HWY 55 Burgers Shakes and Fries

Every time I go here with friends & family I've had great food & service

I was appalled at the way the store manager treated his customer. It was completely uncalled for, unprofessional, and rude.



The store manager, Jay Thomas, walked over to our table and raised his voice, at a customer, I remind you, and the situation could have been handled in a more professional manner.



Jay Thomas noticed the smoking of an electronic cigarette. He immediately walked up, raised his voice, and stated, "THAT IS NOT ALLOWED IN HERE, THAT IS AGAINST THE LAW YOU ARE GOING TO GET ME SHUT DOWN! YOU DON'T COME IN MY BUSINESS SMOKING SOMETHING LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!".



He was causing a scene in front of other customers. It completely took me by surprise. It was also a completely wrong act to embarrass a customer, at all, especially while other customers were around.



I, being more professional, did not join in conflict at that moment, and decided to calmly walk up and address my concern in a polite manner when leaving. I simply walked up to, Jay Thomas, and stated. "The way that you handled that situation was very unprofessional, and uncalled for." He then got even louder with me and tried speaking over me voicing my concern saying, "WELL THAT IS AGAINST THE LAW, AND PEOPLE COME IN HERE FROM THAT SMOKE STORE AND THINK THEY CAN COME IN HERE AND DO WHATEVER THEY WANT...." I then said to him, "Number 1 it is not against the law it is not tobacco, nor is it a tobacco product. Number 2 we are not "those people". Number 3 there is a nicer more professional way...", and I got cut off again with him saying "WELL DON'T COME BACK IN MY RESTAURANT AGAIN!". I then informed him that, "I have never had to deal with this much unprofessional ism anywhere else, and I have no desire to come back here." It would not have bothered me if he would have came to me politely, asked rather than told, and spoke in a descent tone of voice. If he didn't want them being smoked in his restaurant there was a much more polite way of telling us so. There also was no sign posted banning them nor is it against that law as stated below here.



Just to give you a little back ground on this, an electronic cigarette, is not tobacco nor is it a tobacco product. The by product from an electronic cigarette is water vapor, not smoke, or harmful tar burned from regular tobacco cigarettes.

This is the North Carolina Law as stated at http://www.sog.unc.edu/node/1038#5

Does the new smoking law apply only to cigarette smoking?

No. It applies to the "use or possession of a lighted cigarette, lighted cigar, lighted pipe, or any other lighted tobacco product." G.S. 130A-492(9). Note, however, that the law would not apply to the smoking of any product that does not include tobacco, such as electronic cigarettes.