CALGARY RESTAURANT OWNER FURIOUS AT OILERS OVER UNPAID TAB

Xbfeng

CTV 1/1/2010
2 p) |3 ?1 F" Q* s) ?& Z& x, bCALGARY -- The manager of an upscale Calgary restaurant is furious, claiming that Edmonton Oilers players refused to cover the full cost of a nearly $17,000 tab during a New Year's Eve night out for team members.
$ H+ J+ I4 S1 M: y
Maurizio Terrigno of Osteria de Medici, the restaurant where former U.S. president George W. Bush dined when he was in Calgary last year, said the team and staff owed $16,796.39 but wanted a break on the bill and paid $12,381.45.
. A4 I3 j: p2 C/ j/ S
* M/ X' A( p4 r& s, F+ A) u0 M* n' ^5 FTerrigno said about half of the bill was for alcohol totalling $8,248, including dozens of shots of tequila and bottles of expensive wine and $1,000 champagne.
. f* f  o/ W, h  f( ^1 X! ]
"These guys came in, they enjoyed our hospitality and when the bill came ... they went ballistic to the point where they started threatening, denigrating my staff, saying, `We're the Edmonton Oilers, we expect a 50 per cent discount,' " said Terrigno.

) W& s$ T% K: KTerrigno said 45 people ordered off the menu and their total bill came to $14,234.23, including $677.98 for GST. The restaurant usually adds an automatic 18 per cent gratuity for a large group, which would bring the total to $16,796.39.
  g  _8 N* X/ V: I2 Y' D
The Oilers had lost by a score of 2-1 earlier in the night against the Calgary Flames.
9 S! k- V1 _. x& e. F
Oilers spokesman Allan Watt said the restaurant was recommended by some Calgary friends of the players and they had a prearranged meal and menu.
! P1 t3 X$ K: j2 V: ~: y% r
"They received the bill which they felt was outrageous," said Watt.

; w; x% `# G5 J$ ]5 a' x$ ]- V+ m"They inquired about it and they were unhappy about it and were unhappy with some of the charges. The restaurant adjusted it by $7,000."
0 f7 _4 B+ Q9 Y
Watt said the players paid the adjusted bill and added a $1,900 tip and left the restaurant.

Terrigno said the group, which included team captain Ethan Moreau, attempted to negotiate a discount on the bill.

1 K+ x- r! j, P% }; T* Y7 K9 n- bHe said the players argued they should pay by the bottle for dozens of shooters purchased during the bash, but the restaurant charged them for each one individually.

; i5 R# T0 v) N8 S2 S) ?; _The restaurant tried to charge for a bottle of an imported expensive brandy after one of the players took a swig straight from it.

"They refused to pay for the whole bottle because they didn't consume the whole bottle," said Terrigno.
! l8 L/ s0 b0 t" {* ?. Y
- _9 K# _+ W$ B/ v6 ~/ l! ]He said there's no way the restaurant will serve other clients from the same bottle.

Terrigno said at one point he threatened to phone police.
3 i/ l: K8 Z; A# b
! W6 X. O" ]! E7 t9 }1 @"It's the first time during the 37 years of business have I ever experienced something like this," he said. "What's more upsetting is we know who they are."
  K6 ~/ q) B% t1 E: B
3 c. t( U" n- `) jTerrigno said because he was infuriated by what happened he plans on donating the money the players paid the restaurant to charity.

千度

The Edmonton Oilers players were ripped off.