Posted on 01/02/2008 3:57:01 PM PST by SkyPilot
HOUMA, La. (AP) - A 6-foot-3, 265-pound man says a restaurant overcharged him for his trips to the buffet line, then banned him and a relative because they're hearty eaters. A spokesman for the restaurant denies the claim.
Ricky Labit, a disabled offshore worker, said he had been a regular for eight months at the Manchuria Restaurant in Houma, eating there as often as three times a week.
On his most recent visit, he said, a waitress gave him and his wife's cousin, 44-year-old Michael Borrelli, a bill for $46.40, roughly double the buffet price for two adults.
"She says, 'Y'all fat, and y'all eat too much,'" Labit said.
Labit and Borrelli said they felt discriminated against because of their size. "I was stunned, that somebody would say something like that. I ain't that fat, I only weigh 277," Borrelli said, adding that a waitress told him he looked like he a had a "baby in the belly."
Houma accountant Thomas Campo said the men were charged an extra $10 each on Dec. 21 because they made a habit of dining exclusively on the more expensive seafood dishes, including crab legs and frog legs.
"We have a lot of big people there," said Campo, who spoke for owner Li Shang, whose English is limited. "We don't discriminate."
Labit denied ever being told he would be asked to pay more than the standard adult price.
The argument grew heated, and police were called.
The police report states, "The incident was settled when the management advised that the bill was a mistake and, to appease Ricky, the meal was complimentary."
Labit said he insisted on paying but was told not to come back. He complained that when seafood on the buffet line runs out, the restaurant only grudgingly cooks more.
Campo said the proprietress tries to reduce waste of quality food, he said.
"Food is for eating, not toys for your child," reads a sign posted on a wall in typewritten text. A handwritten addition reads "Or 20% added."
The first big time all-you-can-eat buffet hereabouts was a Sweden House. They did a good trade for a couple of years. Then I started seeing the same scene every time I passed the place, a long line outside the door of Eaters, all of them very obese. Sweden House closed a little while later. Now there are a number of buffet steakhouses, Chinese restaurants and buffet rib joints. Earthquake McGoon and his kin now spread out around the town and can be accommodated, One Chinese did ban a family recently because they came in often and only ate one bite of each course then went back for fresh full plates of which they only ate one bite per course then went for thirds. They were told they have to eat what they get or not to go back for seconds. When they persisted they were banned.
They probably only eat once a week.
LOL!
Where did you find that story? (post #36)
I thought that picture was a joke until I clicked the link.
HAHHAHAHAHAAHA
4. Hookers
It is a joke, it's from "The Onion".
Still hilarious though.
Huh... I figured that you were just leading up to the idea that being a road grader is hearty work, and it works up a hearty apatite!
Mark
How would you feel about a restaurant that advertised one price on the menu, but charged you a higher rate when the bill came?
This ‘all you can eat’ place is certainly capable of changing their business model, but how you can support restaurant changing the rules after the fact? Like ‘all you can eat’ places don’t know that a certain percentage of their clientele is going to eat big? Please.
Surcharging them after the fact wasn't cool but informing them up front that their behavior was excessive and they could either leave now or pay a surcharge would be perfectly proper.
I'm also OK with taking a TINY portion of something new to sample and leaving it if you don't like it.
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