I never turn down a free drink or appetizer, especially when someone at a restaurant offers those items for free.
My girlfriend and I went to a restaurant last Friday night after work was over.
The restaurant is a place that we have been to on several different occasions. We know several of the waiters and waitresses by their first names. Some of them recognize us as well. That night the place was very busy. We waited outside for 15 minutes before our reservation was ready. Even after we were seated, we waited another 15 minutes before our waiter arrived. The guy apologized for the long wait and offered to bring us some beverages from the bar. He told my girlfriend and I that the AC in the kitchen broke down and the guys were having trouble getting all of the orders out on time because of the problem. I absolutely understood, because I worked in a kitchen when I was in college. There were often times when the AC didn’t work and the boss expected us to work anyway. We ran around feeling tired and lethargic and it was difficult to concentrate. The waiter offered us cold drinks while we waited for our items to arrive and he apologized three or four times for the issues with the air conditioner and the kitchen staff. Even though it took a while for us to receive our food, everything was hot and fresh and tasted great. We honestly didn’t mind waiting as long as we got quality food when the order finally arrived.