New twist in the Oilers refusal to pay $18,000 restaurant tab on NY's Eve

After a game in Calgary on New Year's Eve, Oilers go out for dinner at a high end Italian restaurant. There were about 45 people and the bill came (with a 18% tip) to $18,000. Bar bill was $8.000, Oilers objected and restaurant cut it down to $12,000

Restaurant owner, after agreeing to the reduced amount goes to the media, trying to embarrass the Oilers or get some free publicity.

Now the Alberta liquor commission is doing an investigation to see if the players were drunk. If so, the owner faces hefty fines and possible suspension or even the loss of his liquor license.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=304735

Here's the kicker:

Terrigno (restaurant owner) couldn't be reached for comment on the investigation.

CTV is reporting that Terrigno asked it and The Globe and Mail for money to do more interviews.

Guy needs a course in media relations 101. Asshole

 

You damn sure ought to be able to get 45 people drunk on $8,000

 

In fairness, they are Canadian.

 

Bars everywhere serve people after they're drunk. This is merely a cheap shot by someone with the Oilers to go to the ALC with an anonymous complaint.

Owner should never have gone to the press with this, however. The $6,000 is not worth the trouble. What he should have done was merely refused to ever serve anyone from the organization again. No need to shout it from a mountaintop.

 

In Ontario they can have their licenses suspended for serving drunks the same as serving underage kids. Laws have tightened up at lot---at least up here

The owner played it totally wrong.

 

The law just got tightened here as of midnight on Jan. 1.

 

Someone forgot to tell my bartender that night...

 

i would think they could lose more than their license. if they serve someone drunk and that person injures another, the injured person(s) would sue the bar for all they have and more. this a little ridiculous though on the part of the Alberta liquor commission. a breath or blood test are the only things to measure intoxication. are they going to waste time trying to ask witnesses if the players appeared drunk?

 

See I'm of the opposite mind here. I think there was definitely a little gouging (a built in 18 per cent gratuity is rediculous I don't care how high class the restaurant is). But the Oilers were also out to lunch in asking for some of the things they were asking for. I don't think we will ever get the full story. End of the day the Oilers should have paid the bill regardless of whether or not the believed they were being taken advantage of and just never returned -- losing out on future sittings of $18,000 will hurt the restaurant owner more than the Oilers having to shell out a few hundred bucks each. Anyone know if this was the Oilers rookie dinner where the rooks have to cover the tab? first thing that came to my mind anyways, especially considering the hefty bar bill.

The owner of course goes public and the whole thing gets blown out of proportion. If it is an Oiler reporting him to the ALC then that is more than a little chincy.

 

Built-in gratuities are standard for large parties. That it was only 18% was a minor surprise. (From my frat days, I know all too well.) But the final bill worked out to $400 per person. That must've been some whiskey straight off the Golden Hind.

 

18% built-in for large (6 or more)
groups is basically protection for the joint, and is wholly legitimate, in my view. In most big cities, you're getting off easy.

My only caveat would be: if you don't wholly trust the levels of service in a place with such a policy, and you're one of a group,
you have to decide whether you're
willing to take the chance on service for the sake of the food and ambiance. Your call.

 

So when you go out to eat, you're one of those that leaves 50 cents for a $20 meal?

15 percent is a standard tip. The Oilers got off light if they were only charged 18 percent. Most restaurants would probably go 20-30 percent.

And remember, the servers (as well as the cooks) are doing a lot of extra work when having to deal with a larger party like that. They've earned every bit of that 18 percent.