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Bears’ QB Justin Fields and Smoque BBQ Share Their Bogus Food Delivery Mishaps
Even Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields wants third-party delivery companies to do better.
As the Bears prepare for their game this weekend versus their hated rivals, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, Fields — a second-year player on the brink of a breakthrough season — was left frustrated Thursday night after a delivery gone awry.
While Fields figures out how to deliver Chicago a Super Bowl champ — something the city has been starving for 36 years — the mild-mannered quarterback, who’s usually quiet on social media, shared his thoughts on a bad food delivery experience on Thursday night. In a now-deleted tweet(a fan saved a screenshot) Fields wrote that he ordered $90 of food, via Uber Eats, but the delivery wasn’t made to the right place and that the delivery company didn’t immediately credit the money to his account. Fields didn’t share what restaurant he ordered from, but was excited about his delivery, writing: “SMH y’all gotta do better LOL I was hungry & ready to go crazy on that food now I’m just gone starve.”
Chicago is bitterly cold this first week of December, which is typical as winter sees a spike in deliveries with people staying in rather than dining out. Fans immediately began worrying about their quarterback, concerned that he would starve. Some blamed UberEats. Fantasy football players showed the most empathy, as they’re known to do: “This is unacceptable to Uber. This is the last thing I need when I’m one game out of the playoffs in fantasy football and Justin is my starting QB. Fix this NOW.”
Like Fields, restaurants across the country have shared their frustrations with delivery companies. Earlier this week, Smoque, one of the most popular barbecue restaurants in the city, was the victim of a scam with someone creating a fake Smoque ordering profile on DoorDash. The fake profile replaced Smoque’s legit menu. This would fool customers who would make orders thinking that a delivery person would soon show up at their door with delicious ribs or brisket. Alas, their credit card payments went to an unknown party; the orders never made it to the restaurant. Smoque owner Barry Sorkin tells Eater that delivery people would show up to his restaurant to pick up their kitchen orders never received. This was also the second time this year Smoque has been victimized, and despite talking to DoorDash about their problems and having noted it in their internal profile, DoorDash allowed it to happen again. How this happened remains a mystery to Sorkin and DoorDash doesn’t have answers either.
Sorkin tells Eater that it’s frustrating how slow companies react to their concerns. DoorDah only removed the fraudulent menu and ordering profile, and the day after Smoque went public on their Facebook page. Coincidentally, Smoque has recently started using Uber Eats and Sorkin says they haven’t experienced any problems.
A DoorDash spokesperson furnished this statement to Eater:
“As part of our commitment to providing a safe, high-quality service for merchants, we continually monitor the platform to detect and prevent fraudulent behavior. We have collaborated with Smoque BBQ to understand the recent situation, deactivate the fraudulent store, and reinstate the correct restaurant on our platform. We regret this incident and if any member of our community identifies unusual activity with their account, we strongly encourage them to reach out to DoorDash support immediately.”
While Fields called out Uber Eats, that company has escaped the city’s legal wrath. Last year, the city of Chicago filed twin lawsuits against DoorDash and Grubhub claiming unfair labor practices. Both companies have denied wrongdoing as legal proceedings continue. A DoorDash spokesperson says they’re still a long way before their lawsuit’s resolution. They want the public to know that they’ve implemented company policies so restaurants are treated better. For example, in November 2020, DoorDash won’t add restaurants in the US without owners’ consent. Sorkin is skeptical, though, wondering how DoorDash authorized changes to their ordering platform without notifying him.
The scam extends beyond Smoque. Block Club Chicago reports Brown Sugar Bakery was also victimized.
As for Fields, maybe, next time Major Lori Lightfoot could drop off the food. Many Chicagoans would argue that the comfort of the city’s quarterback is an important enough civic matter. Especially during a campaign cycle.
University of Houston testing new robot waiter
“What we’re finding is guests in the restaurant are coming because of the robot,” said college Dean Dennis Reynolds.
HOUSTON, Texas — The University of Houston is testing a new research project they’re calling the “future of food service.”
Eric’s restaurant on the University of Houston campus serves more than just a menu. It’s also a training ground for students studying hospitality at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership.
“The students feel like they own it. They work here. It’s their restaurant,” Dean Dennis Reynolds said.
More than 80% of restaurant employees are students, but about a month ago, the university hired a new, robotic server.
“What we’re finding is guests in the restaurant are coming because of the robot,” Reynolds said.
It’s a scene straight out of ‘The Jetsons,’ except unlike ‘Rosie,’ ‘Servi’ is the strong, silent type, unless you get in her way.
“Excuse me,” ‘Servi’ said.
The university got the robot to give students hands-on training for tomorrow.
“My goal was to be the first restaurant in the city of Houston to have a robotic server,” Reynolds said. “A lot of people, unfortunately, are teaching kind of what we did 20 years ago, and that’s not going to help the student 10 years from now. So we want the students to see what is the future and this is the future.”
The robot is currently serving as a food runner at the restaurant. She’s first plated and then programmed. Once she arrives at the table, the waiter delivers the food.
“Press the number of the table that you’re sending to and press go,” Executive Chef Tanner Lucas said. “What Servi is going to allow us to do is stay on the floor and really get to interact with our guests. And I think that’s where the heart of hospitality really lies.”
Servi is staying in the restaurant, but the university hopes to one day get more robots, possibly to help out with catering in the banquet halls or even room service in their hotel.
“Can you imagine going to a reception in our big ballroom and having this thing just passing hors d’oeuvres,” Reynolds said.
And they’re not just putting the robot to work, they’re using it for research.
“The data will also tell us what guests think,” Reynolds said.
And the possibilities are endless, because, ready or not, the future is here, no matter how you slice it.
“We just don’t know where this can go,” Reynolds said.
The food words we love to hate
Editor’s Note: Eat Drink D-FW is hosted by Dallas Morning News Food Editor Erin Booke with food reporters Sarah Blaskovich and Claire Ballor. Each week, our food journalists dish, debate and analyze local restaurant news, food and drink trends, tips for cooking and shopping, and other obsessions. You’ll also hear from chefs, farmers and foodies like yourself as we explore the people who made D-FW one of the most vibrant, diverse and ambitious food scenes in the country.
Eat Drink D-FW from The Dallas Morning News is made possible by Central Market. All editorial decisions are made by The News.
The food words we love to hate
Everyone has food words that give them that “ick” feeling. Listen as host Erin Booke talks with food writers Sarah Blaskovich and Claire Ballor about the food words they love to hate. Can you guess which ones they are? And are the words actually annoying, or are people just annoying using them? Then writer Amanda Albee talks with Dallas chef Jessica Alonzo of Native Ferments TX — aka the “pickle Jedi” — about her most popular mustards and other vinegar-y treats. The team also dives into the Best Things they ate recently, which includes a cream cheese appetizer, a favorite dinner spot, and a kid-friendly cabbage soup.