North Carolina restaurant sues diner for bad Facebook review
A restaurant owner in North Carolina in the US has filed a lawsuit against a customer who left a bad review on Facebook.
According to the suit, Doreen Gale-Alfano is being sued for slander and libel by Buoys on The Boulevard owner Weldon Boyd, who claims she left a false Facebook review damaging the Myrtle Beach restaurant's reputation.
Boyd purchased the restaurant around March 2018, the lawsuit says.
"Prior to the Sale Transaction, the previous owner of the restaurant disbursed coupons to potential customers for 'Lunch or Dinner for 2 Up to $30.00,' the coupon of which clearly stated that it was associated with the 'Grand Strand Dining Group Family of Restaurants,' including 'Buoys Beach Bar & Grille'," the lawsuit said.
Gale-Alfano and a man allegedly came to the restaurant "on or about Oct. 31, 2018," the suit says. "Defendant then presented the coupon in an attempt to order food, at which point Plaintiffs’ employees explained that the restaurant was under new ownership, that it was not the same entity, and that they could not honor the coupon."
"As a good faith effort," employees reportedly offered to not charge for drinks already ordered, the suit said.
"Defendant and the gentleman she came with left without receiving or eating any food at Buoys and checked into another local restaurant approximately seven (7) minutes later on Facebook," the lawsuit further claims. "On or about November 1, 2018, Defendant falsely posted on Buoy’s Facebook page a one star review stating “Awful food….found a worm in my sushi. Also had a fast crawling bug on the wall. The Junga game is a germ carrier. Go and enjoy if you don’t care cuz the new owner doesn’t at all.”
Sheridan Randall, 21st December 2018
