Michael T. Mondak speaks about a bad dinner theater experience in 2007

Nearly 20 years ago, I attended a dinner theater in Sackets Harbor, New York that left a lasting impression on me - but not for the reasons anyone would hope.


I went expecting an enjoyable evening that combined a meal with live entertainment.  Instead, I left feeling disappointed and overlooked.  My experience that night made me feel that many attendees were not included in the meal service, and even when I asked I could get something as simple as nachos because I was hungry, the answer was no.  I went home wondering why the evening had turned out that way, and I was so upset that I cried myself to sleep.

For a long time, I kept these feelings to myself.  It has taken me nearly 20 years to break my silence about why that experience affected me so deeply.

The lesson I took away isn't that every dinner theater is the same.  Rather, it's that hospitality matters.  When people attend an event, they should feel welcomed, valued and included.  No one should leave hungry or feeling forgotten.

If I ever attend another dinner theater, I would want the reassurance that every attendee will be treated equally and served as part of the experience.  That expectation isn't about holding onto the past - it's about the kind of hospitality I believe every guest deserves.

Sometimes a single evening can stay with you for years.  My hope is simply that every event organizer remembers that the little things - making sure every guest is included and cared for - can make all the difference.

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