our hostess who doesn't seem to know if they do or don't offer it. She says she'll go ask someone and ends up coming back with some manager or assistant manager...
Manager: "How can I help you"
Husband: "Well we requested a military discount when paying for our meal and were told by the casher that you don't offer them, we were a little confused and didn't think that was possible seeing how military friendly this company is."
Manager: "She was right, we don't offer military discounts"
Husband: "Why?"
Manager: "Because we just don't"
Husband: "But you advertise yourselves as a pro-military restaurant"
Manager: "We are" [Points to service flags in entry way]
Husband: "So where's the military discount"
Manager: "This is a military town and if we offered a discount to every one coming through the door, that would be almost everyone"
[At this point my husband just starts kinda coppin an attitude and screwing with the guy]
Husband: So?
Manager: "Sir, we can't afford that"
Husband: "You can't afford to take a dollar off of a $10.50 buffet?
Manager: "Sir, we have a Military Appreciation night and offer free meals for veterans and encourage you to come back for that."
Husband: "Ok well I'm not asking about that, I'm wondering why every Golden Corral except for yours offers military discounts"
Manager: "Sir, this is a military town and you can't expect us to give everybody a discount"
Husband: "I'm not. I said military"
[Got a blank look from the manager and a few seconds of silence]
Husband: "Your buffet price is $2 more then the last town we lived in and they still offered a military discount"
Manager: "Well thigs are different in a military town"
Husband: "Actually, the last town we lived in WAS a military town, and the majority of the towns we visited Golden Corrals in were military towns"
Manager: "Well discounts are given at the discretion of the owners"
Husband: "Well that's fine, then why post signs everywhere bragging about how supportive you are of the military"
[points at banner hanging above us that states"WE SUPPORT OUR TROOPS"]
Manager: "The company give them to us"
Husband: "Well you don't have to hang them if you don't want to"
Manager: "Yes we do... Sir, we like the military"
Husband: "But not enough to give us a dollar off?"
Manager: "Are you in the Navy?
Husband: "I'm in the Marine Corps"
Manager: "Well think you, I appreciate your service"
Husband: "But not enough to give me a dollar off?"
[I was trying soooo hard not the laugh out loud]
Manager: "Sir, I assure you that the Golden Corral supports the military very much but military discounts are given at the discretion of the owners"
Husband: "Ok,so the company supports the military, just not the owners of this restaurant?"
Manager: "Yes... No... [flustered] Sir, we have a Military Appreciation night"
Husband: "Which the company pays for"
Manager: "Yes, amongst millions of dollars donated to the DAV" (Disabled American Veterans)
Husband: "Ok, well I have no doubt in my mind that this is a very patriotic company"

At this point the manager cuts my husband off to call the hostess over to refill our water in an attempt to distract us so he can sneak away.

I'm sorry but the canned food they lay out on the buffet line is sooooo not worth the $10.50 we were charged. Not that a dollar off the buffet for the military discount would make THAT much of a difference. But it would atleast make me feel like i'm getting some kind of deal. And just to clear any thoughts up... I could really care less about the stupid dollar off. It was the principal that we were going after. We were in no way trying to get our meal comped or have them give us a dollar back. We just thought that it was extreamly hypocrital that they had posters, banners and flags hanging EVERYWHERE in the resturant proclaiming how pro-military they were, yet didn't even offer a measly military discount. I will not be returning to that establishment, mainly because they were over priced, didn't have good food and smelt like a bathroom... But the whole military discount, or lack there of, thing, just sealed the deal.