[EvanAnderson]

My wife worked for Darden Restarurants for awhile and corporate training materials always referred to customers as "guests", too.

On one level I suppose it's just silly terminology, but it grates with me. I guess it's supposed to imply some kind of familiar relationship, free of the gauche trappings of economics. To me a customer demands more attention than a "guest".

It shocks me how many people don't recognize that their employer wouldn't exist if not for customers. That should be front-and-center in the minds of anyone working for a for-profit entity. I don't think there's anything gauche about economics.

[barbecue_sauce]

The history of food service goes hand-in-hand with the hospitality industry, so referring to a customer as a "guest" is very traditional and common amongst almost all restaurants.