Kaluz Restaurant

On June 16, we went to Kaluz Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale to celebrate my mother’s 85th birthday. We are regulars at Kaluz to the point where we have the cell phone numbers of several employees. In a nutshell, Anthony, the manager, should not hold that position in a restaurant like Kaluz. My husband and Anthony exchanged words and Anthony’s solution to the issue was telling us, “You should not come back here. The owners do not want parties larger than five people.” My jaw dropped. I could not believe that a manager’s solution to an issue about seating us sooner, while we waited for two other people in our party, especially since my 85-year-old mother could not stand for long, was to tell us, on two separate occasions, that we should not come back. Anthony also put the entire blame on the owners of the restaurant. We go to Kaluz almost on a weekly basis, tip extremely well and have taken countless people there that have also ended up being regulars at Kaluz. No restaurant manager should EVER tell a customer, regular or not, to not come back regardless of the issue. Needless to say, we will not be going back to Kaluz as long as Anthony continues working

Love Kaluz. Always treated special. 4/26/22(?), i dined & actually was in assistance after morning of medical a tests. Came in in need. Jenice Smellie notice coming right to my assistance sitting me herself in shaded spot outside. Her beautiful smile & friendliness I knew I was going to be taken care of. Not only did she find me nice table w/ a view but comfy enough for my back after hours having medical tests she checked back frequently to make sure I was ok. I was, just wee bit tired. She immediately lifted my weariness & treated me like I pulled in on a yatch instead of slowly walking in. She’s face of Kaluz. She is above & beyond customer service. Thank her. Leah(outside greeter) was sweeter with also huge wonderful personality , very kind too of my sun issues. I returned yesterday & met Anthony, he too, offers his special friendliness. I spoke to him of Jenice & Leah. You have an awesome team. The trio. Their charm & customer service goes above. I frequent Kaluz & after these last 2 times this week, it will be my main spot. They help put everyone in a good spot!! Please send this info on to higher corporate office. They deserve it Paula Tindall RN 561-702-9442 They made a weary gal smile laugh & eat a lot! An acknowledge of this greatly appreciated.

During my recent visit, I was subjected to an incredibly distressing and demeaning encounter that has left me not only outraged but also determined to ensure others are aware of the deeply ingrained discriminatory practices that seem to be part of this establishment's culture. I sat at the bar for happy hour with my friend. I am a white woman and my friend is a Latina woman, both of us psychiatric professionals in our late 30s. When I asked for the check to be charged to the card I provided to open a tab, the bartender rudely stated that he couldn’t charge the card I gave him because it belonged to “a Raymond or something.” When I asked him to clarify, he repeated himself that he couldn’t charge the card because it belonged to Raymond and it wasn’t my card. I looked at him with a confused face and asked, “You mean Ryan?” “Yes I guess that’s it. A Ryan. So I can’t charge that card. Unless you give me an ID.” The bartender openly judged and discriminated against me based on my name and appearance. I am a woman…named Ryan. It was my card. The bartender was loud and clearly proud of himself for assuming he caught some sort of a scammer who enjoys happy hours. I gave him my ID and told him how embarrassing and insulting this experience was. He gave no apology. He could have discretely and politely asked me for an ID to charge the card on file. Instead, he chose to judge us on our appearance and assume it was not my card, making his assumptions loud and clear to the rest of the guests around us. The experience with the general manager was almost worse. He made me feel as if we were completely wasting his time. He also offered no apology or empathy only stating that he “couldn’t assume what the bartender was implying.” He very clearly could not have cared less about what we were expressing to him. He did not identify with this discrimination at all and I felt even further dismissed by him. I have been to Kaluz many times. I am a local. They have comped me (without request) for forgetting to put beets on my salad. But when it comes to bigotry and discrimination, apparently they don’t care about compensation or apologies or any small amount of empathy. If you want to save yourself from a negative experience…do not go to Kaluz. I never will again. If you are under 65, seemingly from out of town, or apparently if your name is gender neutral….absolutely DO NOT go to Kaluz. You will be assumed a scammer and be humiliated. If you are trans, non binary, or a minority…forget about it! Not a safe space. No one cares.