A restaurateur has blasted ‘entitled’ diners after a group of eight left one of his teenage waiters in tears because they were not given a table.
Ben Arnold said his staff were rattled after the group complained about not being allowed into My Little Kitchen in Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Ranges.
The fed-up restaurant owner said the group became argumentative and took out their frustration on a junior waiter.
‘No means no! It’s that bloody simple,’ Mr Arnold fumed on Facebook.
He said he never liked losing customers, but his café has turned away ‘thousands’ of big groups over the years because they simply could not fit.
‘Understand that you are not entitled to a seat in any venue, and had you made a reservation or even a phone call, things could be different right now,’ Mr Arnold said.
‘Much of our team is made up of junior staff in their first jobs and many of them in their teens.
‘So if you think it’s okay to make a teen cry while at work you can kindly f*** off from my venue.’
Mr Arnold said the issue was plaguing the hospitality industry and he feared for the sector’s future.
He said a lack of common decency from customers will make it harder to recruit and retain workers, which would hammer the industry.
‘The future of hospitality is standing in front of you – the people who will operate the venues you will want to go to in 10 or 20 years time, the people who will manage our pubs and live music venues, the people who will start small, artisan businesses that your children and grandchildren will work for!’ Mr Arnold said.
‘If you burn them now our industry is over.
‘Once again, no just means no, we do not need to give you a reason why.’
Most followers supported his position on disorderly customers.
‘Well said. The stories I hear about the way some entitled people treat young staff – kids who are actually out there having a go and contributing to their community – are absolutely disgraceful,’ one wrote.
‘Instead of being grateful that these talented and dedicated young people are trying to make someone’s day better, while others would rather smash windows, light fires and cause harm to themselves.’
Another hoped the junior staff member could ‘regain their confidence’.
‘Well done for calling out the bullies who think they are so smart when in a group,’ a third said.
Other locals said customers seemed to forget local cafes are small businesses, ‘not big banks, not big corporations’.
‘Booking ahead would help you plan for space and staff… if they can’t do that, they may need to take their packed lunch,’ another woman suggested.
Mr Arnold’s Healesville café sits in the heart of wine country in the Yarra Valley.
The area, home to 150,000, attracts more than 6million domestic and international visitors, according to the council.