Sometimes January food discount offers can feel too good to be true and in the case of my recent visit to Box that probably was the case.
We know that January can be a difficult month with the weather being pretty grim and people watching their bank balances after Christmas. This coupled with many admirably taking on Dry January can make things rather challenging for the hospitality sector.
So, many restaurants and bars try to entice us into their venues with January savings deals. In Leeds, there’s a host of great offers just waiting for us to take advantage of.
Read more: 20 Leeds restaurants and bars you have to try in 2023
Plastered all over their socials and on their website Leeds city centre venue Box, a sports bar which also has a branch in Headingley, says it is offering 50 per cent off food throughout January. It is a hell of a saving, in theory, and, of course, as you'd expect, there’s some terms and conditions.
The main conditions being a table had to be booked in advance to bag some cheap grub and the offer runs between Sunday and Thursday. First up, my visit with my dad, who for some reason was desperate to watch Newcastle United against Leicester City in the Carabao Cup (we both support Manchester City…) on a Tuesday. So, absolutely fine in that regard.
What I thought could be a sticking point was I’d perhaps left it too late to book as when I looked on Tuesday morning bookings had closed but…I rang Box, based in Infirmary Street, asking if they could slot us in for food as part of the half price deal and they happily obliged - great customer service. Everything was looking good.
When we arrived, some people were sat in the table we were assigned for our 7pm booking. No biggie, the bar, at that time, wasn’t that busy and we just sat elsewhere. If anything, my dad was happier under the big screen where we plonked ourselves.
But slightly bigger issues arose after. Before we go any further, on Box Leeds city centre’s Facebook page their 50 per cent off food January deal is advertised as: “All your favourite dishes for half the price? You heard it right. Enjoy 50 per cent off your food bill this January at Box. Available Sunday to Thursday.”
On their website, things go a lot further (you know, those T&Cs again). It states: "To welcome in 2023, we're offering you 50 per cent off your entire food bill throughout the month of January.
“Simply book to dine between Sunday to Thursday from Monday, January 2 until Tuesday, January 31, 2023 to enjoy this incredible offer. With a menu featuring plenty of tasty food from juicy burgers to fresh pizzas, it's the perfect place to watch your team win the match on our big screens whilst having a bite to eat.
“Terms and conditions apply. Offer is only available when pre-booked. All offers are subject to availability and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. All offers can be withdrawn at any time (without notice). Limited availability for this offer. Excludes bottomless brunch, upgrades and extras. Excludes £7 lunch menu.”
You have to pay when you order in advance at the bar. To share, we opted for the popcorn chicken sharer (£16.95), classic nachos sharer (£12.95), Margherita pizza (£9.50) and two sides of fries (£8) as well as a pint of Pepsi (£3.25) and two peach coolers (listed as two-for-one and priced £10.95 each).
The height of my maths ability was reached when I got a B in my GCSEs some 15 years back but I was expecting the bill to be around £35 to £45. The card machine came over for payment and I tapped just at the same time as the friendly member of the bar team said ‘that’s £63.80’. I did double take slightly with an awkward ‘is that right?’.
The manager came out (just to clarify, I didn't ask for them to) and explained the 50 per cent deal didn’t apply to sharers. As the order had already gone through (despite the fact it likely hadn’t been started in the kitchen) I just accepted what was said after a lot of awkward sorrys all round. I did think, given the popcorn chicken and nachos were available as smaller plates, surely a suggestion of putting through a couple of orders of those, if sharers truly were exempt from the deal, would have negated the issue. But, if those are the terms, I’m not someone to argue the toss. So fine.
Then, I’ve seen since on an advertisement for their champions platter, which is listed in the sharers section of the food menu, advertised as half price as part of the January deal (see below) so all a bit confusing. Plus, as you'll see, the post goes at great length to state the discounts apply to the 'ENTIRE food menu'.
Then to really cap things, something I discovered as I began writing this review, I didn’t actually receive the two-for-one discount on the cocktails as advertised. Who knows, perhaps this is the reference to the ‘cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer’, I quoted earlier from Box’s website, listed promoting the food offer.
Possibly so, but that would be a little pedantic surely as I could have then got up and ordered the drinks separately from the food and presumably take advantage of the saving. And, when I was ordering, the member of the bar team told me the cocktail I picked was available two for one.
So, I’ll leave you to reach a conclusion on that one. I mean, the peach cooler was refreshing but I didn’t need two of them if the second wasn’t free.
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I genuinely didn’t check the receipt, once I’d sat down in Box, because you know how it is. I’d felt a little embarrassed by the whole experience at the bar and feared I’d come over as cheap if I went back and questioned anything further.
So, all in all, just something of a messy experience really and, at the very least, better communication online of what is and isn’t included in the 50 per cent deal is needed. Although, I do think on my visit to Box in Leeds city centre there was some certainly mixed messaging.
It is a shame, as when the food arrived it was a perfectly fine bar offering (barring the amount of cheese on my dad’s pizza being a little stingy). The service was swift, the staff were nice enough (particularly taking the phone booking as I'd earlier mentioned), portion sizes were good and the atmosphere in the venue grew as the night went on making Box a really solid Leeds city centre shout for watching a football match out. But also, it is quite telling instead of writing about the food, I’ve spent hundreds of words explaining admin which isn’t all that exciting - something we all likely agree on.
As someone who worked as a waiter for seven years through college and university, and now in a role which has a focus and a responsibility to report on the hospitality industry, and I hope regularly support it, across Yorkshire, it takes a lot for me to write a negative review (please feel free to look) but equally there’s a lot of confusing aspects about the January discount at Box which is a shame. I’m conscious that with so many people feeling the pinch at the minute and any customers, who had a similar experience to me, would be left a feeling a bit (possibly unintentionally) mislead. Thirty-odd quid for what we had would have been a bargain but £63.80 was nowhere near worth it.
The bill
- Pepsi - £3.25
- 2 x Peach Coolers - £21.90 (Advertised as two for one cocktails all day Monday to Friday, we didn't receive discount) - £21.90
- Popcorn chicken sharer - £16.95 (Apparently, not valid in January 50 per cent off food deal)
- Classic nachos sharer - £12.95 (Apparently, not valid in January 50 per cent off food deal)
- Margherita pizza - £9.50
- 2 x sides of fries - £8
- January 50 per cent deal saving - £8.75
Total: £63.80
Box, 15 Infirmary St, Leeds LS1 2JS. To book a table visit their website or call 0113 532 7010.
We approached Arc Inspirations, which oversees Box, for comment and clarification regarding their January discount food offer. A spokesperson for Box Leeds City Centre, said: “We are very sorry about Craig’s experience. We have carried out an investigation and concluded this was a result of a till error. We have apologised to Craig about this, and as a result, we have briefed our teams and are looking into our till systems to ensure this discrepancy doesn’t occur again.
"We have invited Craig back for a meal on the house by way of apology and would like to reassure customers that this deal is indeed redeemable across our entire food menu when you pre-book to dine, and can be used in conjunction with the ongoing two-for-one cocktail offer.”
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