Not Just on Fridays Anymore

Sometimes you fight and you fight for something you believe in  and you never see any results, but that happily was not the case when I went to bat with Eat n Park to advocate for the return of the Tuna Melt to their menu.

In case you haven't been following the saga as documented in this column, it all began back on Easter Monday back in April 2012.  I wasn't able to get the Tuna Melt advertised online by Eat n Park because it was a Lenten Special (and they hadn't yet updated their website).

I was sorely disappointed.  In the immediate moment of my despair I wrote an online complaint to Eat n Park that included the following passage:

I remember a time when Tuna Cheddar Melts were a regular menu item at your restaurant, and the store manager verified that this was true, and that it was actually a pretty popular item.  May I respectfully suggest that you reestablish the Tuna Cheddar Melt as a regular menu item?  How hard could this be?  I assume that you have everything on hand for the sandwich already except for the tuna, and how inconvenient could it be to stock some canned fish in the store?  It doesn't go bad.

A few weeks later I received a $5 gift card from Eat n Park in apology (a classy move), and then in August 2012 the Tuna Melt showed up as the Friday feature on their 7 Days 7 Deals 7 Dollars special.  I was very happy to again enjoy this delicious sandwich, and made Eat n Park my special Friday place.  I knew it wouldn't be forever, but I was just grateful for what I could get.

Then last week, Diane, my friend and obviously a faithful Rip reader, posted on my wall in Facebook:  "Sharon, Eat n Park has a new menu -the tuna melt is available every day now!"  

Oh, happy days!  I can order the Tuna Melt any day of the week - not just on Fridays! 

So, the Tuna Melt returns to the daily menu just a little over a year after I hit the "send" button on my elegant plea to Eat n Park.  Coincidence? Maybe, but let's indulge me for for a moment and pretend that I had some small part in bringing back the Tuna Melt.  

In my interpretation of this turn of events, Eat n Park deserves a huge shout out for being so responsive to its customers.  It is clear to me why the restaurant is so successful - good fresh reasonably priced food with lots of variety and a commitment to their customers.   

It would also mean that one small, albeit very reasonable, voice made a difference.  Now if we could just talk some reason into those legislators of ours.