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Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on April 28, 2008, 11:39:41 am I know that once it opens we will eat there everyday thanks to his 50% off forum member discount (that he didn't know he was offering until he read this) But until then, we haven't done a forum lunch in awhile.
May 5th at El Guapos would seem like a good idea. Any other suggestions? Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: dsjeffries on April 28, 2008, 11:43:23 am That's next Monday (right?)... Hope I can make it!
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: RecycleMichael on April 28, 2008, 12:34:30 pm I will be there...we will need people to RSVP on this thread if possible so we can get the right size table.
Here is their website. http://www.elguaposcantina.net/ I am ordering the chile verde burrito. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: AngieB on April 28, 2008, 12:37:16 pm Cinco de Mayo at a Mexican restaurant...just how long you think this lunch will take???
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on April 28, 2008, 01:00:24 pm quote: Everyone knows Cinco de Mayo is about the titanic and it's huge mayonnaise shipment. I figure lunch wouldn't be that bad. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: JoeMommaBlake on April 28, 2008, 11:21:09 pm I heard that they are closing off the street and setting up a tent outside. It could be crazy.
Just so you know... I'm always down for El Guapo's though. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: guido911 on April 29, 2008, 07:38:13 am quote: Any thoughts on if 1804 will impact the size of this event? Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on April 29, 2008, 08:41:32 am quote: From what I've seen of Cince De Mayo events at local tex-mex restaurants, it should have no effect. 1804 has no effect on drunk fat white males. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: joiei on April 29, 2008, 09:51:39 am Cinco de Mayo is an American holiday. In Mexico, they celebrate their independence in September. From Wiki -
quote: Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: RecycleMichael on April 29, 2008, 01:28:46 pm quote: I don't drink that much. Ustedes en loco en la cabesa. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: tulsascoot on April 30, 2008, 08:49:11 pm quote: Ustedes son locos en las cabezas Get it right, gringo. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: mrhaskellok on April 30, 2008, 10:11:32 pm Time?
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: RecycleMichael on April 30, 2008, 11:02:58 pm quote: Ustedes son locos en las cabezas Get it right, gringo. [/quote] Singular o plural? Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on May 01, 2008, 06:08:33 am quote: I would say 11 or 11:30.. by noon it's full on a normal day. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: mrhaskellok on May 01, 2008, 08:31:21 am quote: Sounds good! Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: buzz words on May 01, 2008, 08:52:03 pm quote: I can't wait to meet everyone!! Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on May 05, 2008, 07:23:31 am It's today, who's coming?
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: mrhaskellok on May 05, 2008, 07:26:12 am me...at 11:30
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: RecycleMichael on May 05, 2008, 07:52:09 am Me...save me some chips and salsa...
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: JoeMommaBlake on May 05, 2008, 07:55:31 am It happens that I have a lunch appt at 11:45 there, so I'll come early and eat a chip or two with you guys first.
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on May 05, 2008, 09:48:10 am See y'all there
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: RecycleMichael on May 05, 2008, 03:40:26 pm That was awesome. I can't believe Lorena Ochoa sat at that table next to us.
Nice to meet you pizza god and Mr. Haskell. I think that business plan we discussed will make us all rich. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: mrhaskellok on May 05, 2008, 10:01:45 pm quote: I quite agree...boy that sounds like an incentive for more people to come next time... "Come and hear a plan that will make you rich!" [:D] Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: Steve on May 06, 2008, 01:12:37 am You people need to learn how to cook and entertain at home. Joe Momma Restaurant? I have no idea about this place, nor do I care to. For $5, you can buy an excellent frozen pizza that would cost 3X that amount at a restaurant, in house or delivered. Spaghetti, lasagne, pizza, it is all so easy to make at home for half the price of any restaurant in town. One can make excellent marinara sauce with canned tomatoes and the proper herbs, dried or otherwise, and this is the basis for many great Italian foods.
When it comes to pizza or Italian, I always will entertain at home, much cheaper and much better. When I eat out, I want something I would normally not make at home, so that excludes Italian. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: RecycleMichael on May 06, 2008, 05:45:08 am Next lunch is at Steve's house!
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on May 06, 2008, 06:30:28 am quote: Since JoeMomma's owner is a poster on this forum, as well as this thread, I'd duck and cover if I were you. If everyone followed your rules, no-one would eat out, anywhere. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: Opus 2 on May 06, 2008, 09:04:20 am quote: And apparently Steve doesn't realize that it takes a lot more skill and talent to produce a restaurant-quality meal than it does to open a frozen pizza box. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: cannon_fodder on May 06, 2008, 09:31:23 am Steve,
You are correct. Meals at home are often more tailored to your pallet. They are almost always cheaper and sometimes more convenient. BUT, no frozen pizza is as a good as a fresh pizza in an actual pizza oven (not even a made from scratch pizza at home, which I do from time to time - my crust is ugly but tasty. Usually ends up an odd oval shape). Sea food is usually better at a restaurant. Some dishes take more prep time than I want to devote to a meal or can on a given day. Furthermore, it's not only about the food. Sometimes I want to be treated like I matter - even if I have to pay someone to do that. My wife and I can go out with our son and not have to yell at him to do the dishes, or clear the table, or the little things that sometimes you just don't feel like doing. So sit at home. Rent DVDs instead of going to the theater, look at pictures of the ocean instead of wading in it, and cook yourself a nice meal. You don't need to go to Jo Mamma's or even know "about this place," but that's no reason to chastise anyone else for doing so. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: JoeMommaBlake on May 07, 2008, 08:03:05 pm Steve,
Thanks for sharing. I'd love to give you an excuse to learn about and even experience Joe Momma's. Though I'm clearly not the most objective person as it relates to Joe Momma's, I'd love to tell you about some of the perks of dining out with us instead of eating at your own house. 1. The price is actually quite good and is even competitive with the national chains. You can eat for around three and a half bucks a person if you split a large pizza between yourself and two friends. I will even go so far as to say that I don't believe you that you can cook an equal meal for yourself for less. Fresh produce, high protein flour, yeast, olive oil, meats, and whole milk mozzarella are expensive toppings. 2. We have more TVs in one room than you have in your whole house. Imagine the pleasure of watching TGOV 24, ESPN, and American Idol at the same time. 3. We do the dishes....all of them....every time. 4. Friendly service. We're not a full service restaurant, so you don't have to worry about leaving a tip, however, it is not uncommon for us to fill a customer's drink and package up their leftovers for them...free of charge. 5. Eating out at local restaurants feeds money back in to the local economy which serves to pay for things like road maintenance. Therefore, next time you drive across a pot-hole, think to yourself, "I should eat out more, especially at local restaurants." 6. Sometimes it's good for a person's reputation for them to be seen at popular and trendy eating establishments. Trust me when I tell you that eating at Joe Momma's does amazing things for your personal life that eating at home simply can't do. I could go on for days, but I just wanted to plant a seed....the rest is on you, Steve. Ask for me when you find us, and if I'm around, I'll comp your pizza. Thanks, Blake Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: Renaissance on May 07, 2008, 08:34:07 pm quote: Quod erat demonstrandum. Awesome. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: zstyles on May 08, 2008, 06:38:26 am I'll go when they start making good pizza..the last one I had tasted like cardboard...had no toppings and the staff(of high school kids) was rude to me when I tried to complain about it..never have been back...maybe they have changed things..who knows....
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: JoeMommaBlake on May 09, 2008, 10:18:55 am Zstyles,
As I was clearly not at the restaurant when you had your negative experience, I was not able to personally apologize to you then about our failure to meet your expectations. I'm constantly working with my staff to teach them the value of caring for our customers and of doing absolutely anything to have them leave happy. If you voiced a displeasure about a pizza, strong efforts should've been made to remedy the situation. While we are not always perfect at Joe Mommma's, we do realize the value of building great relationships with our guests and will continue to make efforts to provide exceptional service and enjoyable food. Please accept my apologies on behalf on the entire restaurant and its employees. I will mention this thread to the staff as a way of reminding them again about the potential damage that even one customer having a bad experience can cause. As we try to grow our company, we will continue to strive for excellence both in our service and in our menu offerings. Please allow me to offer you a complimentary pizza. I'd love for you to give us a second chance to make a great impression. I think you'll find that our pizza, when made correctly, tends to be light and bready and that it in no way tastes like cardboard. My teen-age employees tend to be friendly and efficient and I'm typically proud of the service that they offer. Again, I'd love another chance to impress you. Thank you Blake Ewing Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: AVERAGE JOE on May 09, 2008, 10:32:13 am Blake, I'm impressed with your customer service skills... especially your willingness to so openly address concerns in a public forum such as this. I haven't eaten at your establishment out south, but your posts bode well for your new venture. I'm a shameless cheerleader for any small business downtown, but I'll be pulling for you all the more.
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: PonderInc on May 09, 2008, 10:54:46 am quote: Ha! Now I can justify eating pizza as not only my civic duty, but as a career advancement strategy! [:)] I'm already seeing the Joe Mamma Pizza T-Shirts and bumper stickers: "Pizza, not potholes!" (The best-tasting economic development strategy since sliced bread.) Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: JoeMommaBlake on May 09, 2008, 11:07:05 am Joe,
I appreciate that. After I posted that I thought that maybe I should've just PM'd it. Then I thought...nah. Most people understand that every business in the world has bad moments. My hope is that those bad moments are rare and that they don't define us. When they are brought to my attention, the best thing I can do is respond quickly and fairly and then trust that our product and service is good enough for us to make a different impression the second time around. Seeing as how our business continues to grow and that I get far more positive reviews than negative, I'm comfortable that if we get a second chance, we'll hit it out of the park. Our pizza is light and bready and is far from cardboard. You may not like the sauce, the toppings, the music playing in the restaurant, etc, but our hand-tossed crust is not thin and dry and hard. It's the exact opposite, in fact. If we screw it up, it tends to be on the side of it being too floppy, not too rigid. Restaurants are tough and there are none with a perfect track record. There's no other business in the world that primarily employs young people, does its manufacturing in house, and competes with thousands of other similar businesses just blocks away. There are so many places that something can go wrong. We do our best to be great at every level, but as we continue to grow, we'll continue to have growing pains. The key is to minimize them and to hope that people who have a less than stellar experience are gracious and understanding and that they give us the chance to fix it before telling too many others about it. Of course when we open downtown, we'll have it all figured out by then and we'll never have a complaint of any kind...[:)] Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: JoeMommaBlake on May 09, 2008, 11:11:12 am quote: I don't know if you've seen it but we've made a couple of ridiculous commercials. You can find them online if you look. My thought for my next one is something exactly like what you just posted....my thought, however, did not include the "pizza, not potholes" slogan....but it might just have to. Brilliant. Simply brilliant. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on May 09, 2008, 11:40:29 am quote: It would be wasting a perfectly good pizza, but you could always fill a pothole with one. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: zstyles on May 13, 2008, 08:17:24 am quote: Agreed about being used to fill a pothole.... Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: jackbristow on May 13, 2008, 09:36:08 am quote: Wow. zstyles is a jerk! Blake took all that time to address your concern and that is your response???? unbelieveably classless move there zstyles Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: safetyguy on May 13, 2008, 09:48:46 am Zstyles probably warranted the service that he got!! If you treat people like crap, they will return the favor!!
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: Townsend on May 13, 2008, 09:55:00 am That was pretty douchey.
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: Cats Cats Cats on May 13, 2008, 03:01:42 pm +1
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: joiei on May 13, 2008, 04:07:50 pm quote:Steve, since you will not be crowding up the place, that means the rest of us will be able to get a table that much faster. I am definitely going. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: zstyles on May 14, 2008, 10:33:21 am quote: I can tell you have had no customer service experience or employees to train..... You are saying if the customer is a jerk...that you should be a jerk back? Obviously you don't run your own company. I am sure there are "Joe Heads" here who are passionate about this company...and want the little guy to be successful..but unfortunately if there are training issues they should be corrected and if they have I applaud...but in an industry that is highly competitive issues and customer service are not mandated on the customers "attitude". No customer warrants bad customer service..and to be honest I felt "Blakes response" was a little sarcastic to be honest with you...I will not be using his pizza for our company events, personal or recommend anyone to his establishment...strike one he is out..there are more players in Tulsa that we will try and use. End of story.... Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: Renaissance on May 14, 2008, 10:55:16 am quote: Wow! That's hilarious. Just goes to show the hurdles in the food service industry--there are folks out there who will perceive an insult in even the most gracious attempt to satisfy them or remedy their issues. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: AngieB on May 14, 2008, 11:32:11 am I found nothing in Blake's response to be sarcastic in the least. I saw a business owner reaching out to a dissatisfied customer with an apology and offer of a free pizza.
quote: Furthermore, anyone who has to begin and end a statement with "to be honest" makes me question their honesty/integrity in the first place. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: Townsend on May 14, 2008, 02:08:12 pm quote: Absolutely. I don't care who the person is. There is never a reason to mistreat anyone. If you act like an donkey you should be treated as such. Everyone should have to be in some form of customer service for at least 6 months just to learn how to properly treat someone. Have you ever waited a table? Served a drink to someone to make tip money? Washed a table after some uncaring couple left without cleaning any of the smeared babyfood or thrown fries on the floor? Brought chips to someone asking for all the free stuff and still smiled? Have you ever had some guy hand you $100 and tell you to let him know when he was out of money? (no way there was going to be a tip on that one) You seem like someone who feels like a waiter is lucky to have you and your 5%. Still douchey. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: safetyguy on May 14, 2008, 02:20:26 pm quote: Yes, like it or not, it's a fact of life that if someone treats you like a jerk you will eventually treat them like a jerk. Some people fly off the handle quicker than others. I'm sure that Blake doesn't train his employees to treat the customers like crap. I'm sure that its the exact opposite. Blake can train the employees all he wants, but in the heat of the moment the employees may be having a bad day and say or do something they shouldn't. Sorry to dissapoint you, but I have taken the Integrity of the Customer-Customer Service course. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: zstyles on May 14, 2008, 02:49:52 pm quote: How is this not being sarcastic...unless I am just not on the same koolaid as everyone else here.... Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: Townsend on May 14, 2008, 03:51:26 pm quote: That's not sarcastic. Gosh, I sure hope Zstyles is a regular in every establishment I frequent. That's sarcasm. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: RecycleMichael on May 14, 2008, 04:08:03 pm quote: "Better mad with the world than wise alone." Baltasar Gracian Jesuit Philsopher 1601 - 1658 Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: JoeMommaBlake on May 14, 2008, 10:53:09 pm Anyone want to know if I was being sarcastic?
No. I was not. I am typically proud of the service my teenage employees offer. I do, as I mentioned, understand that we are not always perfect. I think it would be foolish of anyone to assume that a team of high school students would be perfect customer service representatives. I was trying to convey that bad service is not typical and that it is not acceptable to us for our employees to provide poor service. I was also hoping to not seem naieve. We simply aren't perfect. I can't control what happens when I'm not there. I can train them well and even trust their shift leaders and managers to appropriately supervise them, but the reality is that no business owner controls the details of their business when they are not present, they simply trust that they've put the right things in to place and entrusted the right people to supervise the shift. I understand that the internet allows one unhappy customer with a computer to share a bad experience with everyone else with a computer. I am aware that zstyles had what must've been a very bad experience and I'm sure that the Tulsa Now forum is not the first time he's shared it. I was attempting to entice him in to giving us another chance. I was not being sarcastic. If I thought he would be unhappy again, I surely wouldn't have offered to serve him again. The last thing I want to do for my business is give more ammo to someone who is inclined to post negative reviews...especially if they are on the tulsa world website, tulsa dot tv and the tulsa now forums. Zstyles, I've done all I know to do. If you feel the need to continue your negative reviews of my restaurant, you are definitely entitled. I wish that you'd give us another chance to impress you. I truly believe that we would. I'd hate for anyone to form an opinion about me and my restaurant based on one sub-par visit, much like I'm sure you'd prefer that people don't base their opinions of you and your character on your posts on this thread. I think we would all hope that one bad experience does not provide sufficient data on which to judge. Again, I apologize for your bad experience. If you suspect sarcasm in the future, please ask. If I'm going to engage in a battle of words and wits with you, you and everyone else will certainly know without having to guess. Thanks Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: tulsacyclist on May 15, 2008, 06:45:09 am Speaking of ammo, you aren't going to have a 'NO WEAPONS' sign on the front door/window are you, Blake?
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: we vs us on May 15, 2008, 07:02:50 am The good news is, most normal people can see that zstyles is being a jerk and that you're making an honest effort to be good to him. For every moron like zstyles that stomps off and promises never to come back, you'll gain new customers who are impressed with how you're trying to do business. Like me, for instance. [;)]
Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: zstyles on May 15, 2008, 07:14:29 am If giving my opinion is being a jerk and pointing out even if they can't admit they were being sarcastic is being a jerk..I raise my hand..but I am being honest..it was a bad experience and just as blake said...one bad apple can spoil the bunch which..he is the owner he took responsibility and I give him points for that..I dont have an agenda and I apologize if it came across that way..I just spent 15.00 on a pizza that was crap...thats it....and when someone highlights a part of a comment with a little remark that IS sarcastic I will also point that out. I am the most sarcastic person around so I can spot it a mile away....
I digress on this thread I think the point was made.... I do applaud any small business that takes the leap to expand though..and taking a risk is what owning your own company is about..maybe we can take this thread back on track to a successful business venture... Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: joiei on May 15, 2008, 09:16:20 am quote:You say it had no toppings, what did you order? Did you specify the toppings you wanted or did you order a speciality pizza with a list of toppings? Or did you just order a plain pizza expecting there to be a grocery list of toppings for free? From my experiences with ordering pizzas, you get what you order pretty much, one time someone left off the olives on my pizza but it wasn't the end of the world. Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: zstyles on December 24, 2008, 10:13:32 am Just a note, I tried Joe Mamma's again...had a supreme pizza..crust was amazing...had some cheesy bread which was very good as well...and have to report that I am a satisfied consumer once again and would recommend them to all. Staff was friendly..but my one comment is that they should offer the same pizza's south as they do downtown..(6 cheese pizza etc)...
Thanks Joe Mamma's for trying to win me back..you did! Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: sgrizzle on December 24, 2008, 08:05:09 pm quote: *Falls out of chair again* Title: Until Joe Momma's opens... Post by: JoeMommaBlake on December 26, 2008, 11:32:39 pm =)
Thanks for the post, zstyles. I really appreciate you for giving us a shot and for posting your positive review. We hope to not disappoint. As for the six cheese, I'd love to have the same menu at both places, but the size of the store out south doesn't always merit the large number of toppings and ingredients that we carry at the new store. We only have two types of cheese in the store out south, for example. Someday, perhaps...a bigger restaurant in south Tulsa. Thanks again, Blake |