Australian Restaurant Owner to Customers: Buy Something And Stop Sharing Meals

(Photo : Flickr Commons)

An Australian restaurant owner has asked his customers to stop sharing meals and drinking tap water while taking up table space.

Martin Duncan, who owns Freestyle Tout in Australia, made his point via Freestyle'sFacebook page on Monday.

"Dear Freestylers," he wrote. "During peak times, we would really really appreciate each individual guest purchasing a meal or dessert and a beverage. We would like to reserve table space for paying customers. Sorry to put it plainly, but large groups not eating or drinking doesnot pay our rent or the wages of our fabulous staff. If you must share please purchase a drink. We hope you understand and look forward to seeing you soon.... Thank you Martin, Dima, Angel & crew."

Duncan also plans to inform customers about his new policy using window signs.

The cash-strapped customers who love the eatery's vibe and convenient location are unhappy with the new "buy something" policy. Many of them left harsh comments on Duncan's Facebook post.

But the frustrated Aussie business owner says his request reflects the feelings of other owners in the food service business.

"This is an issue not just limited to our business. Many of my fellow restaurateurs have shared similar stories with me," he told Mashable.

Although he was the focus of social media backlash, Duncan says his regular customers and others in the business understand his reasoning.

"When you have got a busy restaurant and people come in and only order a small amount of food or want to share something ... When margins are tight and rents are high, I can see it causes a problem," Kerry Heany, a food blogger from Eat, Drink + Be Kerry, told ABC Newsin defense of Duncan's request.

"It is a double-edged sword. They are not raking in the money. They are not mega-millionaires from running a restaurant. No one running a restaurant earns a huge amount of money; they do it because they love it. So there needs to be a bit of give and take," she added. 

Source: Headlines & global news - 13th August 2014