A pleasant surprise
I was in Queensland recently and while in Caloundra stopped at one of the cafes for coffee. It was good coffee, pleasant surroundings and the wait staff really friendly so I went back for dinner.
More pleasant surprises
That night the friendly service continued. The food delicious and with a good wine I had a fabulous night. On telling the wait staff how fantastic I thought everything was, thinking that maybe they were co-owners, I was surprised to hear that no, they were casuals, and were rarely praised for their efforts. I made a point of going back the next day to tell the owners how much I enjoyed dinner.
Recipes for success
Friendly service, delicious food, a good wine list -to me that sounds like a pretty good recipe for success. Was I the total focus for this venue? Maybe? But I felt good, the coffee was right, the food interesting enough to order and I was prepared to go out of my way to get there.