Didn’t your Mama teach you to say “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am”?

We were at the Treasure Island Resort on the morning of my birthday. Hoping for eggs Benedict (my favorite), LB and I made our way to the BRGR restaurant.

(this is the view from our suite)

Walking in, we saw a sign that read:

“Please seat yourself”

LB and I thought that, under the [COVID19] circumstances, we should sit outside.

There was only one other couple in the entire restaurant, and they were also outside. We looked for a small table, but there was only one, and it was right next to the other couple, and did not seem to be an adequate 6 feet away.

So we chose a larger table… a table for six.

A female server emerged and asked if we were expecting others to join us. I answered, “no, it is just the two of us”. With no words, she waved her arm and motioned for us to move, as she pointed to the smaller table and declared that the tables we had chosen were meant for a larger group.

Bewildered, LB and I followed as she put us right next to the other couple. This interaction was the first clue that we were to be waited on by someone who is completely lacking in ‘social skills’. Neither one of us liked the way this was handled, but being that I do not deal well with conflict, and it was my birthday… no argument was given.

She brought our coffee and she took our order.

LB ordered the frittata sandwich. He mispronounced the word frittata, she abruptly corrected him, but brought him his order. Eggs Benedict was not on the menu, but my breakfast was excellent! Kudos to the chef!

I had a bacon, cheddar, onion, and spinach omelette…

that came with a loaf of bread.

As our server patrolled through the outdoor dining area [checking on ALL TWO of her tables], she would occasionally stop to ask if anything was needed. If she provided LB with a coffee refill, or anything, he would respond as any southern gentleman does, with a friendly “Thank you ma’am”. Each time she replied. When she replied, she would do so quietly, and beneath a mask. I wasn’t sure, but it sounded like she said the word ‘BRANDY’.

It wasn’t until LB got the check that we saw that the server’s name was BRANDI and he realized she had indeed been correcting him when he would say, “thank you, ma’am”.

I had picked up on this a little earlier, but said nothing because

I wasn’t sure that I was really hearing what I was hearing.

Brandi brought our requested take out boxes and we filled them with half of our breakfast and left the BRGR restaurant that morning. Brandi was rewarded with a good tip, but in my opinion should have been rewarded with a “can I speak with your manager?”

When LB and I discussed this as we left the restaurant, he was [for lack of a better expression] BLOWN AWAY that he had apparently offended this young woman.

LB and I later discussed my thoughts on being called “ma’am”. I told him that although I’ve never confronted anyone, it does make me feel old. Albeit, I understand the use of yes ma’am, no ma’am, thank you ma’am.

If you want to thank me, and you say,

“thank you ma’am”

I’m okay with that.

LB had no idea that this was ‘a thing’ until he googled “Thank you ma’am offends”.

In the article he shared, the writer, Kelly Kazik concludes, maybe we should not be offended by this (manners are a good thing after-all).

Although the Treasure Island Resort was beyond impressive, unfortunately, the resort’s only restaurant left us feeling a little disconcerted.

We wouldn’t go back to the BRGR restaurant during our 2020 stay at the Treasure Island Resort, but we did enjoy the other half of our breakfast, in our suite, the following day.