Trip to Westfield’s Wagamama

On the second Saturday of each month I attend a Young Persons Group for young adults who have a neuromuscular condition at the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery in London. I have met and become friends with great people, who experience and have experienced similar things in life that others without a neuromuscular condition or a medical condition wouldn’t have or maybe understand. In July, we decided that we would take a month off for the summer and that we would meet somewhere other than the hospital in September so we came up with the idea of going out for a meal in the Shepherds Bush, Westfield at Wagamama.

One member from the group rang up Wagamama in Westfield and booked a table for 15 people, with up to 5 party members in wheelchairs, for Saturday 9th September at 12:30. The booking was checked by phone with the manager a week later to ensure everything was okay with our booking, they confirmed that everything is fine and will be ready for us on the day. From this you would assume that the tables would be reserved and ready for 12:30 on that day, wouldn’t you?!

The day came and I was stuck in traffic so was running late, I felt guilty as I thought everyone would be waiting for me, so I rushed around Westfields to get to the restaurant (which I can tell you is extremely difficult when you are in a wheelchair, it feels like you are invisible to every abled-body person and you get walked into, stepped out in front of and the whole experience is very stressful). When I eventually arrived at Wagamama at 13:15 the rest of the group still hadn’t been seated at a suitable table. The table that my friends were waiting at, which they had been offered, was a tall table with tall stools which would have had been suitable if us wheelchair users wanted to use the table as a head rest. The majority of the group turned up at 12:30 and they were shown the only TWO wheelchair ‘accessible’ tables in the restaurant which both were already taken by able-bodied people who were eating. Our party were then taken to another table where the benches were nailed to the floor meaning that a wheelchair couldn’t get close to sitting at the table.

It infuriates me that the staff in Wagamama’s made no attempt to rectify the situation by asking one of the tables from the only two ‘accessible’ tables if they wouldn’t mind moving (considering we had made a ‘reservation’ hoping to avoid circumstances such as this). JUST WHY?! I’m sure the people on those tables would have had no objection to moving if they were aware of the predicament, would you? And if there are only TWO ‘accessible’ tables why are they not the last tables to be offered to customers, should they not be prioritized for wheelchair users?!

Personally, I think IT IS disgusting that in this day and age there only TWO tables in a restaurant that are suitable for a wheelchair user, don’t you? The staff were apologetic and offered us a discount off of our final bill, but really what a waste of time booking and checking a booking, seriously what was the point! The most frustrating thing is that we couldn’t just go anywhere else, it was peak lunch time on a Saturday and it’s hard enough to get into somewhere with just one wheelchair. Think about how hard it is with multiple?!

We were finally ‘seated’ at 13:40, after the wait at the tall table for over an hour, when one of the ‘accessible’ tables became available. What I found absolutely hilarious is when we got to the table it was next to a wall with not enough space between the table and the wall for a wheelchair – REALLY, would you call that accessible! I had to sit on the corner of the table and the other two wheelchair users were in the suitable-ish gap. Unfortunately, not all of the group could come but this was fortunate for the restaurant as there wouldn’t have been enough room for one more wheelchair, let alone two. It makes me upset that a group of friends, when one or more happen to be in a wheelchair, can’t go out for a stress-free meal where everyone can sit nicely/properly around a table. How would that make you feel if you couldn’t go out for a hassle-free meal with your friends? We had to ask for a chair to fill the gap in-between me (on the corner) and the fixed benches for a friend with nowhere else to sit. The table was also quite high, higher than an average table, it came up to my chest and my wheelchair is higher than the regular one. Additionally, the table legs made it very difficult to get a wheelchair under and we were also all unable to sit at one table. However, after over an hour wait we were all starving and fed up of complaining so accepted this.

Once we settled at the table we had a good laugh, a great time socializing and having a catch up and our spirits were lifted. We had some chaos with the food as we kept being brought the wrong food which just added to the frustration and disappointment of the place but when we received the right food it was enjoyable. At the end of the meal we had to ask for the bill three times due to taking over 20 minutes for them to bring it to us, when we did get it, it came without the discount so we sent it back. I would of thought that if you were made to wait so long when you had BOOKED a table and made the restaurant fully aware that members of the group were in wheelchair, the staff would try and be a bit more attentive and try and make the group as happy and satisfied as possible but obviously not! It just seemed like a constant struggle. We got a pretty good discount in the end after a bit of confusion, we got 30% off and all drinks free, which is the least you expect after you pre-book and have to wait for over an hour because you are in a wheelchair and the restaurant didn’t reserve the TWO what they call ‘accessible’ tables. It just upsets me so much that going out for lunch with friends is this difficult and draining, it shouldn’t have to be but sadly it is!

I don’t think I and the others will be returning to Wagamama anytime soon and I most certainly won’t be recommending them to anyone else! But I definitely couldn’t complain about the amazing company and all the laughter, it made me so happy to see everyone, here’s till the next meeting!