The Next Great Story Chain Game - The Restaurant

Ok everyone, it's time for another fun-and-awesome Story Chain Game. We will be using a scene this time without any conversation or plot to drive the story chains.

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If you're new to this, here is a run-down of the rules:

1. I will post the initial scene (this time without plot or conversation hints)... 1 paragraph of description with as little influencing terms as possible, no conversation, and no plot.
2. You, as the reader, will read the scene and put together the next segment of the story in 3-5 paragraph chunks.
3. You can read each branching story as it takes on a different path (be it fantasy, sci-fi, horror, romance, or any other genre), vote on the ones you like, and add to them.
4. You can respond to your own responses, but keep them in 3-5 paragraph chunks.
5. If I make it above $10 in upvotes for this specific Post, I will take 80% of those excess earnings and split them evenly between the most-upvoted chains.

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... the story commences here:

Red-oak wood, polished to a natural glow, made up the width and length of the large doors of the Restaurant. Through the large window could be seen a vast open space at the ground level where each table held steel plates, crystal vases, and its own unique ice sculpture. The seats for the guests at the ground level were high-back, with scrolling vines of gold crawling down the silvery framework. Thick-woven cushions were on the seat and the back. Each of the thousand ground-level tables had its own hanging light, framed from a cylinder of silver and dangling on a vine chain of polished steel.

The warm glow of those lights hinted at the finery of the upper balcony, where cups were etched and personalized, dishes gleamed with the finest porcelain sheen, and diamond drops littered the marble floors. Seats were opulent and unique, each one a different animal or creature with a padded cushion of the most luxuriant fibers. A pair of scroll-worked staircases led from a small alcove at each side of the ground level to the upper balcony, and any guests had to pass through a set of double-doors to enter the upper balcony. A lifted platform hinted at the skilled musicians that played for the balcony guests with liting melodies and soft tones.

The smells of cooking were pure and deep, drifting through the entire room and even to the outside world. The meats and desserts were the richest that the ground level patrons could ever dream of eating, and the shelled creatures that were split and sliced for the upper balcony guests were clean and wispy like a cool stream of air. The kitchen was immaculate, with the tools of the trade cleaned and polished to perfection. The chefs were the highest paid and renowned for having the greatest skill. Every night they would even march out to the open area of the ground level and put on a show for the patrons, where the guests would ooh and ahhh to expert skills and showmanship.

The waitstaff was tailored to the job, with suits that fit to perfection. They were trained for years to do this job as if it were second-nature. Glasses never went empty, plates never sat for more than a minute past eating, and guests never felt their presence. They were ghosts of articulate prowess, able to turn a table in a moment for the next guests to arrive. They hand-sculpted each ice creature themselves and rolled and folded each napkin as a work of art. Their voices never raised and their moods were always bright. They served for the joy of serving and were part of the perfect environment.

Even the restrooms were great, with a server in each one to keep it clean, odor-free, and up to standards. Each patron was respected and treated well. Towels were made from the finest woven cloth and the soaps and scents were pure, free of dyes and allergens.

At the back of the restaurant, tucked into a corner and well-out-of-sight, was another door. It was small, crushed by the sheer magnitude and magnificence of the rest of the restaurant. It was unadorned and shadowed on every side. There was a handle, but it was concealed as well and made to be hidden. Most patrons never even noticed that the door existed, but those that saw it were quick to ignore it. The bars on the tiny window gave it the look of fangs, and the humid drippings from the door rolled down the wood and through a narrow grate just before the door.

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Links to other Stories:

Let's use Fantasy this time...
Let's Play a GAME!! Once Upon a Time...
Let's do some Sleuthing!!!
Today's Story Game: Horror!!!
The Symbiosis