John Travolta has done pretty well for himself, and one would think the man could grab a reservation in the busiest of restaurants (celebrities have a way of making impossible reservations possible).
The actor was in London for a Scientology meeting, and why else would one go to London? The man loves great food so it was hardly a surprise that he chose one of London's very best - and that would be KFC (believe it or not). The actor wanted a reservation, and an employee of the London Kentucky Fried Chicken basically suggested that he stand in line like everyone else.
A spokesperson for KFC headquarters responded upon hearing of the incident, their regret over their employee’s decision. "In hindsight, of course, we would have reserved a table for him," explained the spokesperson. "It's not every day you get a Hollywood star eating in your restaurant."
The employee stands by the original decision to deny the actor, "To me, customers are customers, no matter who they are. It doesn't make a difference if someone is famous."
In my mind,that employee is absolutely correct, and in terms of the actor, I could care less. The man is in London for a Scientology meeting. What else do you want to know?
I remember when an owner in Philadelphia (Neil Stein of the prestigious Striped Bass) refused the reservation on a Saturday night for President and Ms. Clinton and their entourage because the Secret Service insisted that he had to close his restaurant to the public.
He did exactly what the KFC employee did, and it was the right thing. The publicity would have been unbelievable, but Neil Stein did it for his loyal customers. I can remember the basic quote..."I have people who get engaged on a Saturday night in my restaurant. I'm not going to ruin that moment for anybody - including the President of the United States".
I would suggest a pink slip for the KFC spokesman, and his or her replacement would be the employee who said no to Mr. Travolta.
