A Smallburg restaurant donated 100% of the proceeds of sales last night to the local humane shelter. Good on them.

Eating animals to save animals has always been one of my favorite past-times.

Now to proceed with the nit-picking and crotchety old fart rant from a guy who could find fault with just about any charity…

I hearby declare Paws for a Cause my Missed Opportunity of the Year:

• Since we weren’t served kitten feet, Paws for a Cause is an awkward take-off on Paws With A Cause.  Note to organizers, it really should be called Pause for a Cause. Really. Or start serving kitten or puppy feet.
• In years past, the restaurant would be slammed with Humane Society people lined up to eat animals to save animals.  A wait of 60-90 minutes was not unusual, except it was on Monday.  Waiting this length of time is commonplace on the weekend. We would mingle with like-minded animal eaters and chat. It was a party!  In order to get more sales, the restaurant set up a temporary drive through.  Since it was staffed by Humane Society volunteers I never had to see the inside (or even the front) of your restaurant or deal with your staff. Missed opportunity.

• For $20 I bought a dinner of “rack of ribs”, beans, fire bread,  etc.  The picture is somewhat more substantial than the “rack of ribs” sold last night. As a matter of fact, these ribs served last night were riblets, the size of the fake ribs called McRib from McDonald’s. Missed opportunity.
• Note to restaurant: OK, I get it, you’re giving up 100% of sales to benefit the humane society. Good on you.  And the place is jammed, so you add staff killing the bottom line even more. But don’t screw the customer.  It was your chance to give me a real treat by putting a real rack of ribs as advertised in that brown bag instead of pretend riblets. Missed opportunity.
• Next year, why not just cut a huge check to the Humane Society and be done with it? It’s obvious you have lost focus on why it’s good business to give away your product to benefit a charity. (You want people to walk away feeling great about they money they just spent in hopes they will return regularly.) Missed opportunity.

Good luck next year. I’ll be looking for kitten or puppy feet to eat for Paws for a Cause.