card for restaurant

doe's anyone know about a discount card for restaurant ,for people who have had our surgery? If you do could you tell me how to get one? I'm going on vacation in Florida,and I heard some restaurant's will give you childs portions or seniors portions if you have a weight loss surgery card .Could you reply as soon as possible as I'm leaving tonight.

Thank You

Carolynne

My dr.'s office gave it to me at my last visit before surgery. Call your dr. 

Way_Out_There
Member Since: 10/11/09
[Latest Posts]Post Date: 10/13/09 1:03 pm 
A “Restaurant Card” is a business cards sized card, often laminated, usually given by surgeons reading something to the effect of:

The holder of this card has had a surgical procedure which has permanently reduced their stomach capacity. Therefore… It is greatly appreciated if you would allow them to order from the children’s menu or to purchase half-sized adult entrees. Thank you for your consideration.

1. WLS Restaurant Cards differ from REAL Discount Cards such as AAA, Entertainment Book, etc. in one very important aspect: The REAL discounts are negotiated and agreed to by all parties in advance. The restaurant staff is briefed on how to handle the card. It is PRESUMPTUOUS to create and distribute a card asking/demanding a discount.

2. Restaurants are put into a losing position to start. If they say “no” to the card, which they had no part in creating or marketting, they are already making the customer unhappy. How is this fair even putting them in that position? Were I a restaurant owner, I would resent this card about as much as someone demanding a discount because they are a VIP (Very Important Person).

3. I had surgery. It was my choice to have my stomach modified so that I could only eat 3-5 ounces of food at a sitting. There are many people that have not had surgery that CHOOSE to eat 3-5 ounces of food at a sitting (imagine that!). I do not deserve a discount, or a special menu, any more than they do.

4. “I eat less than most children; I should pay what they pay”. Children’s prices are a marketing tactic to get parents to bring their kids (and themselves) to a restaurant. Children’s menu’s are not because children eat so little. Children’s menus are designed for children’s tastes. Bland and greasy. 

5. Seniors Menus are also a marketing tactic to get seniors to come to the restaurant. If you’re not a senior, you don’t DESERVE a discount because you eat less than a senior. Many restaurants offer a ‘For Smaller Appetites’ Menu, this you may qualify for.

6. I don’t want the hostess, waitress, people behind me or near by, the busboy, or anyone else to know my medical history. It is none of their business, and I should not be making it their business simply to get a discount.

7. Buffets are “All you can eat for…” If all you can eat is 3-5 ounces, the price is the same as when you ate 30-50 ounces or 300-500 ounces. When you could eat 2, 3, or 4 times what the average person could eat, did you ask to pay more? Of course not. To remain morally consistent, you cannot ask to pay less now.

8. “I didn’t choose the buffet, my family did… Why should I pay when I only eat 3-5 ounces.” See #7. Further, you are there to be with your family or friends. Eating out now is even more about the company you keep rather that getting the most food for the least price. Actually, it should always have been about the company.

9. “I didn’t choose the buffet, my family did…” So, before WLS, did you pay less when you wanted Mexican food, but your family outvoted you and you ended up with Chinese? No, you went along to keep peace, to enjoy the company. Whatever your reasons were then, they’re the same now.

10. “I can’t eat all that, I can’t take leftovers home, I don’t want to waste it.” Waste it. Leaving leftovers is not the end of the world. In spite of what your mama said, leaving food on your plate is not a sin, and it will not help starving children in China for you to clean your plate now. You are not obliged to clean your plate. IN FACT, restaurants try to serve enough to satisfy large appetites and they expect people NOT to eat it all. They have trash cans out back for all the left over food.

11. Do you demand a discount at convenience store on a bag of potato chips because you can’t eat the whole bag, and a lot will go to waste? Why not, it’s the SAME THING.

12. Dinner at Chili’s cost $15 before WLS, and you left satisfied. Post-op, the same dinner costs $15 and you leave satisfied. The only difference is you leave food on the plate rather than nose marks. Often, rather than ordering a $15 dinner, you can order $10 appetizer, and you are ahead of the game.

13. "Restaurants should be considerate of WLS Patients." Restaurants should be considerate of EVERYONE. There are many groups of adults that eat less than 'normal', yet they do not expect discounts.

Obviously, or perhaps not so obviously, these arguments presume that people have integrity and that they desire their actions and opinions to be rational, supportable, and consistent. There are those that will do whatever is necessary to get a discount, which these arguments will not dissuade from this course.

Thanks for your prompt reply.  My surgery was in May 2007. I'm not sure they even had them then. I live in Canada and had the Surgery in Rochester NY . With Dr O'Malley. Have not been back for 2 yrs. As  my Family Dr sees me now

Thanks

Carolynne

Just order an appetizer...or share with someone.

We have one you can print.....

http://www.obesityhelp.com/magazine/RestaurantCard.html

Honestly, you don't need it.  No restaurant is under any obligation to honor that card, and you don't have to flash your medical history to some 20-something college student who will call you "fatty" when they round the corner to the kitchen.  Not only that, but kids meals are all crap you shouldn't be eating anyway.  

Instead - try it this way.  Tell them that you love good quality food, but have a very small appetite and ask if you could possibly have a half portion (or add extra meat to another dinner for yourself).  It's amazing how accommodating they can be with this method.  If your family wants a buffet, explain the same way and ask if you can pay by the pound as if they were doing a carry-out order.  

You had a DS back in '07---you should be able to eat all the meat on any entree. Just don't eat the other crap.

I tried using this type of card 4 or 5 times, but only one restuarant horoed it. So it's usually a waste of time. Between corporate policies, and managerial decisions, you likely can't get kids menu items if you're an adult. It's likely best to either pay for an extra plate and split your meal with another person, OR, ask for a "to go box" as soon as you dinner is served. Only leave the amount of food on the plate your sureon's protocol suggests, and immediately place the bulk of the meal in the box. You can eat the rest at home, over multiple meals. DAVE

Don't necessarily expect a discount, but some will allow you to purchase of children's menus, or in some cases, smaller portions. (For instance, we have a Genghis Grill in town - a mongolian bbq, they allow the child size bowl purchase for anyone with the card)

However, particularly in higher end restaurants, half portions aren't very practical - the chef is usually not willing to only serve half of a protein portion, because they generally won't be able to sell the other half. We went to Emeril's in New Orleans, and they were very accomodating, but the entrees that they were willing to halve were things like pasta - not what we'd be wanting to eat. And I understand this - half a lamb portion won't sell. So I asked that they simply cut back on the other portions on my plate, and I ate what I could of the lamb. I paid full price (I wouldn't have expected to pay anything less).

I do think it would be nice if restaurants would offer some "small plates" with a real protein, some of that is education, some of that is economics.

My program does give out a laminated card that asks establishments to be cooperative with kids menu purchases, but honestly I find it more trouble than it's worth - I take home left overs when we're in town, and try and order smartly for portion when we're not.