While I wouldn't necessarily categorize that as negotiating, I totally agree that befriending employees, managers and owners is one of the best things you can d

While I wouldn't necessarily categorize that as negotiating, I totally agree that befriending employees, managers and owners is one of the best things you can do for your bank account. Especially true for restaurants. The first thing I do when moving to a new area is find a good restaurant or deli that I could see myself frequenting, and then go there every day while being as personable as possible (which is not exactly my natural state). It takes maybe a couple of weeks before the customer appreciation perks start appearing.