Imagine going to eat at a restaurant with your kids. If you didn’t like the food or the rules and your kids didn’t like the food either, why would you eat there?

In this story, a server explains what happens when a mom, dad and their kids choose to eat outside at the restaurant. The mom proceeded to complain about literally everything and loudly enough for all the other diners to hear. She even leaves an awful Yelp review about the restaurant.

But her complaints are completely unreasonable. Keep reading for all the details.

KIDNAPPED!

We have a temporary patio set up in the street in front of our restaurant that we obtained a permit from the city for. All the other restaurants on our street have them too.

It’s pretty great, it’s basically a block-long patio with picnic tables, umbrellas, and stanchions blocking off the different restaurants from each other.

I’m giving the patio attendant a break and so assigning tables.

This woman and her family want to sit on our patio—her, husband, three boys aged eight to fourteen. No problem, I explain our process–Take this card, go inside, place your order at the bar, we’ll run the food out to you.

The mom was upset.

Mom: “I have to STAND IN A LINE?!”

Me: “Yes, ma’am.”

Mom: “Why don’t you have SERVERS out here?!”

Me: “I’m sorry ma’am, if you aren’t aware, there’s a nationwide F&B worker shortage. We simply don’t have enough staff to accommodate forty patio tables. This system allows us to serve everybody quickly and efficiently, including your family.”

It’s really not that big a deal.

Mom: “What about my KIDS?! Am I just supposed to LEAVE them out here?!”

Me: “They can come inside to order with you. Or looks like you brought your husband with you, maybe you can get their order and he can stay with them while you go in?”

That was apparently the wrongest thing to say, because she flusters and blusters and stalks off to her table letting the whole patio know we have no clue how to run a business.

I wonder where her husband went.

So she goes in to order, saying “I guess I’ll go stand in LINE!”

Yep, I guess you will, like every-freaking-one else on this crazy Saturday.

Her husband leaves the patio as well, but walks off down the street.

Okay, so they’ve left their kids alone. Not a problem, our city is incredibly safe, the oldest is fourteen-ish, they’re surrounded by other diners, and I’ve got my eye on them.

Yikes! This sounds unsafe.

I’m helping other people when the two younger kids duck under the rope and head down the street.

I’m not going to chase them down, and I can’t leave the patio per liquor regulations, so I ask the fourteen-year-old if they’re okay and he tells me their dad said it was fine. Okay.

Back comes the lady and yes, naturally, you guessed it—this is my fault. She charges me and I stop her in her tracks.

Me: “Your husband was here, he left the kids alone, the fourteen-year-old said dad said it was okay, and I can’t leave the patio because it’s a violation of my permit regulations to leave it unattended.”

Why aren’t these parents watching their kids?

Mom: “So my kids are LOST because of your RULES?!”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m not a babysitter. There were two of you to police your children. I’m working.”

She stalks back to the table again, again informing the entire patio about how awful we are and her kids are now KIDNAPPED! But of course she doesn’t go after them, she just sits down.

Her husband comes back with a backpack and sits down. Interestingly, she doesn’t say a word to him about the kids being gone.

This is weird.

Five minutes later I notice the boys are back. They must have ducked under the ropes again because I didn’t notice them, and they’ve got sandwiches from another restaurant on the table. I approach.

And then I see, Mom and Dad are drinking White Claws they pulled from the backpack. There is literally nothing from my restaurant on the table.

Me: “Guys, I can’t have food or beverage from other establishments at the table.”

Mom: “Who cares?!”

He explained the problem.

Me: “The Board of Health and the Liquor Board. They care. And they can pull my licenses if they see it happening. I need to take those drinks and have you box up that food.”

Mom: “So my kids can’t EAT TODAY?! My kids can’t EAT?!”

Me: “Your kids can eat whatever they want, they just can’t bring food from another restaurant onto our patio. If you like, they can slide over to that public city table right there, but I can’t have it on my patio.“

Mom: “They didn’t want YOUR food! Your food is TERRIBLE!”

Why did the family even come to this restaurant?

Me: “Okay, then I’m not really sure why you’re here today. Please either box it up or move to the city table.”

Mom: “There’s not even an UMBRELLA!!! My kids have to sit in the SUN?!”

Me: “Ma’am, you have choices, but this isn’t a negotiation.” And with that I take her White Claw. I reach for Dad’s too, but he’s too quick and he ducks under the rope and sits at the public table. The two boys with food follow. “Sir, just to let you know, you can’t drink on the public streets. You’ll get a ticket.”

Dad ignores me and keeps drinking.

Everything is starting to unravel for this annoying family.

A few minutes go by and their food comes out from my restaurant. The mom makes a big show of pretending to pick it apart and hate it.

Town security comes by and sees Dad pounding his third can of White Claw with two empties on the table, and guess who gets a ticket? Yup, Dad.

The mom protests to the security guard and tells him it’s actually all my fault since I made him move to that table.

Based security guard says “Did he also make him drink these?” And issues the ticket.

The mom has to yell once again.

Mom is mad. She storms out with the other kid and shouts at me.

Mom: “Your food is OVERPRICED and AWFUL and we’re not coming back EV-AHR!”

Me: “Looks like you ate everything! Have a great day!”

Man. And to anyone who says I should have just let it slide, no. No I should not have. We’ve fought through so much over the last year of COVID and the entitlement of people is through the roof and our staff is over it. It’s hard out here, and we’re trying to stay in business. We’re trying to make a sale, keep our doors open, and follow all protocols and safety regulations. It’s hard enough without this. And guess who got a one-star review on Yelp. Cheers to all of you!

Good riddance! I hope they really don’t come back. Nobody needs awful customers like that family.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

This person shares their thoughts on one star reviews.

Another person thinks one star reviews are entertaining.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a customer who still asked for a manager after receiving perfect service.

This person shares something they would like to do.

This is funny because it’s probably true!

That woman sounds awful. I feel bad for her whole family. I hope they never do eat there again. Just eat wherever the kids got the sandwiches they actually like.

Why go to a restaurant if you’re just going to complain about everything?