My oldest daughter decided to go out with some friends yesterday, on Canada Day, to go after the great bargain. While most stores were closed, restaurants were open and the Mandarin Restaurant, our upscale Chinese Buffet Restaurant, was running a great special. She wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.
I suggested she have some breakfast as she was leaving around 10:45 a.m. She informed me that she was going to lunch and had no need of a breakfast. She would wait.
She arrived at 11:00 a.m. and was seated at 5:00 p.m.
The following is the story from today’s Hamilton Spectator:
1,600 line up for Mandarin meal
Canada Day thank you swamps chain
July 02, 2009
1,600 line up for Mandarin meal
Canada Day thank you swamps chain
July 02, 2009
How long would you wait for a free Mandarin meal?
The restaurant's first customers for its Canada Day buffet lined up at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, say staff who saw them then and let them in the next morning.
Yesterday afternoon, a line of several hundred people wound around the plaza on Upper James Street north of Rymal Road West.
Many of the 1,600 people who ate there yesterday waited for several hours.
Some lounged in camping chairs. Others read books. Kids played with toys. Mandarin staff came around with free appetizers and handed out free water bottles.
In celebration of Canada Day, Mandarin offered its regular buffet for free to anyone showing proof of Canadian citizenship at its 21 locations yesterday. taff at the Upper James restaurant stayed till 2 a.m. the night before preparing extra amounts of the more popular items such as chicken balls and egg rolls, said Allan Chow, director of site operations for head office.
The Hamilton Mandarin dished out 500 pounds of chicken balls, 300 pounds of chicken wings and 2,400 egg rolls yesterday -- almost double what it usually serves on a regular Saturday. It had 70 staff on hand, up from its regular Saturday complement of 50.
The chain spends about $500,000 on the free day. That's more than double what it spends on a typical busy holiday such as Mother's Day, Chow said.
"We are doing this for Canadian citizens, to celebrate Canada," said Lucia Kong, an owner and manager.
This is the third time the chain has had the free Canada Day event. This year's coincides with the chain's 30th anniversary.
A few customers said the highlight was meeting others in the line.
"Because of having to wait in line, you get to talk to all different kinds of cultures that have come to Canada and become Canadian citizens," said Sacha Skinner, who waited four hours to get in and was eating by 2 p.m.
Michelle Skutta said the crowd joined in a group rendition of O Canada at one point.
Kong said people were appreciative. One family gave the restaurant a thank you card.
Yesterday afternoon, a line of several hundred people wound around the plaza on Upper James Street north of Rymal Road West.
Many of the 1,600 people who ate there yesterday waited for several hours.
Some lounged in camping chairs. Others read books. Kids played with toys. Mandarin staff came around with free appetizers and handed out free water bottles.
In celebration of Canada Day, Mandarin offered its regular buffet for free to anyone showing proof of Canadian citizenship at its 21 locations yesterday. taff at the Upper James restaurant stayed till 2 a.m. the night before preparing extra amounts of the more popular items such as chicken balls and egg rolls, said Allan Chow, director of site operations for head office.
The Hamilton Mandarin dished out 500 pounds of chicken balls, 300 pounds of chicken wings and 2,400 egg rolls yesterday -- almost double what it usually serves on a regular Saturday. It had 70 staff on hand, up from its regular Saturday complement of 50.
The chain spends about $500,000 on the free day. That's more than double what it spends on a typical busy holiday such as Mother's Day, Chow said.
"We are doing this for Canadian citizens, to celebrate Canada," said Lucia Kong, an owner and manager.
This is the third time the chain has had the free Canada Day event. This year's coincides with the chain's 30th anniversary.
A few customers said the highlight was meeting others in the line.
"Because of having to wait in line, you get to talk to all different kinds of cultures that have come to Canada and become Canadian citizens," said Sacha Skinner, who waited four hours to get in and was eating by 2 p.m.
Michelle Skutta said the crowd joined in a group rendition of O Canada at one point.
Kong said people were appreciative. One family gave the restaurant a thank you card.
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