Recently Expanded CT Restaurant Owner Apologizes Over ‘Subpar Performance’

CONNECTICUT — The owner of Steve’s Top Dog & Smokehouse issued an apology this week to customers for what he characterized as its “subpar performance” and vowed to make improvements.

Steve Lavoie has been operating a yellow food truck at Casey Field on Middle Street in Bristol for years. He recently expanded with a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant, which features an expanded menu, at 18 Main St. in Terryville.

The food truck is known for such hot dog-related fare as a Chili Cheese Dog and Southern Slaw Dog. The Terryville restaurant, which opened for business in mid-July, has offerings such as wings, empanadas, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches.

The business issued the following statement on its Facebook page on Sunday:

“Please be aware of the following message. I am compelled to express my sincere apologies for the subpar performance of our restaurant. Throughout my career, I have consistently taken pride in our work and products. Regrettably, we have fallen short of expectations, and I feel a deep sense of responsibility for this disappointment. I acknowledge that many of our valued customers have been let down, and for that, I am truly sorry. Although I have been aware of these issues for some time, my efforts to address them internally have been unsuccessful. Please be assured that you as the customer are our top priority and that we are actively working to rectify these problems. Once again, I offer my sincerest apologies and hope that you will grant us another opportunity to serve you better.”

The post had garnered more than 210 comments as of Tuesday afternoon, with most offering encouragement and support. Those who did have criticism to offer mentioned issues such as food quality and temperature, and inadequate staff attention.

Lavoie on Tuesday said he decided to write the post due to online negativity and reviews on his recently expanded venture.

On Yelp, for example, the business had a 3.6-star rating out of 5 stars as of mid-October. Several positive reviews commend the food, though the business has also garnered negative reviews critical of food quality, selection and wait staff attentiveness.

“While we have gotten a lot of positive feedback, a negative roar gets a lot more attention than a positive one,” he said. “Ultimately, my job is to make sure all of my customers have a good experience. I want to make sure our customers are happy.”

According to Lavoie, any restaurant owner would want to hear directly from customers if there is a problem, so they can fix it. Some customers may not want to be confrontational, and instead of talking to a business directly, they post their views online instead, he noted.

“I just wanted to own what I have done wrong so I can fix it,” he said.

Lavoie acknowledges that the brick-and-mortar venture has encountered some challenges since its launch three months ago.

One issue has been finding the right staffing, which he has been working to address, he said.

“It is about trying to find people who have the same amount of passion you do, and it can be tough to find people in that category,” Lavoie said.

In addition to making new hires, he has been focusing on training, promoting from within and creating a positive work environment, he said.

Lavoie says he cares about his customers, both at the food truck and at the restaurant.

“I genuinely love people and want to do right by them,” Lavoie said. “I am very transparent. I am a little guy, not a corporate guy, just trying to take care of my family.”

The brick-and-mortar location has given him an opportunity to offer more of his recipes, and have even more “fun with food,” he said.

Danielle Lee Rubin suggested in a Facebook comment on Lavoie’s post that the restaurant start with a simple menu, then perfect and add to it.

“It takes a lot to come here publicly and admit there have been some setbacks and to apologize… if you're open to constructive feedback, asking for it will give you ideas to improve,” Rubin wrote.

Nick Michaud, another commenter, wrote, “Steve we all know you are a talented chef, dedicated to quality and very hardworking. The years at the food truck have more than proven it. Having a restaurant is a whole other beast to wrangle.”

“The hardest part is keeping the food quality consistent and retaining reliable staff who share a similar passion you do,” Michaud wrote. “The food quality AND consistency is number one… Good luck with everything. We all want to see you succeed.”