Conversation at a business luncheon tends to be focused on work. The meal and service are secondary concerns. Still, clumsy service or a poorly prepared meal can ruin a productive business meeting, and a delightful meal and impeccable service can make such an experience enjoyable.
Recently, I had a luncheon meeting with a friend at a nationwide restaurant chain that prides itself on exemplary service.

I ordered first—a cup of soup and a small Greek salad. The waiter asked me if I wanted the soup and salad combo—a bowl of soup and a salad. I passed on the combo. My friend ordered the combo with a Caesar salad.

Several minutes later, the waiter delivered my cup of soup and placed a Caesar salad in front of my friend. We were surprised, and my friend asked why he had received his salad first, instead of the soup. The waiter politely responded that if you order the combo the salad comes first, followed by the soup. If you don’t order the combo, as I did, you get your soup first. We tried to explain to the waiter that, because both of us wanted soup and salad, it would seem appropriate and logical to bring both soups at the same time. Our protestations made no sense to the waiter, and he kept mumbling about how the combo is served salad first. A lot of our business conversation over the next hour kept coming back to this rather ridiculous soup-and-salad fiasco.

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