Finally, Answers After 13 Days Of Mourning But More Work Must Be Done
I’m in mourning over Bandera’s Mac & Cheese. For 13 long days, I’ve been desperately waiting for Bandera‘s parent company, Hillstone, to tell me something – anything! – about why this dish had to die. Since posting two weeks ago, I’ve been trying to get a response from them, calling and emailing several times to no avail.
Since I wasn’t getting a response, I started a Twitter campaign: #SaveBanderaMacNCheese (which, for some unexplained reason, hasn’t taken off … yet).
Jen Aniston in LBD (Harpers Bazaar). More Later!
Then, yesterday, 13 days in, Hillstone finally responded, with Laura Biel in Guest Relations emailing me:
Dear Diane,
Thank you for forwarding the link to your blog post about Bandera’s Mac & Cheese. We are truly flattered that you hold it in such high esteem. We made the decision to remove that item from the menu due to issues with consistency and execution. As a “Banderaholic,” I am sure you are aware how committed we are to the quality of our food! However, please know I have shared your blog with our executives and culinary team, and that your desire to see the Mac & Cheese reinstated has been heard. Meanwhile, we hope you will find a new favorite on our menu to enjoy.
Thank you again, Diane, and we look forward to serving you again soon.
Warm regards,
Laura Biel
Guest Relations
At least they responded. While I still maintain that their reasoning is faulty (the dish was always great in my book), what may have bothered me most was their “lack of response.” If they couldn’t get back to an obvious Banderaholic, who would they get back to? Did they forget, I wondered, that they were in the hospitality business after all?
So, what’s my take? Theirs was a nice, polite response but I’m not getting the impression the suits are rushing out to get another Mac & Cheese on the menu anytime soon. But because they appear to be listening, there’s hope. That said, it’s going to take more than my #SaveBanderaMacNCheese Twitter campaign to get action. I say let’s put our heads together and make it happen. All of us together are better than each of us alone. Let’s take steps, like:
- Wear all black to any Hillstone property (Bandera, Hillstone, Houston’s, Gulfstream, R+D and the like). Sure, you’ll blend in with the wait staff which may feel odd at first … but you’ll be paying important respect to the death of an incredible dish … and, besides, ladies, this will give you an excuse to wear that slimming LBD (Jen Aniston knows this is never a bad thing)
- Consider wearing a ribbon in memory of the Mac & Cheese (perhaps gold, red and black as an homage to Bandera’s colors?)
- Write to Hillstone like I did. Yes. You. Can. Here, I’ll make it easy for you. Email Laura (Laura.Biel@Hillstone.com) with the following: “Dear Laura: As a supporter of the #SaveBanderaMacNCheese Campaign, I’m strongly requesting that Bandera reinstate that dish! Thank you. – Your Name“